Rex for Metro

It was obviously a long day yesterday. We sent an email today that needs one small correction. My vote last night was ultimately based on my firm belief that it’s time we get back to work and move our region forward with the balanced plans adopted for Clackamas and Multnomah counties. Again, I think the Washington County map sacrifices too much farmland, and will likely provoke lawsuits wasting valuable time and resources.

As a Metro Council, we all recognize that there are key decisions we face that will greatly affect the lives of our children and our grandchildren. This is clearly one of those moments. During the worst economic downturn in 80 years, we need an agreement that provides certainty for both development and agriculture and gets people working again.

That’s why, in the sprit of moving forward and working together with my fellow councilors, I’ve reluctantly voted to approve this overall package — but not without serious reservations. In particular, I believe Washington County’s map sacrifices foundation farmland and natural areas, which is why I voted against that map. And I also believe that map will likely provoke lawsuits that will force its revision.

But I believe the consequences are too great to stall this process over what might be, when what we’re facing today is a stagnant economy and thousands of Oregonians unemployed. It’s time to come together and put people back to work.

For more about my position on these issues, see my earlier post on tackling the question of how we grow.

“Voters deserve a healthy debate. No one understands this better than Rex, whose environmental accomplishments speak volumes for his 30 years of leadership.”
– Mia Birk, leading Sustainable Transportation Leader

Today, we called upon Metro President candidate Bob Stacey to end the recent divisive and baseless attacks on Rex’s impressive environmental accomplishments. Rex, who leads in both fundraising and endorsements in the contested race for the three-county post, has won the support of more than two dozen prominent environmental leaders.

But in an email to a broad list of environmental advocates (included below), a political consultant for Stacey called him a “fake environmentalist” — despite his decades of environmental service.

“I’ve worked alongside Rex for many years,” said Mia Birk. “Rex is an environmental champion who helped found the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and has worked for 30 years to create more livable, green, healthy, prosperous communities. He intrinsically understands that job creation and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. Regional leadership at the Metro Executive level is like no other position in its challenges and opportunities. With his regional network of positive relationships spanning environmental stewards, parks and open space advocates, businesses, educators, and leaders, Rex is uniquely qualified to lead our region in overcoming the challenges ahead and making this the greatest place to live.”

Alongside Mia Birk, State Senator Jackie Dingfelder, widely considered the most pro-environment member of the Oregon state senate, is one of the many environmental leaders who have endorsed Rex. The Oregon League of Conservation Voters named Dingfelder “Watchdog of the Year” for her work fighting for clean energy and making sure anti-environmental bills failed to gain traction.

Other notable leaders include Scott Fogarty, Director of Friends of Trees*, Michelle Bussard, Director of Forest Park Conservancy*, Travis Williams, Director of Willamette Riverkeepers* Jessica Hamilton Keys, former state legislative director for OLCV*, Scott Bricker, Laura Masterson, Pat Clancy and Mike Houck. For a full list, see below. (*Organizations listed for name identification only.)

Former OLCV Board Member Dave Moskowitz said, “I am deeply disappointed and disheartened to see people with Stacy’s campaign using the OLCV endorsement to assert that there are real environmentalist and fake environmentalist -– especially trying to apply that inaccurate and hurtful label to someone like Rex who has a long and meaningful record of protecting our environment. Oregon’s environmental community has accomplished amazing work by working together in coalition, not by attacking and labeling one another. This type of negative and untrue campaign attack only discredits the work we all do, harming our community and our vision for the region.”

Rex’s environmental record at Metro is beyond question. In 2006, he was instrumental in passing the largest open space bond in the state’s history. He secured an unprecedented amount of funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects — encouraging people to leave their cars at home — and completed three new light rail lines. He also refocused Metro to consider climate change in everything the agency does, from the Zoo’s efforts to reduce energy and water consumption, to ENACT, Metro’s Environmental Action Team, which works to constantly improve the sustainability practices of metro facilities, from expanding recycling collection efforts to installing low-flow toilets and low-energy lighting. Due to Rex’s leadership and his work with fellow councilors, Metro now integrates and tracks its work on sustainability in all programs and policies.

A strong advocate of protecting farms, forests and our neighborhoods, Rex led the 2002 ballot measure to protect our region’s ability to create livable neighborhoods that reflect and meet the needs of each community. He also helped found the Coalition for Livable Future.

Rex’s campaign manager, Caroline Fitchett, said, “We’re running a strong, positive campaign focused on Rex’s 30-year record and where we need to go as a region. This race is about how best to get our economy back on track while protecting what we love about our region. We are asking our opponent to stick to the issues important to voters and join us in a discussion of those issues, not attacks.”

She noted that in contrast to statements made by the Stacey campaign, the Oregon League of Voters went out its way to praise Burkholder’s record. From OLCV’s endorsement:

“Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder boasts a long list of environmental accomplishments in the Portland area, and has earned two previous OLCV endorsements. Burkholder helped found the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and the Coalition for a Livable Future. In his ten years on the Metro Council, Burkholder has led efforts to reduce the region’s greenhouse-gas emissions, worked to fund outdoor school for kids, and helped pass the largest bond measure ever to protect natural areas around the region.”

[Source: Oregon League of Conservation Voters Metro President Endorsement, Jan. 10, 2010]

Here’s the unedited email:

From: Elizabeth Kaufman
Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2010 11:17 AM

Guys – Wanted you to know that Bob Stacey has received the sole endorsement from OLCV for Metro President. Having watched this thing for years, I gotta tell you that you have to be REALLY bad on the issues if – as an incumbent- you don’t get a joint endorsement from OLCV with your challenger, especially when you’ve been endorsed before like REx. Even Diane Linn against Ted Wheeler got a joint endorsement. Not REx. They just don’t go against incumbents unless they’re really bad.

I guess in my old age that I’m tired of these fake environmentalists. And if more people who consider themselves true environmentalists don’t stick with that brand, you’ll see what you get stuck with.

PS And [name deleted] – please take a look at all your friends from the gas company whose names are listed as Rex’s endorsers on his campaign website… would it surprise you to know he’s got them all?

Here’s a list of environmental leaders who have endorsed Rex:

Allison Asbjornsen
Angus Duncan
Ann Gravatt
Augosto Carneiro
Brian Setzler
Caroline Fitchett
Charlie Burr
Chris Humphries
Clever Cycles
David Garten
David Moskowitz
Doe Hatfield
Don Francis
Donna Matrazzo
Doug Obletz
E. Clarke Balcom
Eileen Trudeau
Ellen Vanderslice
Elon Hasson
Greg Mecklem
Hiroshi Morihara
Jackie Dingfelder
Jay Graves
Jay Ward
Jayne Cronlund
Jeff Bissonnette
Jeff Knapp
Jessica Hamilton Keys
Jill Kuehler
John Platt
Karen Frost
Katy Brooks
Ken Rait
Kim Silva-Dubose
Kristie Perry
Laura Masterson
Marcelo Bonta
Mark Edlen
Martin Tull
Mary Fellows
Mia Birk
Michelle Bussard
Mike Houck
Ned Dempsey
Rachel Uris
Ray Thomas
Rick Potestio
Russell Plaeger
Sattie Clark
Scott Bricker
Scott Fogarty
Stephen Anderson
Stephen Hatfield
Susan Shawn
Travis Williams

For a full list of Rex’s endorsers, visit our Endorsements Page.