The Environment

Our planet faces unprecedented change due to human activities. Humankind has to become a better steward of our home.

Right here in North and Northeast Portland, we have local environmental challenges. Children are living with lead paint dust, right here in our neighborhoods. Families are eating tainted fish caught in the Columbia Slough. And there are numerous abandoned, polluted industrial sites in our neighborhoods.

Federal help is not on the way. For our health, for our children’s health, we have to clean up our own backyard.

Health Care

Almost every day medical advances make the headlines. We are the most technologically advanced civilization in the history of the planet. But we aren’t yet civilized enough to make medical care available and accessible to everyone.

Those who don’t have health insurance are neglecting basic health care, and risking personal and financial ruin every day they get out of bed. Those who have health insurance are afraid of losing it.

The public already knows about this problem. It’s time for leaders to follow. The County may not be able to fix the whole problem, but everybody in government at any level has to join with the people in calling for a real plan.

Education

Every child who succeeds in school puts in substantial learning time outside of school. There is a gap in homework help, a gap in access to books and a place to read and study. Of course there’s also a gap in internet access. The school day is not long enough for what we expect of our young people.

After-school programs have to coordinate with and support classroom work. They have to bridge the homework gap. Most of all, we have to make sure that help is there for the students and families who need it the most.

The County’s SUN School programs are an important piece of the learning day for many of our young people. I plan to expand, focus and strengthen them.

Emergency Preparedness

In the event of a large scale emergency, we can’t depend on the Federal government to take care of us. We need professional expertise and planning right here at home.

More important, we need to plan and prepare neighborhood by neighborhood and block by block, because we can’t know ahead of time what systems will be disrupted in a disaster. We need to know how we can help ourselves, our families and our neighbors. I will lead an effort to get the entire region ready.

Making Decisions and Getting Along

My commitment is to ask of every decision, "How will this make life better for the people in our community?"

I’ve learned a great deal in 30 years of intimate involvement in the issues and challenges we have here in Multnomah County.

The first rule can be summarized: "You have to be there." It doesn’t work to sit in an office and try to figure out what people need or want, and it doesn’t work to wait for them to come to you and tell you what they think. I have built my professional life around going to people, whether they are my colleagues or professionals or public stakeholders, and finding out what they think, what they want, what they need and what they hope for.

The second rule is: "We are all in it for the right reasons." Respect for my colleagues has to recognize that while we may disagree, and have different interests and priorities, we are all trying to make things better. I will work with my colleagues on their particular interests as well as our common goals, and hope they will help me with mine.

The third rule is: "Collective wisdom is bigger than any one of us alone." Putting our heads together isn’t just an exercise to make everyone feel included; it leads to better decisions and better outcomes. And "collective" means all of us, not just those of us in office.

The fourth rule is "Expertise matters." We saw evidence in the news of Katrina for what happens when we put politics ahead of professionalism. We have to respect and rely on people who know what they are doing.

And the fifth rule is "Trust takes time." Withdrawals from the relationship bank are hard to replenish, and conciliation is not something that can be turned on and off at will. Sometimes things are said on the campaign trail that sting long after the election is over. I refuse to handicap my future effectiveness by attacking people.

Please join me in this work!

I hope that the voters in District #2 will look at my knowledge, skills and abilities, my work habits and philosophies, and see a County Commissioner they can count on to listen to them, to speak for them, and to work hard to make life better right here in Multnomah County.

I’d be honored to have your vote.

Lew Frederick

PS: For more information, to contribute or volunteer, visit our website at http://www.Vote4Lew.com, email Vote4Lew@aol.com, call our office at 503-282-1016, or visit us at 1516 NE 37th, Suite 210."