Celebrating our country, what is and what could be
As we head into the week of Fourth of July it makes me reflect on our amazing country. America is the best country in the world. We are the land of opportunity, where people can pursue the American Dream from any walk of life. We are the land of freedom, founded on the principles of ensuring freedom of speech, protection and autonomy.
Entrepreneurs are born here – we boast the Industrial Revolution, the internet, space travel, entertainment, music, science research and more. We have the most beautiful natural resources ranging from oceans, to rugged mountains, to lavish rivers, open forests and magnificent wildlife.
Our people are our strength and we have residents from all over the world who became citizens with a promise of a better tomorrow through hard work and dedication. Our country serves as a beacon of beauty, freedom and hope — and this should be celebrated.
This holiday also brings me pause and sadness. In the past decade, we have moved in a direction where we seek to find issues that divide us rather than unite us. Residents can no longer “agree to disagree”. We can no longer robustly debate to collectively make our communities better. Accountability is only for those we disagree with. A few fringe voices dictate the direction for the many.
People tear down our country, while in turn telling people to flee here. We ask each other to be “open-minded” but only as far as agreeing with our own point of view. People would rather view people with a party letter next to their name, than who they are as human beings.
As we celebrate with the nostalgic undertone that Fourth of July brings – with the hotdogs, fireworks, block parties and community parades – I dare us to remember the spirit of this holiday. A celebration of a country where we are all Americans first, ideologues second. A future where the only fight is for the American Dream, not each other. A tomorrow where our pride for our amazing country outweighs our politics. That is my wish.
Judge rules to hold fentanyl dealers in jail until appearance
A recent court document stated that a Multnomah County presiding judge ruled that “anyone charged with dealing fentanyl will be held in jail until first appearance in court when a judge can set bail”.
While this is reportedly due to courts struggling with getting defendants to show up to court, the motion is an important gesture for a growing issue. As a reminder, this issue stemmed from the dangerous bail reform law that created a “loophole that allowed accused dealers to return to their trade within hours”.
Every hour counts when it comes to the fentanyl crisis. Each week, approximately 20 Oregonians die of a drug overdose. Over half of these deaths involve synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. It is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Fentanyl deaths have now become the highest cause of death for people ages 18-45.
Fentanyl has changed the landscape. Investigators now treat overdoses as crime scenes. The lethality and deception of fentanyl dealers have some jurisdiction charging murder on fentanyl death cases. Fentanyl overdoses are being considered poisoning. Campaigns from across the country are telling everyone that “One Pill Can Kill”.
These type of bold, out-of-the-box solutions presented by this presiding judge are exactly what this crisis deserves. People who sell poison in our streets that are killing our youth, or those struggling with addiction, should be held accountable at every level. I applaud the Multnomah County Court.
Homeless spending sees a massive spike – what are we funding?
Recent reports bring to light our state’s massive spending in the past decade toward homelessness. I have recently asked for a state audit, with the hope that we don’t fall into the failures of our neighboring state on their homeless spending fiasco.
These reports show that we may already be on that path. Portland metro area’s homelessness spending has surged to over half a billion dollars, encompassing three counties in Oregon. Multnomah County is spending millions to distribute tarps, tents and syringes, while the City of Portland is also paying millions to clean them up.
A 2023 analysis of a homeless project, A Place for You, aimed to build as many as 300 ADUs, or “accessory dwelling units,” in backyards across the Portland area. It was a great idea, except at the time of the report only four resident applications were accepted out of the 1,000 applicants – citing that it seemed like a “ball was dropped”.
These are the financial and program failures that will run us on the same course as our neighboring state. I will continue to call for a state audit on this critical issue and I hope you will join me in holding all officials accountable on this crisis.
NEWS ALERT: Supreme Court rules in favor of Grants Pass on historic homeless encampment case
The Supreme Court ruled this morning in favor of Grants Pass, Oregon on their historic homeless encampment case. If this feels like a big deal it is.
This overturns the devastating Ninth District Court ruling that local municipalities cannot create policies that help clear encampments in their cities. This ruling has devastated cities on the West Coast, resulting in tent cities and lawlessness in public spaces.
The time is now to implement this ruling through bold decisions to address our state’s homelessness. With this decision it will be wise for us, if our Democratic leadership is truly serious about addressing homelessness, to call a special session to repeal and replace House Bill 3115. This action will reflect this court decision, clarify the law and give local jurisdictions the reinforcement they need to tackle this crisis.
I will be tracking closely how our state works to implement this new ruling.
Until next time.
Sincerely,
