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Re Portland's huge zoning reform last week, I want to mention one person who worked quietly for years to make it possible: Chris Smith.
For years, he was reformers' best friend on Portland's planning commission.
Now he's in a runoff for his first elected office: @chrisformetro.
For years, he was reformers' best friend on Portland's planning commission.
Now he's in a runoff for his first elected office: @chrisformetro.
Chris is a friend (he was on the founding board of a little nonprofit transit magazine I used to run, @portlandafoot, though I never hit him up for more than a couple hundred).
I've admired him for 10 years because he puts in the time. He is so smart, diplomatic, strategic.
I've admired him for 10 years because he puts in the time. He is so smart, diplomatic, strategic.
He's also a huge nerd! Like, palpably.
Probably cuz of that plus the fact that he is so frequently right about stuff, no local media can ever quote him without the word "wonk," as if each reporter is seized with wonder that so pure a wonk walks among us.
And he's a great guy.
Probably cuz of that plus the fact that he is so frequently right about stuff, no local media can ever quote him without the word "wonk," as if each reporter is seized with wonder that so pure a wonk walks among us.
And he's a great guy.
Today I work 75% time. That's a privilege of both me & my wife having good jobs. It's also inspired by Chris, who worked 75% at Xerox for years so he could dedicate more time to improving his community.
Once he was a theater nerd, then a governance nerd, then a climate nerd.
Once he was a theater nerd, then a governance nerd, then a climate nerd.
I mentioned that Chris "was" housing & transpo reformers' best friend on the planning commission for years.
That didn't change because he did; it changed because the city did. The planning commission eventually caught up with him. Now it's packed with other visionary wonks.
That didn't change because he did; it changed because the city did. The planning commission eventually caught up with him. Now it's packed with other visionary wonks.
Chris came to his reform agenda in a nerdy way: 20 years ago he looked at the numbers on climate change and freaked the fuck out.
Then he got to work.
Today he's making climate the focus of his campaign for one of 7 seats running Metro, the PDX area's regional government.
Then he got to work.
Today he's making climate the focus of his campaign for one of 7 seats running Metro, the PDX area's regional government.
Chris's runoff opponent is former House Majority Leader Mary Nolan.
She's fine. I have nothing against her. She's endorsed by most of the Portland and Oregon political establishment with whom she's worked closely.
Odd lack of a platform, though. https://www.nolanformetro.com/
She's fine. I have nothing against her. She's endorsed by most of the Portland and Oregon political establishment with whom she's worked closely.
Odd lack of a platform, though. https://www.nolanformetro.com/
Chris too has been endorsed by seemingly all the people with whom he's worked closely (even Portland Commissioner Amanda Fritz, who has run council races against both Smith and Nolan and has endorsed Chris despite their many policy disagreements) https://www.chrisformetro.com/endorsements/
I assume the reason Chris made it into this runoff was a different couple of endorsements: media. Both @wweek and @portlandmercury
endorsed his underdog campaign.
Both said the same thing: this particular office is very clearly the one for Chris, & vice versa.
endorsed his underdog campaign.
Both said the same thing: this particular office is very clearly the one for Chris, & vice versa.
I'm a former journalist, so I'm biased. And our local alt-weeklies, much as I love and respect them, aren't perfect.
But the whole reason journalism is good is cases like this, when it's useful to have folks around who don't owe shit to anybody and can call it like they see it.
But the whole reason journalism is good is cases like this, when it's useful to have folks around who don't owe shit to anybody and can call it like they see it.
If you live in district 5 (marked here in brown) he'll be on your November ballot.
/end
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P.S. if you'd like to chip in some cash to help his voice reach more of your neighbors in the next 70 days, he's one of the local candidates I'll be donating to. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/chrisformetro
P.P.S. I hadn't previously read this lovely @annargriff profile of Chris from 2006, which mentions the time Metro tried to charge $30 to attend a "brainstorming meeting on regional growth."
Chris led a campaign that "forced" the agency to waive it.
https://www.chrisformetro.com/2020/02/26/chris-smith-geeky-informed-workaholic-hes-no-average-activist/
Chris led a campaign that "forced" the agency to waive it.
https://www.chrisformetro.com/2020/02/26/chris-smith-geeky-informed-workaholic-hes-no-average-activist/
