While I’m alarmed at the sheer scale of unbudgeted funds in the PHB sub funds, I think the City Administrator’s memo today meets the mark in terms of responsiveness and transparency. It tells us the unvarnished truth that a serious problem exists and acknowledges need for audits.

Federal officers in Portland have been blocked from directing or using “chemical or projectile munitions,” including pepper balls, tear gas and other crowd control munitions at protesters outside the ICE facility.

If City Council does not have an accurate an reliable accounting of funds to make decisions for what services we save and cut, we cannot do our jobs. Council must exercise our oversight powers to prevent this from happening again, and I will strongly support Councilor Green’s oversight resolution.

I’ve met him. He’s a constituent of mine and spends his time and resources caring for those who need help, especially those who have been victims of assault by our Fed government and other fascists. This person is no more leader of antifa than you and I are.

Finally got a chance to read this. I really appreciate these proposals and largely agree. I’m actively working on the first item (IE4A, stay tuned). For item three, I tend to agree with the “gotta make the case to voters” on social housing frame. But, I’m thinking of it from the existing stock lens

Obviously unsettling to learn about even more unaccounted for funds especially during a period of fiscal strain for households and the city alike. This is precisely why I filed a resolution to initiate formal oversight proceedings in December. We’ll take that up on Wednesday.

There is no place for tear gas (or any indiscriminate chemical weapons) in Portland. I am working on legislation preventing its use, storage, or possession in City limits. This will be a multi-month process, but you can make it go faster by convincing swing-vote Councilors to support it. 1/4

“ICE must be abolished, and it will be.” Events like yesterday bring us closer to this truth. What I saw with my eyes was thousands of people united in solidarity against this stain on our country, and then their children were assaulted with chemical weapons. That’s not something you move on from.

Mayor Wilson has now indicated he will expedite the rule making process for the Detention Facility Impact Fee. I am grateful for that. We also need District Attorney Nathan Vasquez to outline how he plans to hold ICE agents accountable for the unlawful use of tear gas against a group of families.

If your children got tear gassed today I want to hear from you, even if you don’t live in my district. You can contact my office at [email protected]

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson: "Our nation will never accept a federal presence where agents wield deadly force against the very people they are sworn to serve." www.portland.gov/mayor/keith-...

I've seen videos of the indiscriminate use of tear gas on a large crowd that was clearly peaceful and filled with Portlanders of all ages, and well off the macadam facility. We banned tear gas for a reason. I join Councilor Green in calling for enforcement of our laws.

I just got tear gassed along with thousands of union members, many of whom had their families with them. Federal agents at the ICE facility tear gassed children. We must abolish ICE, DHS, and we must have prosecutions. I expect to see enforcement of our city code prohibiting the use of tear gas.

Next week council will hear this oversight resolution. The item has been noticed, but will require an amendment to adjust some dates to ensure there is adequate time to engage in the fact finding necessary to aid in Council's legislative functions.

You should know that Waymo wants to come to Portland. You should know I don’t support that.

I'm just a dumb idiot when it comes to transportation planning, so I'll take my lashings on this if I'm wrong. But, I do know how to interpret a time series chart. I see clear seasonality in ridership during the cold & raining months. Surely insufficient stop infrastructure plays a role in that.

I'm concerned about the prospect of prioritizing hydrogen bus infrastructure. We need to shore up investments that improve ridership like signal prioritization, more dedicated lanes, better stop infrastructure (e.g., we should have covered stops, places to stand besides open mud pits).

Important discussion today regarding that $21MM in unallocated PHB funds. I'm glad the latest version of the Slow the Inflow amendment passed. Grateful for all the hard work that went into getting this far. I'm offering amendments from here.

On the spectrum of City Council oversight powers in the new form of government - from "soft" to "nuclear" - this here is a beautiful example of "firm."

Today @councilorgreen.bsky.social and I sent a letter to Mayor Wilson urging the Executive Branch to use their administrative powers to protect Portlanders from the Federal Government. City council can pass policy but that policy is only as effective as the Executive Branch is willing to execute it.

It's a good idea. I just raised your question and PBOT will put the idea into consideration.

The Senate must reject the bill that funds ICE. Both chambers must take up impeachment, conviction and removal proceedings for POTUS and any other office engaged in the killing and oppression of our communities. Abolish ICE and prosecute from root to branch every last one of them.

I’m ready for Wiener Week. Are you?

On this Dr. MLK, Jr. Day I want to uplift his 1967 Riverside Church speech that connected US imperialism with racialized capitalism at home. But it also presents a vision for economic justice. This was a call for a revolution of values and his message remains urgent and timely.

I did this for you and he said that we should expect to hear from BPS very soon.

The vile comments against my colleagues in these texts is unacceptable. They also reveal why it's so important to call out the ways structural racism reproduces itself, and why it's doubly important for white people not to personalize that when your colleagues of color find the need to do so.

Climate committee this Thursday.

I spoke to AG Rayfield today and thanked him for his broad work regarding federal overreach, including a parallel investigation into the East Portland shooting. Please share any relevant information with his office!

I'm glad BikePortland caught this. I wanted to make sure the public understood that conversations around PCEF and Trimet are happening in the halls, because it is a matter of public interest and there are serious considerations to weigh if we were to amend the CIP to support Trimet. My thoughts 🧵

From Portland to Minnesota, we stand united against ICE, DHS and all agents of state terror against our immigrant communities.

Solidarity with Minneapolis. Rest in peace Renee Good. We will fight like hell for those who stand in solidarity with immigrants. We will fight like hell for immigrants, documented and undocumented alike. We will love our neighbors. ICE must be abolished.

There is an emerging community led convening occurring outside of City Hall beginning at 6pm. Some councilors will speak starting around 6:30pm. There is no place in this city for ICE.

ICE needs to be taken apart, brick by brick, and we need to salt the earth.

I appreciate this strong statement. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

ICE must be abolished. The work of our time is to tear down the system that built it and remake it into one that embraces and designs systems that include all people from all places. This work will be done, because the alternative is unbearable.

I am horrified by ICE's killing of Renee Nicole Good on Portland Avenue in Minneapolis today. ICE has no authority, legally or morally, to play judge, jury, or executioner, yet they continue to act as all three. #ICEOutOfMinneapolis #ReneeNicoleGood 1/2

Portland Community College Faculty and Academic Professionals will hold their final open bargaining session & community presence can make a real difference! ✅RSVP Here: docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLS... 📅Friday, Jan 9 from 9 - 11am 📍Climb Center, 3rd Floor (1626 SE Water Ave) Wear blue or union swag

Waking up to the news that the US has bombed Venezuela, kidnapped its president, and will now seek to decide its fate (i.e. “liberate” its natural resources). We don’t have money for basic infrastructure in our local communities, but we can always start new wars? Absolutely sickening.

As I and others have written, algorithmic wage discrimination combined with the myth of “independent contracting” allows platform companies to use “desperation scores” to determine how little to pay drivers. www.reddit.com/r/confession...

This is great news and reflects the efforts from everyday Portlanders who poured into the streets, found ways to throw sand in the gears of this machine, and the urgency of my fellow electeds. Special thanks to the vets who joined me in the call to refuse orders. We won and it’s just the beginning.

Today was my last day working in @councilorgreen.bsky.social office. It was a pleasure working for both an amazing Councilor and team that had a vision of a better future.

Although it didn't make it on this week's agenda, the fact that seven councilors are already on board is encouraging. The outline of the procedure in Green's resolution is a good one and it would set a good example for oversight in the new government.

ICE deployed pepper balls while detaining someone near George Middle School in St. Johns last week. It was appalling - but not surprising. @mayorkwilson.bsky.social, @councilorepg.bsky.social @councilordanryan.bsky.social, and I issued this statement condemning ICE's poisoning of North Portlanders:

As promised, more. As a preface, I think the subject matter – the lost $21M and the subsequent fallout – is very much worthy of the Council’s time and attention. But I’m NOT going to focus on that here. Instead I’ll focus on the important precedent this oversight resolution will be setting. 🧵 1/

I'll post more on this over the weekend, but this is a huge development. For the first time, Portland's Council would be formally exercising its charter-given oversight responsibilities. Spoiler alert: this is exactly the right way to do it.

Today I filed a resolution intended to pursue Council oversight into the matter of the $21M that was found in the Portland Housing Bureau but not disclosed to Council ahead of budget discussions. I'm joined by @councilormorillo.bsky.social and @counciloravalos.bsky.social as co-sponsors.

My two cents on the possibility that PFA may be on track for surplus capability for resource delivery: 1. Good problem to have (it’s good to have buffer capacity so you can avoid rationing) 2. Strong affordability signal: people looking ahead will choose MultCo as a place to raise kids.

TONIGHT! Please join the Portland Committee on Community-Engaged Policing (PCCEP) annual meeting with the Mayor, which also has a panel with @councilorepg.bsky.social, Councilor Novick, & I along with administration public safety leaders discussing public safety in Portland's new government.

This session was cancelled last minute. I'm disappointed that a long-planned "soft" oversight work session was cancelled at the request of the Mayor / Administration and kicked out to mid-January. I think we should still have had it so we can discuss in public some of our concerns about all of this.