Portland's top priority is the delivery of water and sewer services. Next is public safety. Priority budgeting would demand that the bureaus responsible for water, sewer and public safety get full funding first then everything else. The city of Portland cannot and should not try to provide every public service known to man to its citizens. Like every business and household living within a budget the city of Portland must pay for what it needs and cut merely what it wants. Portland's wants to needs ratio seems out of balance and out of budget.

North Portland wanted to keep the long resident police precinct in St. Johns. We were disappointed and distressed when it was shut down due to budgetary explanations. However, we were promised that what we need, police patrols and protection, would continue to be delivered.

The two officers assigned to New Columbia MUST NOT be cut. In a recent conversation with one of the officers we agreed that keeping the peace in New Columbia would continue to require him and his partner to remain on duty for the foreseeable future. This observation was made with only a few months on the job and without the benefit of having spent a long hot summer on patrol. The almost certain near future addition of several dozen at risk youth to be housed in the Bridge Meadows Corporation project which is well within New Columbia's gang influence perimeter may require more officers at New Columbia not less.

Despite assurances from police officials at a recent public meeting that patrols and response times were the same as when the St. Johns precinct was operational many residents and business owners remained skeptical or unconvinced. The number of neighborhood officers serving North Portland MUST NOT be cut. To remove even one officer from North Portland would only add insult to injury and diminish police leadership credibility with the citizens of North Portland.

Richard Ellmyer

35 year North Portland Home Owner

North Portland Business Owner

Candidate for the North Portland House seat in the May 18, 2010 Democratic primary

http://www.ellmyer4staterep.com

Oregonian Voter Guide,  http://thevoterguide.oregonlive.com/race-detail.do?id=193097205&party=D