The Way: Where charter reform went wrong; and, the political history and future of PERS
Vadim Mozyrsky and Tim Nesbitt are this week's guest contributors. PLUS, the newsletter's August hiatus and the search for our next editor!
Thank you for reading The Oregon Way. This will be my last edition of the newsletter. Thank you to our readers, new subscribers, and guest contributors.
As we look for a new editor for The Oregon Way, we will publish one or two guest essays weekly through August. We won’t be posting a weekly edition of this newsletter while we continue our hiring process. Please email me if you or someone you know is interested in the job.
In the meantime, our content will be featured in Monday’s “Liftoff” newsletter and publicly accessible on our homepage.
Thank you again for your support!
Brad
This Week on The Oregon Way
1. Would the Portland Charter Commission’s proposed changes make the city better off?
Vadim Mozyrsky, Director of the Partnership for Common Sense Government
Problem: Organized opposition to the Portland Charter Commission’s proposals has grown. Nearly everyone seems to agree that Portland’s government needs reform. Mayor Ted Wheeler supported changes, as did all of the city’s commissioners. Now, Commissioner Mingus Mapps, former city officials, and prominent citizens are moving against the commission’s suggested measures.
Why You Should Read This: Vadim Mozyrsky hasn’t been out of the news cycle since he launched his campaign against Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty. Since his concession, he’s been a leading voice against the charter commission’s proposals. He co-founded a PAC, the Partnership for Common Sense Government, with two former city officials. In his essay, he says Portland needs reform, but the commission’s proposals are the wrong ones.
—> Want more context? Read Willamette Week’s April profile of him. And here’s more about the PAC he launched.
2. Governor Kulongoski’s Chief of Staff explains PERS and its future
Tim Nesbitt, Chief of Staff in the Kulongoski Administration
Problem: Oregon’s pension system for public employees is riddled with problems. It is overly generous, creating a substantial financial liability for the state of Oregon. At the same time, public employees and their unions are vocally opposed to any cuts to their retirement benefits.
Why You Should Read This: Nesbitt’s background makes him the ideal narrator of PERS’s recent political history. In his short essay, he writes about the up and downs in the program, previous attempts (across multiple administrations) to fix it, and challenges that will inevitably fall into the next governor’s lap. If you want to understand the program and why it has taken so long to reform better, you should read his essay.
—> Want more context? Read Nesbitt’s essay from April on PERS and the difficult political conversation surrounding it. How generous is PERS? You can see how much money public retirees receive in a data tool from Oregonlive.
Call Back
In April, Aaron Pina wrote a guest essay discussing the problems of Portland’s current government structure. Pina anticipated some of the commission’s proposals and explained their intended effects.
The Oregon Bridge
On this week’s episode of OR360 Media’s podcast, “The Oregon Bridge,” Ben and Alex speak to the Republican nominee for House District 53, Michael Sipe. They discuss sky-high housing prices, water issues, and addiction. Michael, Alex, and Ben also talk about gun violence — although they disagree on the solutions, they also find some common ground.
The Liftoff
In this week’s edition of “the Liftoff,” Alex and Ben cover
How the entry of three new, third-party candidates for governor could determine the gubernatorial election this fall;
Oregon’s water crisis is making it harder and harder to live in the state’s fast-growing region;
Kurt Schrader’s pick for governor;
And much more!
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