How many years have you lived in Maine?: 4.562 and counting!

What experiences,  motivations, and leadership styles will make you an effective City Councilor?:
EXPERIENCES:  Ive followed the City Council closely over the past three years.  I have served on the Portland Police Citizen Review Committee for over a year.  I also got involved with the Old Port Task Force and learned a great deal about process and pragmatics in City Hall.  In these context and others, Ive developed productive relationships with several current councilors and city officials that will enable me to help bring more collaboration to the work of the council.  More broadly, I think my experiences as a lawyer have taught me that people can be adversaries over ideas while maintaining personal respect and trust throughout the debate.  This approach yields better results for everyone.

MOTIVATIONS:  To bring a stronger voice for District 3 to the City Council.  To bring more collaboration to the work of the Council so we can stop taking sides instead of taking action.  To bring a positive progressive approach to city issues in order to keep Portland one of Americas most livable cities.

LEADERSHIP STYLE:  I believe Im able to work collaboratively with people to find workable solutions to problems.  I think Ive learned to weigh issues and perspectives carefully to arrive at a reasoned position.  I value policies that reach the greater good rather than pushing partisan agendas.


If elected, what would your top three priorities be?  How do they affect Portlander's aged 18-35?:
A STRONGER VOICE FOR DISTRICT 3 on neighborhood issues like traffic and schools.  These go far in making Portland a great place to live and raise a family.  We need to plan for the community we want to have tomorrow as well as today, so that young people will feel welcome and involved in Portlands future.

A FAIR FORMULA BUSINESS ORDINANCE for responsible business development.  Portland should lead in demonstrating that reasonable economic restrictions can keep a local economy thriving.  I want to help put a fair formula business ordinance in place that levels the playing field for local merchants while encouraging national chains to do business in Portland in a way that will help our economy, not hurt it.  We dont want to ban chains; we want to ban unfair competition.  This affects Portlands younger community because responsible business growth will bring a more robust economy and lower the property taxes homeowners pay and landlords pass on to renters.  Strengthening our local economy makes it sustainable in the face of corporatization.   This contributes to keeping Portland a great place to go to school, raise a family, and plan a career.

SUPPORTING AND STRENGTHENING THE CREATIVE ECONOMY.  A big part of the work of the City Council is addressing licensing and regulation of the nightlife industry in Portland.  We should be wary of a blanket policy of scapegoating bars and restaurants for problems in the Old Port.  Most nightspot owners and managers respect the rules, the police and their customers.  We should continue to hold those that dont accountable without creating an us-versus-them mentality.  Clamping down on commerce in fun is clamping down on fun.

More broadly, I believe Portland should do more to promote itself as a city of the arts.  We should find ways to invest in new and existing performance spaces; to encourage development of artist housing; and to create partnerships for arts production and marketing that use city resources to heighten our arts profile.  This will elevate Portlands status as a destination city for conventions and vacationing, which will in turn grow our economy and lessen our tax burden.  Getting the City more involved in promoting arts and entertainment will play a huge role in making Portland a hip hotspot for years to come, where young people are engaged, energized, and empowered.

*Disclosure: I currently represent a party to a lawsuit involving the State Theater.


Please share one positive change you have seen on City Council AND in Portland over the last year?:
Portlands youth community has gained a foothold on the City Council.   Younger perspectives on public policy in the council chambers are breathing fresh air into the public dialogue outside the council chambers.  Whoever said young people should trust their elders to lead them must have been an old guy.  Theres a lot to be said for age and experience, but the best use of experience is applying it to a vision of the future. 

Please share one frustrating change you have seen on City Council AND in Portland over the last year?:
A culture of opposition has arisen on the council that gets in the way of addressing issues and making change.  Portlands progressive community has become polarized by political follies that create distrust between Greens and Democrats.  We should move away from infighting and move forward together for progressive action.

What competing responsibilities do you have: professionally and personally?:
I run my own law practice focusing on criminal defense.  I also have several clients involved in civil litigation.  I am not married and have no kids, which leaves me free to take part in civic activities.

Are you a homeowner or a renter?: I'm a renter.

Do you support reducing the parking requirements for new construction (Y/N)?: Yes

Do you support increasing housing density to build more units (Y/N)?: Yes

What are you thoughts and ideas about housing in Portland?:
On this subject (and in general) I dont claim to be a policy wonk.  I would look to others more experienced in housing issues to inform my policy choices.  But my thoughts and ideas center on the need for more affordable housing in Portland, and the need to increase the economic and legal power of renters.  I would like to help improve the energy efficiency of Portlands housing stock so that over time the cost of utilities decreases.  This will happen because energy will not be produced only to be wasted in leaky homes.

What is your primary mode of transportation?  How can we improve transportation in Portland?:
My primary mode of transportation is a 2000 VW Beetle.  I believe we need a 21st century transportation plan for Portland; one that strives to reduce vehicle traffic and reliance on fossil fuels.  Some thoroughfares in Portland could be redesigned to better accommodate bikes and pedestrians (Forest Avenue and Outer Congress, for instance).
  
Im excited about the possibilities for redesigning Franklin Arterial to slow traffic and create safe crosswalks.  I think while were at it we should make a park in the center that draws foot traffic down to the Old Port and the Maine State Pier.  Perhaps a trolley line could operate in that space as well, to bring people on and off the peninsula without their cars.


What economic development ideas would you bring to City Council?:
The City should promote the Buy Local campaign and do all it can to protect local merchants through ordinances.  We should find ways to decrease the vacancy rate for commercial spaces across the city  Congress Street shows many bare storefronts downtown, and the problem is not much better at the Westgate Shopping Center or along Forest Avenue.  Where feasible, the City should offer tax increment financing to  build or renovate commercial space that will be more viable than the current structures.

How do you think the current Council has processed the Maine State Pier development?:
I think the process has been flawed, but not fatally.  The RFP process would have had more integrity if the original February 22 deadline had been kept.  But the fact that it wasnt doesnt seem to me a serious enough transgression to keep redesigns from being considered.  This is Maines largest port and potentially most vital economic engine; the City Council needs to get it right.  Insisting on fair and consistent process in general is one thing, but hyper-vigilance with regard to submission deadlines doesnt always serve the greater public interest.  It doesnt here.

Do you think it is important to increase regional collaboration?  Why or why not?  If so, what would you do to collaborate more?:
Yes, but we should be cautious about blanket policies to achieve regional collaboration.  Rather, efficiencies should be designed on a case-by-case basis.  A one-size-fits-all approach to combining services and cost centers will probably end up limiting our options more than our budget.

School district consolidation under Governor Baldaccis plan is a sensible way to apply hem in a system burdened by unfunded federal mandates.  We can and should combine school districts that have overlapping administrative functions.  But each district should be examined under its own microscope to judge what its unique efficiencies and inefficiencies are, before the overall budget objectives are used to justify trimming staff and services.

Other government services suitable for regional collaboration include first responders such as police and fire departments.  Of course we would not want to reduce the number of personnel available to respond to emergencies, but there is potential for combining equipment maintenance under a regional service.  For instance, one team could be responsible for keeping firefighting equipment in tip-top shape at all the fire stations in Cumberland County, which would reduce overtime paid to individual fire fighters who have to maintain their own stations equipment as needed.  More across-the-board collaboration could be accomplished in the area of infrastructure maintenance, by combining all of the countys public works departments together under one cost center.

What do you think of Portland's overall tax structure, and specifically, about current tax rates?:
Well, theyre too high.  Taxes for the cost of services needed in the City of Portland are frustrating but necessary.  The property tax regime is an imperfect one but its all weve currently got.  I support a local option sales tax for Maine.  This would allow Portland to move away from property values as the driver of what residents pay each year to maintain our quality of life in Portland.

We should also welcome responsible business development for a more robust local economy.  I believe we can strike a balance between leveling the playing field for local merchants while still encouraging chains to do business in Portland in a way that will help our economy, not hurt it.  Were not faced with an either/or choice.

Along with a local option sales tax, responsible business development will bring down taxes for everybody, not just homeowners.

What do you think Portland should do to encourage the arts and the creative economy?:
Please see above answer under Top Priorities.  In short: Build more performing arts venues; invest in renovating existing venues; and sponsor (and strongly market) public/private partnerships in the arts.  The City should also do more to induce developers to build arts-focused housing, such as live-work loft spaces.

*Disclosure: I currently represent a party to a lawsuit involving the State Theater.

What role do you think neighborhoods, and neighborhood associations, should have in our city?:
A much bigger one.  The City has taken steps before to provide access and a voice in municipal affairs for neighborhood organizations, but more can be done.  For instance, the Citys web site has pages for each neighborhood association that was active a few years ago, but the information is mostly outdated and few people know about the resource.  This is an area where both the City and involved residents can create a higher level of participation.

Another is the Foundation Plan.  Since 2001 the City has offered a Neighborhood Foundation Plan Program for making strides on livability and development of a neighborhood.  The program is a framework for collaboration between neighborhood groups and City Hall on front doorstep issues like roads and traffic, or for planning new projects like Portland Trails.  This is an example of why Portland is such a great place to live: the process and framework is right there for getting City Hall to act on a citizen group plan.  All we need is citizen groups to bring cool plans forward.

What specific steps do you think Portland can make to become a more sustainable city and to safeguard a healthy environment?:
The Buy Local Campaign and the Portland Independent Business and Community Alliance are a very encouraging development in the restructuring of our corner of the world toward sustainability.  We should build a public/private partnership to strengthen the local economy by supporting local businesses through public policy as well as through patronage.
  
The Rent G.R.E.E.N Campaign is another exciting opportunity for Portland to lead the State and the nation in demonstrating that renters and property owners can work together to conserve energy and reduce pollution.

The emphasis on new transportation and roadwork initiatives by urban activists should be greeted by the City and State with open ears and open minds.  Franklin Arterial and other major thoroughfares in Portland should be re-examined with 21st Century priorities in mind, like reducing vehicle traffic, fuel use and pollution.