Rex for Metro President

We’re proud to announce that over the last few days, Rex’s unwavering support for working families — and his track record of delivering results for them — has earned several key labor endorsements:

• Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council
• IBEW 48
• Northwest Oregon Labor Council
• Portland Firefighters Local 43
• International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
• Joint Council of Teamsters No. 37

We’re honored to have their support — if you know anyone who’s a leader or member of these organizations, drop them a note thanking them for their vote of confidence. These important organizations know that Rex Burkholder is the only candidate who can bring workers and business leaders together to create living wage jobs — jobs for the 21st century, preserving the region we love and positioning us at the forefront of the emerging green economy.

As Bob Tacket of the NW Oregon Labor Council told us,

“The NW Oregon Labor Council and its affiliates voted to endorse Rex Burkholder for Metro President because of his leadership for working families and his vision for economic growth in our region. Rex knows that the current Columbia River Crossing is unsustainable in every sense of the word, and it must be fixed. The project as Rex envisions it will not only reduce pollution and maintain healthy neighborhoods, it will create more than 26,000 jobs over 5 years, providing important job opportunities for our members.”

Working families stand behind Rex as the only candidate who can deliver on a sustainable economy.

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.