Archives : Posts By Author : Mary Jo Markle
Posts by Mary Jo MarklePolicy Analyst
Good Government
Portland begins registering lobbyists
Welcoming increased transparency in the city, community organizations were the first to sign up as lobbying entities on Monday, April 3. Five organizations - City Club of Portland, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, the League of Women's Voters, Money in Politics Research Action Project, and ROSE Community Development - turned in their registration to the City Auditor, urging all organizations and businesses who lobby the city to register and comply with the city's regulation, which took effect on April 1...Posted April 18, 2006 in Downtown Portland, East Portland, Front Page, Good Government, North Portland, Northeast Portland, Northwest Portland, Our Initiatives, Southeast Portland (inner), Southwest Portland | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Five questions to help navigate Portland's new lobbying disclosure requirements
On April 1, the city's requirements for disclosing lobbing activity go into effect. The city ordinance requires groups, business, and organizations that lobby city officials to register with the city and report their lobbying efforts. The first six months will be a trial period (see cover ordinance). During this time, let us know your thoughts about the requirements - what you like about them and how they may be improved...Posted March 31, 2006 in Front Page, Good Government, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
UPDATE: Council approves establishing confidence levels
On Wednesday, March 8, Council unanimously approved forming a committee to establish confidence levels for city project cost estimates. The committee will determine the steps involved for a city project manager to attain a high level of confidence for a cost estimate as opposed to a low level of confidence...Posted March 8, 2006 in Front Page, Good Government, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)
Portland Regulates Payday Lenders
Meet Maryann Olson. In order to pay for orthopedic shoes, she took out a $100 loan from a pay day lender. To make her payments, Maryann had to take out a series other loans. The spiral of debt continued until Maryann owed high interest loans to six different pay day...Posted February 24, 2006 in Front Page, Good Government, Jobs & Economy | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
Discussion of FPD&R Amendments underway
City Council formed a reform team that will discuss how to amend the Fire and Police Disability and Retirement Fund. Council staff, FPDR Board members, city police and fire unions, citizen representative of the independent review committee members, and a member of the City Club of Portland are all participating...Posted February 2, 2006 in Good Government, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
"What has the City Done for My Neighborhood lately?"
We are getting screwed by City government! Why does downtown get its streets paved and we don't? We are being ignored. During visits to neighborhood and business associations over the past 14 years, Sam repeatedly hears questions and concerns about equity in how the city distributes resources among neighborhoods. As...Posted December 29, 2005 in 2005 Year-in-Review, Good Government | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Pilot Program Gives Business District Associations Helping Hands
In an effort to strengthen the connection between city government and the city’s business districts, Sam launched the pilot phase of a liaison program within his city bureaus on September 21, 2005. Eleven business districts were assigned an employee each from the Bureau of Environmental Services and the Portland Office...Posted December 29, 2005 in 2005 Year-in-Review, Good Government | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Dumpsters on Your Sidewalk?
After years of receiving complaints from citizens about dumpsters on city sidewalks, Michael Mills, the City's Ombudsman, approached Sam and Commissioner Dan Saltzman about forming a task force to evaluate the issue. On September 29, 2005, Council passed a resolution establishing the task force of public and private interests. The...Posted December 29, 2005 in 2005 Year-in-Review, Good Government | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Tougher Oversight of City contract disputes
Concerned about the complaints he heard from subcontractors - especially woman and minority-owned firms - about city general contractors, Sam worked to enable the City Ombudsman to review contract disputes. On May 17, Council unanimously passed a resolution requiring all city contractors who hire subcontractors to have established contract dispute...Posted December 29, 2005 in 2005 Year-in-Review, Good Government | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Fiscal Responsibility: Fire and Police Disability and Retirement system
The Portland Fire and Police Disability and Retirement (FPDR) system costs have been a growing concern for Portland. The system has an unfunded liability of over $1.5 billion. Sam co-sponsored a Council resolution that created a nine-person independent review committee to analyze the FPDR system, explore potential options and make...Posted December 19, 2005 in 2005 Year-in-Review, Good Government | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Citizens Gain Place in City Budget Decision-Making
Due to a state law prohibiting citizen participation on Portland’s budget committee, the public has always lacked a direct role in shaping the city’s budget. Realizing the experience and expertise Portland citizens could offer the city’s budget process, Sam led the initiative to amend the appropriate State statute, this past...Posted December 19, 2005 in 2005 Year-in-Review, Good Government | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Disclosing City Lobbying
For 12 years as a staffer and chief-of-staff in the Mayor's office, Sam witnessed instances where the public would have benefited from knowing what was happening behind the scenes. As a candidate, he pledged to disclose that lobbying to the public. After a year of shaping the lobbying regulation draft...Posted December 19, 2005 in 2005 Year-in-Review, Good Government | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Lobbying Regulation Will Be Heard Again By Council
On December 14, Commissioner Adams will reintroduce to Council an ordinance requiring city lobbying entities to register and report their activities. The lobbying regulation, co-sponsored by Commissioner Saltzman and Commissioner Sten, has benefited from from over 10 months of public input. The disclosure required by the lobbying regulation asks business,...Posted December 9, 2005 in Front Page, Good Government, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
HELP WANTED: Portland seeks citizens for city's Budget Committee
The city is looking for citizens to assist in advising Council about city priorities and budget decisions. Facing necessary cuts in next year's budget, citizens on the budget committee will be able to weigh in on how city money is spent. Commissioner Adams led the effort to put 5 citizens...Posted November 22, 2005 in Downtown Portland, East Portland, Front Page, Good Government, North Portland, Northeast Portland, Northwest Portland, Our Initiatives, Southeast Portland (inner), Southwest Portland | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The High Cost of Low Price
Sam assured the crowd that attended the noontime screening of Wal-mart: The High Cost of Low Price in Sellwood's Moreland Theater, that he would do whatever he could to help stop a Walmart from setting up shop in Sellwood...
Posted November 19, 2005 in Front Page, Good Government, Jobs & Economy, Our Initiatives, Wal-Mart | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
A conversation with Sam Adams: 100 businesses; innumerable goals
Read an interview with Sam published by The Daily Journal of...Posted November 15, 2005 in 100 Businesses, APNBA, Jobs & Economy, News, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Citizens Gain Seats at City Budget Making Table
Portland City Council unanimously voted to add citizens to the city's budget committee in a Council session on Wednesday, November 9, 2005. 5 Portland residents will be selected to: recommend programs, operations and policies; provide advice about budget and service issues; and assist Council in planning for the future. The...Posted November 9, 2005 in East Portland, Front Page, Good Government, News, North Portland, Northeast Portland, Northwest Portland, Our Initiatives, Southeast Portland (inner), Southwest Portland | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
UPDATE: Lobbying Regulation
After ten months of developing a policy to disclose city lobbying activity (read The Oregonian article: When you get buy-in, things get complex), Council was set to vote on Commissioner Adams' lobbying regulation on October 19. However, a few days before the Council date, Commissioner Leonard handed Sam an alternative...Posted November 1, 2005 in Front Page, Good Government, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
Task force will explore options for sidewalk dumpsters
Council passed a resolution on September 28, 2005, introduced by Sam and Commissioner Saltzman, forming a collaborative work group to explore potential options for removing dumpsters from city sidewalks. The work group will bring together business interests, city employees and citizens. The city's ombudsman, Michael Mills, approached Sam with the...Posted September 28, 2005 in Good Government, Livability & Environment, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Sam Starts Community-City Liaison program
In an effort to strengthen the connection between city government and the City’s business districts, Commissioner Sam Adams is launching a district liaison program within the Office of Transportation and the Bureau of Environmental Services. The Community Liaisons will be points of contact for navigating City services and information. In...Posted September 27, 2005 in Good Government, North Portland, Northeast Portland, Northwest Portland, Our Initiatives, Southeast Portland (inner), Southwest Portland | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
How's the Review of the Fire and Police Disability and Retirement System Going?
In a work session on Tuesday, September 20, Council met with the review committee studying the Fire and Police Retirement and Disability (FPDR) system to see how the process was going. The committee received preliminary reports from actuarial and disability consultants earlier this month. Analysis of the consultants' reports will...Posted September 21, 2005 in Front Page, Good Government, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)
Sam offers Council a proposal to register Portland's Lobbying Entities
UPDATE: City Council reviewed Sam's proposed lobbying regulation on September 14. The ordinance will have another reading on October 5. Council vote is tentatively set for October 19. On Wednesday, September 14, 2005 at 2:00 p.m., Council will discuss Commissioner Adams' proposal to register Portland's lobbying entities -- the individuals,...Posted September 12, 2005 in Front Page, Good Government, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)
Sam votes against early FPD&R charter amendments
Wednesday, August 17, 2005, City Council decided, in a 3-2 vote, not to hold a special election this fall for voters to consider amendments to the Fire and Police Disability and Retirement Fund. Commissioner Erik Sten and Commissioner Randy Leonard voted in support of the special election. Sam, Mayor Potter...Posted August 16, 2005 in Front Page, Good Government, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (4)
What Sam said about FPD&R...
We need to modernize the system, and we need to put ourselves in a position to establish the policies and answer directly for them. Sam Adams, August 10, 2005, The Oregonian The Fire and Police Disability and Retirement Fund (FPDR) has been a hot issue around City Hall the past...Posted August 10, 2005 in Front Page, Good Government, News, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
UPDATE: Registering city lobbying entities: Why is this important to Sam? How is he going to do it?
For twelve years as a staffer and chief of staff in the Mayor's office, Sam witnessed instances where the public may have benefited from knowing what was happening behind the scenes. A strong advocate of transparency in city government, Sam feels that reporting lobbying activity is a important complement to...Posted August 1, 2005 in Front Page, Good Government, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBack (2)
Governor signs House Bill 3441
House Bill 3441, a bill that enables the City of Portland to add citizens to its budget committee, was signed by Governor Kulongoski on June 29, 2005. Commissioner Adams spearheaded this city effort to amend an Oregon statute that prohibited citizens from serving on the budget committees of large municipalities...Posted July 28, 2005 in Good Government, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Mercury article: LOOK WHO'S TALKING: Backroom Deals See the Light of Day
The following article appeared in the The Portland Mercury on July 7, 2005: City commissioner Sam Adams wants you to know who's been talking to him. It's hardly a radical idea--to make lobbyists publicly register any attempt to persuade city policies. But even so, Adams' proposal to regulate lobbying entities...Posted July 8, 2005 in Good Government, News, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Oregon Senate Approves a Bill to Expand the City's Budget Committee
On June 17, the Oregon State Senate voted to approve House Bill 3441 Commissioner Adams led the City of Portland's effort to change a 1963 Oregon State Legislature bill that prevents the participation of citizens on the budget committee of large municipalities...
Posted June 17, 2005 in Front Page, Good Government, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
TILTING AT WINDMILLS? Sam Adams vs. Wal-Mart
In the Portland Mercury, June 16, 2005 - Late last week, City Commissioner Sam Adams fired off a terse letter to Lee Scott, Wal-Mart's CEO. He was concerned that Wal-Mart has been steadily pushing forward plans to plop a Superstore in Sellwood, at the corner of McLoughlin and Tacoma. It...Posted June 16, 2005 in Jobs & Economy, Livability & Environment, News, Southeast Portland (inner) | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Thinking like a business owner
The Oregonian, Editorial, June 1, 2005 - Call it a gimmick or call it a prolonged field trip, but Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams' decision to visit 100 businesses in his first 100 days on the Portland City Council was inspired...
Posted June 1, 2005 in Front Page, Jobs & Economy, News, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Cases pit Measure 37 against nature
Article in the Portland Tribune, May 20, 2005 Here’s a quick public policy quiz. Which is stronger? Measure 37 or Portland’s environmental rules? That’s the question city officials started looking at during a Thursday work session. Aides said commissioners could deny Measure 37 claims that are based on city environmental...Posted May 20, 2005 in Livability & Environment, News | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Plan pushes small firms to buy offices
Article from the Oregonian, May 20, 2005 Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams, on a continuing campaign for business causes, wants to find a way to help small-business owners buy the offices they work in. Adams has toured businesses as part of his early-term pledge to help create jobs in Portland....Posted May 20, 2005 in Jobs & Economy, News, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Sam votes to approve Voter Owned Elections
The following is Commissioner Adams' letter regarding Voter Owned Elections: On May 18, 2005, with my support, City Council approved Voter Owned Elections. These campaign finance reforms provide limited public funding for qualifying city candidates’ campaigns. I believe these reforms will enable more qualified candidates to run for office. Candidates...Posted May 19, 2005 in Good Government | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Pride Before the Fall
The Portland Mercury, May 19, 2005 - Perhaps in the long run, Portland Development Commission's botched--and still pending--development decision over the Burnside Bridgehead will turn out to be just what the city needed. For years, community leaders have lamented that PDC is a freewheeling agency--more accountable to their own ambitions and egos than the city's best interests...Posted May 19, 2005 in Good Government, Jobs & Economy, News | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Saltzman plan puts new spin on cell tax
Article in the Oregonian, May 19, 2005 Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman wants to use a proposed wireless phone tax to help public schools, something that's sure to please many parents and teachers but has already infuriated one of his City Hall colleagues. Saltzman had opposed the idea of a...Posted May 19, 2005 in News | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Portland's final budget saves some programs
Article in the Oregonian, May 19, 2005 The Portland City Council approved its desk-rattling $2.7 billion budget on Wednesday, but not before slipping in last-minute money for an arts center and skateboard parks. The council also is considering a 5.9 percent increase in residential sewer rates and an average 0.6...Posted May 19, 2005 in News, Our Initiatives | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Portland OKs campaign cash
Article from the Oregonian, May 19, 2005 Starting with the 2006 election, candidates for Portland mayor, commissioner and auditor can receive taxpayer money for their campaigns. The Portland City Council voted 4-1 Wednesday to become the first city in the nation to offer comprehensive public campaign financing. That means candidates...Posted May 19, 2005 in Good Government, News | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Portland weighing campaign financing
In the Oregonian, May 6, 2005 Portland City Council members like the idea of offering City Hall candidates public money for their political campaigns -- but they're a lot less certain about whether they should accept the help themselves. The council is scheduled to vote next week on a public...Posted May 6, 2005 in Good Government, News | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Home, Queer Home
The Willamette Week, May 4, 2005 - A plan for a community center where Portland's queers can take in a concert, get a health checkup or find a lawyer is re-awakening after two years in hibernation. "People are anxious for tangible results, and rightly so," says City Commissioner Sam Adams, Portland's first openly gay council member. Adams, who took office in January, says he will use his new perch to help advance the project. While Adams cannot commit any city money to the proposal, center organizers are optimistic about finding other sources.Posted May 4, 2005 in Arts & Culture, Livability & Environment, News | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
East-side businesses feel left out
From the Portland Tribune, April 22, 2005 More than 100 people — including city Commissioner Sam Adams — crowded into the April 20 open house at the rapidly growing East Portland Chamber of Commerce. Formed just two years ago, the chamber already has 140 members, eight of whom joined last...Posted April 22, 2005 in News | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
