Mike Sands: Candidate questionnaire for Portland City Council District 1

General Information:

Name : Mike Sands
Age : 87
Profession : Retired trial attorney, law professor and Superior Court Judge pro tem
Pronouns : He, him

Questionnaire:

What is the biggest problem facing the City of Portland as it transitions to a new form of government?

District 1 has the highest level of poverty in Portland. Our child poverty rate is twice as high as District 4. For years the “wealth gap” between the rich and poor has been increasing, partly due to governmental action. I believe that poverty is the root cause of many of our other issues, including hunger, homelessness, drug abuse, gun violence and mental health issues. If elected one of my two top priorities will be to use governmental action to decrease the wealth gap between the richest and poorest Portlanders.

If elected, what do you hope to accomplish as a member of the Portland City Council?

In this election, candidates who are opposed by 75% of the voters can be elected to a position paying over half a million dollars during the term of office. This is anti-democratic. I believe that every winning candidate should have the support of a majority of the voters. My other priority will be to put on the next ballot a measure that will require that every elected city official has the support of a majority of the voters.

In what ways are you qualified to represent the citizens of Portland?

I previously served eight years on the Sacramento City Council. During that time I designed the ballot measures to convert our city council elections from city-wide to districts, thus strengthening services to constituents. I also initiated a change to how we made appointments to boards and commissions to allow greater representation by women and people of color. I worked so well together with the other council members that they elected me to serve as Vice Mayor for four years. During that final year, I also served as acting Mayor for several months. We worked in a city manager form of government, so I have the experience of working in the same system that Portland has now adopted.

What political figure(s) do you admire?

During my lifetime I most admire Barack Obama. He accomplished major accomplishments, such as Obamacare, despite stubborn obstruction from the opposing party, all the while maintaining civility. Going back through history I most admire Abraham Lincoln, who is probably our best President of all time.

What changes would you like to see in your district?

Changes to the district: Because of the severe poverty in my district, the greatest change I would like to see is to elevate the economic status of the district.

Love about Portland: What I love most about Portland is the support for the arts. We have a world-class symphony together with a classical public radio, many excellent local theaters, museums, galleries, gardens and OPB.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.