Dear Chole, and people who support Street Wonk. What are your thoughts on candidate endorsements and slate cards?
I'm curious and have questions. Are you willing to talk about the history of candidate Steph Routh, her recent employer and history and values?
It feels like you are supporting a public dialog about candidates, and I know you want people to be informed about the facts on candidates who crafts and votes on housing laws. If this is not the proper forum for sharing facts would you rather have this somewhere else?
Steph Routh is connected to the YIMBY network of Sightline institute who ran an event sponsored by AirBnb. They match agendas perfectly. I'm curious how you can make your endorsement decision knowing this.
I think you are well aware of the harm that AirBNB inflicts on renters. I think you are also aware that Steph proudly worked for Sightline.
Facts: Sightline staff own a condo where YIMBY developer Eli Spevak evicted black section 8 renters on Albina. This up zoning is the mission of Sightline and YIMBYS. These are uncontested facts. Eli went on to found an up zone housing non profit called "Portland for everyone" This NGO had a similar housing mission as Sightline. See footnotes.
I think that it is safe to call this eviction gentrification a fact. It's not opinion. Black renters were evicted without apology as a means to promote density. Black lives were replaced with a BLM sign. But let's look deeper into that gentrification as part of the network of people who want to influence housing policy.
Sightline staff proudly put on a pro developer conference sponsored by AirBnb. Sightline staff proudly invited Eli to present at this conference. Eli has opposed rent control so has Sightline.
The sightline website is full of arguments against rent control or for creating weaker rent controls. See footnotes. Content warning for those who support stronger rent control.
You will not find sightline supporting taxes on empty units. See footnotes. You will find only 2 results if you search for "empty units" on their website. Again. Content warning. See footnotes.
Outside of the housing topic we have Steph's work in pedestrian safety.. Steph worked at Oregon Walks.
These are just facts: Oregon Walks was silent about any criticism of police. Police failed to cite the driver who killed Ben Carlson on a sidewalk. I lobbied Oregon Walks and the BTA on this topic. She did not use her time there to get this issue into the public eye, nor was any action taken. She directed my concerns to say she worked hard and gave an example of getting accidents called crashes. You will find nothing in the history of emails to members or their websites that talk about the lack of a citation in Ben's case. No call to action. It's a fact.
I'll end my presentation of facts and switch to opinion. I have known Steph back to Green Party volunteering in 2005. She is a nice person, but we need more than nice people in office. I feel we need people who don't aim to be popular or seek approval. As you read through the sightline website it becomes clear they are too close to Regan for me. Would anyone in a labor union agree that more jobs is "the only effective way" to give workers more power? That what Steph's coworkers write about giving power to renters. They say the quiet part out loud, and I don't see Steph making any rebuttals.. I feel anyone who worked for sightline or spoke at their YIMBYtown conference is not fit for any public office or work that touches the issue of housing.
"Vacancy is the only effective way to make landlords live in fear. It’s the same as the way lots of open jobs give more power to workers." Michael Andersen of Sightline
Dear Chole, and people who support Street Wonk. What are your thoughts on candidate endorsements and slate cards?
I'm curious and have questions. Are you willing to talk about the history of candidate Steph Routh, her recent employer and history and values?
It feels like you are supporting a public dialog about candidates, and I know you want people to be informed about the facts on candidates who crafts and votes on housing laws. If this is not the proper forum for sharing facts would you rather have this somewhere else?
Steph Routh is connected to the YIMBY network of Sightline institute who ran an event sponsored by AirBnb. They match agendas perfectly. I'm curious how you can make your endorsement decision knowing this.
I think you are well aware of the harm that AirBNB inflicts on renters. I think you are also aware that Steph proudly worked for Sightline.
Facts: Sightline staff own a condo where YIMBY developer Eli Spevak evicted black section 8 renters on Albina. This up zoning is the mission of Sightline and YIMBYS. These are uncontested facts. Eli went on to found an up zone housing non profit called "Portland for everyone" This NGO had a similar housing mission as Sightline. See footnotes.
I think that it is safe to call this eviction gentrification a fact. It's not opinion. Black renters were evicted without apology as a means to promote density. Black lives were replaced with a BLM sign. But let's look deeper into that gentrification as part of the network of people who want to influence housing policy.
Sightline staff proudly put on a pro developer conference sponsored by AirBnb. Sightline staff proudly invited Eli to present at this conference. Eli has opposed rent control so has Sightline.
The sightline website is full of arguments against rent control or for creating weaker rent controls. See footnotes. Content warning for those who support stronger rent control.
You will not find sightline supporting taxes on empty units. See footnotes. You will find only 2 results if you search for "empty units" on their website. Again. Content warning. See footnotes.
Outside of the housing topic we have Steph's work in pedestrian safety.. Steph worked at Oregon Walks.
These are just facts: Oregon Walks was silent about any criticism of police. Police failed to cite the driver who killed Ben Carlson on a sidewalk. I lobbied Oregon Walks and the BTA on this topic. She did not use her time there to get this issue into the public eye, nor was any action taken. She directed my concerns to say she worked hard and gave an example of getting accidents called crashes. You will find nothing in the history of emails to members or their websites that talk about the lack of a citation in Ben's case. No call to action. It's a fact.
I'll end my presentation of facts and switch to opinion. I have known Steph back to Green Party volunteering in 2005. She is a nice person, but we need more than nice people in office. I feel we need people who don't aim to be popular or seek approval. As you read through the sightline website it becomes clear they are too close to Regan for me. Would anyone in a labor union agree that more jobs is "the only effective way" to give workers more power? That what Steph's coworkers write about giving power to renters. They say the quiet part out loud, and I don't see Steph making any rebuttals.. I feel anyone who worked for sightline or spoke at their YIMBYtown conference is not fit for any public office or work that touches the issue of housing.
Footnotes:
https://www.sightline.org/upzoning/
https://www.oregonlive.com/homes-rentals/2011/05/june_4_bus_tour_offers_a_taste.html
https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Asightline.org+%22rent+control%22
https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Asightline.org+%22empty+units%22
https://www.sightline.org/2017/07/05/stop-blaming-foreign-home-buyers/
"In terms of rent, it matters little who owns an apartment building, because rents are primarily determined by what the market will bear"
https://www.sightline.org/2022/02/08/housing-is-popular/
"Vacancy is the only effective way to make landlords live in fear. It’s the same as the way lots of open jobs give more power to workers." Michael Andersen of Sightline
https://friends.org/about-us/programs/P4E
https://www.oregonlive.com/front-porch/2016/05/portland_for_everyone_housing.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20230814084903/http://www.orangesplot.net/staff/elis-bio/
https://yimby.town/sponsors/
https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.routh.5/posts/pfbid0btyxwcwZ4ACSyC7TzjRy23hhtePaEYGwucnsXtVgQfRfpY7DX4py6NUKVP6Dfxxjl
Not one of the 185 comments noted that sightline articles that downplay rent control and taxing empty units