Rex for Metro President

Applauding my record as “…a constant champion for conservation of Oregon’s federal public lands, waters and wildlife,” the Oregon Wild Conservation Leaders Fund has just endorsed my candidacy for Metro President.

The Oregon Wild Conservation Leaders Fund is a wonderful organization devoted to protecting Oregon’s wild lands and rivers, and it goes without saying that I am deeply honored to have its endorsement.

Like you, I take great pride in calling this region home. For over 30 years I have fought to preserve the Oregon we love. In 2006, I helped pass the largest bond measure in history to buy natural areas critical to protecting our air and water quality as well as wildlife habitat. Through my work at Metro, I also helped purchase over 10,000 acres of natural areas, and invest over 20 million dollars into local parks projects, connecting people to nature throughout the region.

Combined with common sense protections of streams and riverbanks, I’m confident we can continue to enjoy nature in and around our communities — something I’ll only magnify my energy on accomplishing as Metro President. Combined with the leadership of visionary organizations like the Oregon Wild Conservation Leaders Fund, I can’t wait to see what we can achieve.
(more…)

“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.

It’s often said the worst of times brings out the best in people. That’s why it’s been a special pleasure for me to chair Metro’s Central Enhancement Grant program this year. Funded by a 50¢ surcharge on each ton of garbage disposed of at the Metro Central transfer station in Northwest Portland, the program always inspires people to step forward and make something extraordinary happen in their neighborhoods.

This year was no exception. Last week, we awarded more than $100,000 to 27 organizations who came to us with projects enhancing their communities in some way. That investment — in small, but critical packages — will help create new family-wage jobs, protect natural areas and the environment, and direct aid to some of the most fragile people and places in our region.

For example, Store To Door or Oregon now has $3,500 to purchase and deliver groceries to senior citizens and people with disabilities. It’s one of many projects that lend a hand to struggling neighbors.

Forest Park Conservancy will use its grant of $7,500 for an outreach and stewardship program, promoting a strong sense of ownership in the amazing place that is Forest Park. It’s one of many grants that will help preserve the natural areas that provide sanctuary for thousands of people in Northwest Portland.

Our cultural heritage is also preserved and enhanced with these grants. For example, the Homowo African Arts and Cultures organization now has $1500 to help present a “North Portland Meets Africa” program in Cathedral Park.

To those who believe economic vitality has to come at the expense of our ecosystem’s health, this year’s slate is proof that we can do both. A full list of the $105,000 Metro awarded across 27 organizations should be up on Metro’s Web site soon.