Michael Trimble: Candidate questionnaire for Portland City Council District 4

General Information:

Name : Michael Trimble
Age : 38
Profession : Low Income Housing Management
Age : He/Him/His

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

Affordable housing is the solution to ending unsheltered housing. I propose capping rents for those making under $50,000 annually to 35% of their net not gross incomes at any residential multi-unit apartment property along with a renters’ bill of rights. This includes but is not limited to banning all rent related nonrefundable fees (such as the application itself, pet charges, the background and credit check), no evictions during school year for families with children, and no annual rent increases for tenants whose incomes remain flat). I will utilize City Hall resources by securing renters’ privacy and assuring a fair, quick and equitable housing vetting process along with empowering Portland Housing Bureau to enforce housing codes and city policies on housing. I also will advocate for all renters facing eviction receive no cost legal representation like a public defender. Housing is a human right. For too long, greedy landlords (many of them property management companies not just outside of Oregon but international conglomerates) have viewed tenants only as zeros on their paychecks. Affordable housing is a human right and thus must be a not-for-profit endeavor. In addition to all of these out of the box solutions to address those living paycheck to paycheck paying exuberantly unaffordable rental rates, the new city Council must get very serious about all the vacant properties downtown Portland. Why can’t these units be converted to temporary transitional shelters, outpatient mental health treatment clinics, recovery/sobering centers, or used as spaces by the city to offer social services at subsidized costs? We should not be afraid to use eminent domain as necessary when property owners squat on their own vacant properties writing off their losses on their taxes still profiting from their unbridled greed. I’m all for penalizing landlords who leave their residential rental units vacant for months on end while there are too many in desperate need of affordable housing. One very salient solution is implementing a cost prohibitive vacancy tax on units vacant for more than 45 days. While a vacancy tax might motivate more landlords to fill their vacancies quicker, at the end of the day, a vacancy tax still leaves those needing housing and unhoused.

One of the main reasons I am running for city council is to address the unaffordable housing crisis, and by extension ending unsolved housing by the end of 2025.

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

Living in downtown Portland, I’m advocating for citizens and small businesses to live peacefully, safely, and prosperously, as my top priority. The unregulated crime, drug use, and homelessness we’ve witnessed explode exponentially due to loose policies will be halted if I’m elected. Those refusing available shelters and/or drug rehab/detox should be committed until appropriately detoxed and/or relocated to correctional facilities.

Despite the millions upon millions of dollars spent to deal with the homeless, renters living paycheck to paycheck paying exorbitant rents have been left out in the cold, only one missed paycheck or an emergency they can’t afford from becoming homeless themselves. I’ll fight to implement income-based rent at residential multi-unit apartments (excluding private/ home residences) along with a renters’ bill of rights (no fees for applications, pet charges, background/credit checks; no evictions during school year for families with children or during acutely cold/hot days). I will utilize City Hall resources by securing renters’ privacy assuring fair, quick, and equitable housing vetting processes and empowering Portland Housing Bureau to enforce housing codes/violations and city policies. I will advocate capping rents to 35% of renters’ annual net incomes below $50K. The difference will be made up by city, county, state, and federal governments including nonprofits.

I will work with TriMet to transition to a fare free public transit system, where all max lines and frequent bus routes run 24/7 with transit security stepping into a larger role and presence until ridership/safety is restored. To improve efficiency and timeliness, I propose taking the max lines downtown Portland underground to eliminate the Steel Bridge bottleneck.

We must make biking safer by converting existing bike lanes into protected barriers from vehicular traffic and addressing pothole ridden roads. With the exception of emergency services vehicles, all others parked in bike lanes are to be towed at the vehicles’ owners’ expense with fines doubling with each violation.

The decommissioning of the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub by 2025’s end and relocating 193 million gallons of stored liquid fuel are imperative. This will be paid for by bonds and various environmental governmental agencies including Salem.

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

The first thing someone might notice about me as one of Portland’s more unlikely District Four city council candidates, is not the fact that I lack arms — or the fact that I am usually wearing a bike helmet as I commute almost exclusively via a modified/adaptive bicycle . I am very much the odd man out in this already rather crowded city council race.

I want to extend that fighting spirit … as a city councilor and fight for those who can’t or don’t fight for themselves. My lived experience (holding corporations like Kroger accountable to wrongfully terminating individuals with physical challenges, such as myself ) along with my 15+ years of customer service background in health care, communication, and now low income property management have given me the advantage of understanding and empathizing with constituents from all walks of life experiencing some of the most traumatic moments in their lives. Portlanders not only have a right to reliably consistent constituent services but a right to talk directly to the office holder representing them/their district. No other city candidate council has my customer service background.

The new city council needs a progressive cyclist like me who will fine and ticket cars parked in bike lanes, make Portland only the third city in the country with fare-free public transit, lower rents to 35% of renters‘ net not gross incomes for those earning under $50,000 annually, and end unsheltered housing by the end of 2025.

What political figure(s) do you admire?

I admire Nelson Mandela for his ability to work with people who literally were trying to kill him, as he was working to pave a better future for his people.

Similarly, I admire Barack Obama who passed near Universal healthcare with the affordable care act despite the never-ending congressional legislative blocks to stop him at every turn.

What changes would you like to see in your district?

• Car free downtown
• Underground TriMet Max lines along with more bus routes to better serve the west side of the district
• City run hospital healthcare system
• Living wages for employees/workers at multimillion dollar earning companies/corporations
• Bike lanes with protected barriers
• The decommissioning of the CEI Hub along with the relocation of its 193,000,000 gallons of stored liquid fuels
• To end unsheltered housing by 2025’s end

What do you love about Portland?

I love the cycling infrastructure along with the generally temperate weather, including the amazing food scene and cultural diversity.

Of all the cities I have lived in, Portland has the best public transit system. This is not to say that it doesn’t need serious improvements, but the fact that I can get around anywhere in the city either by bus, Max, or streetcar is a transit milestone.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the amazingly splendiferous LGBTQ+ scene in Portland, myself an under 40, openly queer and out, non-drinking, nonsmoking, and a physically challenged Portlander living without arms enjoying life to the flamboyant max!

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