We won't surrender our beloved city to People for Portland's bleak vision
People for Portland’s $1.5 million dark money campaign has some publicly stated goals: more police (although increasing police doesn’t decrease crime) and more shelters (though it uses the term “shelter enforcement” privately with its secret donors).

As Black, Indigenous and other women of color, we see “People” for Portland for what it is: a well-heeled fear-mongering effort harnessing anger and hate and directing it towards some of the most vulnerable residents of our city.

Theirs is an old playbook and we’ve lived it before. Millions spent repeating the well-rehearsed lie that things aren’t as good as in the picture-perfect past - all because of "others." Others in tents on the street. Others in the neighborhood across the river. Others in elected office who won’t do the right thing until they’re forced.

People for Portland’s billboard nostalgia campaign - Remember when we were famous for food carts and the airport carpet? Remember when all your friends were jealous you lived here? - is a coded call to those who’ve always had plenty, and ignores the lived experience of countless Portlanders who live paycheck to paycheck. It pretends the last 18 months since George Floyd’s murder never happened and expects us to acquiesce to a collective amnesia.

Tens of thousands of us marched shoulder-to-shoulder in the streets, calling for an end to systemic racism and police brutality. Yet People for Portland demands more police, without full accountability.

An overwhelming majority of us - more than 80 percent - approved a future oversight board with the power to discipline or terminate police officers who use unwarranted force and violence. Yet People for Portland demands more police, without full accountability.

Hundreds of thousands of us elected progressive Black, Indigenous and other female leaders of color all across the city, from school board to county commission to the state legislature. Yet People for Portland demands more police, without full accountability - and its followers denigrate Jo Ann Hardesty and Carmen Rubio, the only two members of the Portland City Council to receive over 60 percent of the vote in their respective elections.

When we look to the West Hills of Portland, a neighborhood untouched by gun violence, we don’t see armed police patrols in their cruisers. We see financial stability, well-resourced schools and access to green space, all of which have been linked to abiding community safety.  

Scapegoating breeds self-righteousness but it will never lead to lasting solutions to gun violence and homelessness. We should be setting our collective sights on the real threat among us: an entrenched social and political system that perpetuates crushing income inequality and racism.

As we work to secure racial, economic and environmental justice for everyone, we should be crafting our emergency responses to gun violence and homelessness by first centering the expertise of communities with those lived experiences.

Instead, People for Portland is attempting to force its own agenda upon our city, an agenda devised by two unelected political consultants who enjoy long-standing relationships with powerful moneyed interests. The campaign they have crafted deliberately sows mistrust and peddles fear.

We reject their subterfuge and speak directly:

To Black, Indigenous and other Portlanders of color - and to our unhoused neighbors of all races - we call out People for Portland’s trading on old fears and malicious stereotypes and we embrace and affirm our right to exist and thrive in this city.

To Mayor Ted Wheeler, Commissioner Mingus Mapps and Commissioner Dan Ryan, we demand you denounce the corrosive tactics of this dark money campaign.

To the secret donors reportedly concerned that a “dirty and dangerous” Portland brand is bad for business, we challenge you to have the decency to reveal yourselves and defend why you’re bankrolling a campaign that brands our beautiful, resilient city as dirty and dangerous.

To fellow residents who gave your personal details to People for Portland because you’re concerned about our shared home, we ask you to consider the harm that’s being done to Portland and her people in your name.

And, finally, to all Portlanders who dream of a city where every last one of us has the very basic needs of human life fulfilled: food on the table, a roof overhead, autonomy, dignity and hope. We’re dreaming that dream alongside you and we won’t rest until it comes.

Alaide Vilchis Ibarra
Alma Raya
Alysia Cox                
Amira Stanley
An Do
Rep. Andrea Valderrama      
Angela Marie Bonilla
Angela Uherbelau
Becca Uherbelau
Beverley Barnum
Candace Avalos
Catherine Alexander
Christel Allen            
Christina Nguyen
Emma Martinez
Habiba Addo
Jenny Lee                      
Jessica Maravilla
Julianne Jackson
Kalpana Krishnamurthy
Karol Ann Collymore
Katrina Holland
Rep. Khanh Pham
LaVeta Gilmore Jones
Libra Forde
Lindsey Sadlou
Marchel Marcos        
Marina Barcelo
Megan Trombetta
Michele Ruffin
Michelle DePass      
Michelle Hicks
Nancy Haque
Negar Heckscher      
Noriko Yamaguchi
Patricia Rojas
Raahi Reddy
Raina Hassan
Reyna Lopez
Roberta S Hunte
Rut Martinez-Alicea
Sandy Chung            
Sarah Purce
Se-ah-dom Edmo            
Shani Harris-Bagwell
Sharon Joy Gary-Smith
Thuan Duong
Tierra Salmón            
Vivian Satterfield
Yesenia Delgado
-
Note: We invite everyone of all genders and backgrounds to join us in this call. If this letter resonates with you, please sign your full name. We will be updating the solidarity signature list periodically - we're all unpaid volunteers in this effort so thank you for your patience if it takes a little while. Please note that the list may also be shared with the media. If you're a Black, Indigenous or other woman of color signing in solidarity we would love to note that with an asterisk (*) by your name, if you're comfortable with that. You can simply add an asterisk when you sign or edit your comment and we will add for you. Feel free to spread the word to others who might be interested in joining us!  We recommend signing out of your Google account before sending the link to decrease the chance someone sees an erroneous message that they've already responded. Is it obvious we don't have a $1.5million budget that includes tech?!? Zero dollars spent and so much community. We're grateful to be connected to you and to this city that we love.

Links included in the letter -

https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2021/11/09/36865079/portlands-crime-rate-isnt-impacted-by-size-of-police-force-data-finds

https://www.wweek.com/news/2021/09/15/a-presentation-for-donors-reveals-some-of-people-for-portlands-secrets/

https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2021/11/community-forum-on-deadly-violence-in-portland-it-takes-all-of-us-to-make-sure-these-kids-are-safe.html

https://www.streetroots.org/news/2020/05/22/survey-moving-motels-hotels-top-choice-unhoused-people

SOLIDARITY LIST

Aaron Brown
Aaron M. Wortham
Aaron Simon
Abigail Giedd
Adam B Kauffman
Adam Crane
Adam DiCarlo
Adrienne Leverette
Aimee Santos-Lyons*
Aisling Coghlan
Alejandra Wilson
Alex Nydahl
Alexis Ball
Alice Harding
Alice West
Alison Walcott
Alissa Marie Brown
Allison Nelson
Amanda Antenucci
Amanda Grear
Amanda M Boman
Amanda Squiemphen-Yazzie*
Amber S Keller
Amelia Hard
Amy C Vaught*
Amy Ruiz
Amy Subach
Andrea Post
Andrea Salyer
Andrés Oswill
Andrew Crampton
Andy Dworkin
Andy Fraser
Andy Miller
Angelina Joon
Anita Keahilani Yap*
Ann C King
Anna Fritz
Anna Stewart
Anne Thielking
Annette Pronk*
Annie Morris-McAllister
Anthony Castaneda
Aric Clark
Aron Klein
Arrison J. Warner
Art Shapiro
Ash Elverfeld
Ashlee Albies
Ashley Henry
Ashley Thirstrup
Au Nguyen
Audrey Alverson
Austin Allstadt
Autumn Fluetsch
Avery Clark
Ba Colleran
Barb Prentice
Barbara Bochinski
Barbara Ford
Barbara Shimek
Barbara Walden
Bax Wilder White
Bear Wilner-Nugent
Bearnard Roeder
Becky O'Neil McBrayer
Bee Feuless
Bel-Ami Margoles
Belle Landau
Ben Stevenson
Bennett Gibney
Beth Johnson
Beth Ricketson
Beto Villalobos
Betsy Clayton
Betsy Toll
Betsy Zucker
Beverly A Stadick
Bill Cunninghame
Bill Sinkford
Bill Weismann
Blaine Palmer
Bob Layton
Bobbee Murr
Bobby Hayden
Bradley C. Holmes
Brandy Richardon
Breanna Hudson
Brenna Tidwell
Brianna Rosen
Brice Suprenant
Brittney Pioquinto
Brooke Herout
Bruce Fife
Bryan Platt
Byron Groves
Byron Vaughn
Caitlin Baggott Davis
Caleb Culwell
Cameron Mace
Carol Guthrie
Carolyn Schulte
Carolyn VanWinkle
Carolynn F Kohout*
Carrie King
Carrie Leonard
Carter Smith
Casey McDonald
Cece Beckwith
Cecil Charles Prescod
Cerissa McFarlane
Chandra Hohmann
Charlene (Charlie) Michelle-Westley*
Charlotte Ann Navarre
Chelsea Carpenter
Chelsea King *
Cherice Bock
Cherie Marcus
Cheryl J. McDowell
Chloe Austin
Chris Bekemeier
Chris Chaplin
Chris Doud
Chris LeDoux
Chris Trevett
Christina Mae Ketcham
Christine Dreier
Christine Homitsu White
Christine Janisse
Christine Kurz
Christine Walker
Christine Wilson
Christopher Cohen
Christopher McLaughlin
Cian Montgomery
Cicely Thrasher*
Cindy Brodner
Claire Dennerlein
Claudia Buelow
Cleo Schaumann
Cleo Tung*
Cliff White
Clyde Alan Locklear
Cody Byrne
Coleman Edwards
Colin Dabritz
Colin K. Crader II
Constance Coleman
Coua Xiong*
Courtney Sound
Curt Allan
Cynthia Crossman
Cynthia Fowler*
Cynthia MacLeod*
Dana Buhl
Daniel Fallon
Daniel Portis-Cathers
Daniel Yuhas
Danielle Maillard
Danny Faccinetti
Darren Golden
Darryl Harris*
Dave Coburn
Dave Ferguson
David Lewis
David Sugerman
David Sweet
David Waite
Dcn. Bonnie Beadles-Bohling
Dean P Land
Deborah Sposito
Debra Hebard-Brewer *
Debra Lutje
Delfina Herrera Hoxie
Dian Chute
Diana Rempe
Diane Goodwin
Dirk Larson
Donna J Kreisle
Donovan Smith
Dorothy Tharsing
Doug Holmgren
Doug Stanley
Douglas Charles Anderson
Doyle Thibert
Dr. Annette White-Parks
Drew Gremel
Drusilla Marie Winters
Duncan Baruch
Dustin Kight
Dwayne Hedstrom
Dyann Dukelow
Edward Voakes
Eileen Brokaw
Eileen Wynkoop
Elena Villa
Elijah Cetas
Elizabeth C Haidle
Elizabeth Collins
Elizabeth Cronen
Elizabeth Sheppard
Ellen Skinner
Ellie Jones
Elsa (Linnea) Johnson
Emily Goff
Emily McLain
Emily Nelson
Emily von W Gilbert
Emily Walsh
Emma Winn
Emory Mort
Eric Jacobson
Eric Muhr
Eric Schnell
Eric Wilhelm
Erich McNaughton
Erin Goodling
Erin Johnson
Erin Palmer
Erin Schmith
Erin Whitlock
Eryn Karpinski Hoerster
Ethan Brown
Ethan Feil
Faith Burlingame*
Fawn Livingston-Gray
Finnegan Hamill
Fiona Burgess
Fiona Salbato
Francis Garneaux
Francisco Bravo
Frank Mathew
Fred Heutte
Frosti McClurken-Talley
G Cody QJ Goldberg
Gabbi Logsdon
Gaby Pucillo*
Ginny Feldman
Ginny Osteen
Glenn Thompson
Gloria Halper
Grace Kennard
Grace Taylor
Greg Townley
Guy A Berliner
Hale Bales
Hanna Linder
Heather Baucum
Heather Fercho
Heather Gardner
Heather John
Heather Penzel
Huy Ong
Ian McCann
Ira Erbs
Iris Hodge
J'reyesha Brannon *
Jacen Greene
Jackie Ford
Jackie Yerby*
Jacob Ganz
Jacob Hunt
Jacob Sweet
Jacqueline Boger
Jake Dockter
Jake Weigler
James Freed
James Renola
Jamie Kennel
Jamie Partridge
Jan Wulling
Janet Byrd
Janet Rebecca Weil
Jann Carson
Janna Tessman
Janne Potter
Jasmine Gordovez
Jasmine Pettet
Jason Anajovich
Javier Reyes
Jay Parasco
Jean Rosenbalm
Jeana Frazzini
Jed Gresham
Jeff Moreno-Lothe
Jeff Wishnie
Jen Matheson
Jen Seung Hancock
Jen Unruh
Jenna Goldin
Jennifer Schuberth
Jennifer Wilkes
Jeremy O. Simer
Jess Parker
Jesse Miller
Jesse Shelton
Jessica Angle
Jessica Farrell
Jessica Robins
Jill Spencer
Jillian Johnsen
Jim Weisgram
Joan Zivi
Joanna Strahm
Joanne Burke
Joanne Millynn James
Jodi Ballard-Beach
Jodi Kim*
Jody Anderson
Johanna Brenner
Johanna Rayman
John Blank
John Cover
John Light
John Lockwood
John Mulvey
John Nettleton
John Schroeder
Jon Ho
Jon McNeill
Jon Teague
Jonathan Walker
Jones Violet Pitsker
Joni Plotkin
Jordan Foster
Joseph Santos-Lyons
Josephine Davis
Joy Alise Davis*
Judith Lienhard
Judith Nakhnikian
Judith S. Mowry
Judy Todd
Julia Maria Delgado*
Juliana Smith
Julie DeSmith
Julie Williams
June Arima Schumann*
Jutta Donath
K. Kendall
KA Cameron
Kalina Malua Katoa
Kara Bertolucci
Karen Deora
Karen Nielsen
Karen Springer
Kari Russill
Karim Hassanein
Karl Studnicka
Kat Mahoney
Katherine Howe
Katherine Kusmaul
Kathleen Schultz
Kathryn Forester
Kathryn Jorgensen
Kathryn M Vai
Kathy Young
Katie McDonald
Katie Winters, PhD
Kay D Swift
KC Lewis
Keaton Quinlan
Keli Cook
Keli Yeats
Kelly Cleveland
Kelly Simon
Ken Brown
Kendrick Simila
Kevin Christensen
Kevin Machiz
Kevin Provost
Kevin Woida
Kheoshi Owens
Kiera Asay
Kim Streuli
Kira Atwood-Youngstrom
Kirsten Ward
Korin Rasmussen
Krista Reynolds
Kristen Sartor
Kristen Swanson
Kristen Wright
Kristin Teigen
Kulia Waiwaiole*
Kyla Yeoman
Lakeitha Elliott*
Lamarra Haynes
Lara Martinez-Plachta
Laura Matthiessen
Laura Moulton
Laura Nash
Laura Radosta
Laura Roe
Lauren Burnett
Lauren Isaac
Laurie Brands
Laurie King
Layla Assem
Lea Velliquette
Leah Hill
Leah Taylor
Leann Knapp
Leora Troper
Leslie Martinez
Leslie Sullivan
Lia Nagase*
Lia Sebring
Lianna Davis
Liesl Carter
Lily Copenagle
Linda McKim-Bell
Linda Niksich
Linda Tucker
Linda Werner
Lisa Hubbard
Lisa K. Bates*
Lisa Lyon
Lisa Merrick
Lisa Traxler
Lisa Vermillion
Lisa Watson *
Liz Hormann
Liz McCann
Lois Leveen
Lore Wintergreen
Lorene Scheer
Lori Slaughter
Lori Voakes
Love Jonson
Lynelle Gamage
Lynsey McCoskey
Mab Joslyn
MacKenzie Stout
Maggie Burant
Maia Chase
Malcolm J Chaddock
Mallory Pratt
Marc Kochanski
Marcia Hamley
Marcia Schneider
Marcus Swift
Margaret A Zebroski
Margaret Butler
Maria DePriest
Mariah Johnson
Mariana García Medina
Marianne Mauldin
Marianne Stupfel-Wallace
Marilyn C. Mauch
Marilyn Keller
Marion Van Namen
Marisa Espinoza*
Marisa Zapata
Marj Hogan
Mark Fischer
Mark Keller
Mark Wiener
Mark Woodlief
Marlene Howell
Marsha Hanchrow
Mary Emerson
Mary Faye Bennett
Mary King
Mary Li*
Mary Thiel
Matt Reed
Matt Stevenson
Matte W.E.
Matthew Tannenbaum
Maureen Davis
Maureen Mimiaga
Maxine Fookson
May Wallace
Maya Rinta*
Mazie Drummond
Meagan Williams
Megan Gleason
Megan Hatch
Megan Kovacs
Megan Mermis
Megan Nealis
Megan Reno
Melanie Dann
Melanie Shaw
Melisa Crosby
Melissa Hill
Mendi Menefee
Mia Edera
Mia Pisano
Mical Yohannes
Michael Benkoski
Michael Edera
Michel Reeverts
Michele Warner
Michelle Fawcett*
Michelle Zellers
Mike Farrell
Mike Marshall
Mike Voss
Mike Westling
Milena Sentinella
Mitra Aazad
Miya Abbott
Mo Stewart
Moira Bowman
Molly Templeton
Monica Beemer
Monica Goracke
Nancy Bales
Nancy Kramer
Nancy Yuill
Natalia Gonzalez
Natalie Lerner
Natalie Robar Ranker
Natasha Anspach
Natasha Beck
Nathan L Clark
Ned Rosch
Nessa Elila
Nicholas Fiora
Nick Chaiyachakorn
Nick Gilla
Nicole Freed
Nicole Garrison
Nicole Stark
Nikki Mandell
Niomi Markel
Noah Siegel
Noel Mickelberry
Noni Causey
Nora Diehl
Nuhamin Eiden*
Nui Bezaire
Odalis Aguilar Aguilar
Olivia Hagen
P. Donaldsn
Paddy Lazar
Pam Greenough Corrie
Pamela Dailey
Pamela Earls
Pamela Freedman
Patricia Kullberg
Patricia M Barnes-Light
Patricia Parsons
Patrick Malone
Patrick Nolen
Patti Martin
Patty Wentz
Paul Hill
Paul J. Susi
Paxton Rothwell
Peggy McSorley
Perla Medina Alvarez
Pete Goldlust
Peter Hainley
Peter Parks
Peter Sergienko
Phil Houaton Goldsmith
Phoenix Singer
Pieter Vandenberge
Prudence F Roberts
Quinn MacNichol
Rabbi Ariel Stone
Rabbi Benjamin Barnett
Rachael Duke
Rachel Browning
Rachel Lakey
Rachel Oh
Rainbow Nelson
Randy Tucker
Raymond Hogan
Rebecca Dumeyer
Rebecca Farmer
Rebecca Kagan
Rebecca Smith
Regina Tinera Keough
Rep. Dacia Grayber
Rep. Lisa Reynolds
Rep. Maxine Dexter
Rep. Tawna Sanchez*
Rev Linda Andrews
Rev. Chris Dela Cruz
Rev. Erin Martin
Rev. Julia Nielsen
Rev. Katherine Jensen
Rev. Ron Werner, Jr
Rhea Wolf
Rian Peck
Rich Durant
Richard Benner
Richard Curtis
Richard G Sjolin Jr
Richie Scott
Ridley Blythe
Riley Foster
Rita Moore
Rob Cato
Robert Herrera Hoxie
Robin A Johnson
Robin Hawley Crumrine
Robin Ye
Rod Such
Roey Thorpe
Romney Shiffer Taylor
Ron Braithwaite
Rose King
Ruby Tidwell
Runa Kahan
RuthAlice Anderson
Ryan Manion
Sajani Patel
Sally Travi
Sam Cohen
Sam Eymann
Sam Harrell
Sam Stuckey
Samuel Bedell
Samuel Hay-Roe
Sara Jaffe
Sara Schmitt
Sarah Aaserude
Sarah Cardin
Sarah Carolus
Sarah Kowaleski
Sarah Schneider
Sarah Thompson
Sarah Young
Savannah Webber
Sayre White
Scott Taylor
Sean Jacobson
Sean P. Lambert
Seemab Hussaini
Seth Paddock
Shana E Riley
Shannon Olive*
Shannon Singleton*
Shannon Wight
Shelise E Hakin*
Shelley Fox-Loken
Shelley Gillespie
Sherry A Hall
Shilo Chandler
Shireen Press
Shirley Schwin
Shura Zeryck
Sieglinde Smith
Simone Crowe
Simone Salle
Sky Delight
Solamon Ibe
Sophie Hilmeyer
Spencer Mann
Stacey Boatright
Stacy Moranville
Stephanie Garneaux
Stephanie Kaza
Stephanie Scovil
Stephen Archer
Stephen Gomez
Stephenie Smith
Steve Bozzone
Steve Jetter
Susan Palmiter
Susan Tracy
Susannah Morgan
Suzan Ireland
Suzanne Prinsen
Suzanne Scopes
Suzy Jeffreys
Talia Gad*
Tammy L. Abu-Husein
Tara Fickle*
Tara Larsen Camacho
Taran Nadler
Tasha Harmon
Teresa Garofalo
Teri Uktena
Terry O'Neill
Terry Weygandt
Theresa Noble
Tierra Salmón*
Tiffany Harris
Timothy Wildgoose
Tina Knight
Tom Buchele
Tom Edmonds
Tommy Kiser
Toni Tabora-Roberts*
Tori Algee*
Tracy Richards
Trell Anderson
Trevor Irish
Trish Smith
Tristan Bailey
Tyler Robitaille
Üma Kleppinger
Valeria McWilliams*
Valerie Hauser
Vishal Bakshi
Vivian Aguilera*
Wally Catton
Walter McNaughton
Wendy Emerson
Wendy Gehring
Whitney Stark
Wil Magness
Wil Tietsort
Wiley G Barnett*
William Bourget
William D. Rizer
Wink Chin
Wolf Ahlberg
Wynne Furth
Yvonne Garcia*
Zach Galehouse
Zale Chadwick



*Solidarity List - Black, Indigenous or other woman of color (still updating)
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