Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, visited East Multnomah County Monday afternoon, Aug. 12, to connect with constituents and hear their concerns.
The Multnomah County Town Hall was held at Reynolds Middle School, 1200 N.E. 201st Ave. It was the senator’s 36th of the year — he has a tradition of hosting a town hall in every Oregon county annually.
“We are going to dive right in, there is plenty to discuss,” Merkley said. “The point is to hear what is on your mind.”
“Oh my goodness East County is in the house,” said Multnomah County Commissioner Lori Stegmann, who introduced Merkley.
There were about 200 people who filled the gym. The plan was for two students to ask questions, at the beginning and end of the event, but chanting protesters cut things a bit short. They wanted the U.S. and Merkley to denounce the government of the Philippines, which they described as a “dictatorship,” and the human rights violations that have been committed.
Merkley agreed he was troubled by what was happening in the Philippines, and that he wanted their help in gathering more voices, preferably across the aisle, to enact change within the capitol.
But by that point it had fallen largely on deaf ears, as the chanting drowned out any chance of the town hall continuing. Merkley made sure to walk over to the students and chat one-on-one before leaving early.
“Thank you so much for being here and being engaged,” he said. “I’ll see you all down the road.”
Before the protest Merkley was asked about and discussed public safety, addiction and behavioral health, affordable housing, voter fraud, and the Israel-Palestine conflict.
He also gave a platform to a nonprofit organization, another tradition at his town halls. Cultivate Initiatives works in East Portland to support the houseless community. Learn more at cultivateinitiatives.org
Safety
The first question was asked by a local student about to head into the seventh grade.
“I would never have had the courage to stand up and ask a question like you,” Merkley told her.
She was worried about safety, particularly for children. Merkley spoke about programs like the Safe Streets Initiatives and the need for sidewalk infill and street lights. He said there is a dependence upon parents and families making sure young children are not out by themselves, but that the community needs to pitch in as well.
Mental Health/Addiction
One person brought up Oregon’s dismal record when it comes to national rankings: 47th worst state in mental health and addiction services, 45th in education.
The senator spoke about his work in the Senate, including securing funding for more than 475 community-initiated projects across the state in the past three fiscal years. Locally that included $1.97 million for renovations to keep the Rockwood Health Center operational, as well as $5 million for TriMet to construct a new facility to be a hub for powering and maintaining hundreds of zero-emissions busses.
Some of that money, $9 million, was directed toward recovery services, but he said more is needed.
For behavioral health Merkley said the pandemic exasperated some of the issues, especially among children, who were isolated from peers.
“Teachers say students are acting out at levels they have never seen before,” he said. “Not interacting with other people and playing games that use colors and sounds that stimulate like gambling machines — then we ask them to get off their phone and sit quietly at a desk.”
Oregon has three people die daily from overdose, with fentanyl, heroin and meth being the main culprits. While efforts to block fentanyl from being brought in have been made, the problem is difficult because even a “tiny amount that can fit on the tip of a pencil” is enough to kill.
Merkley pointed to programs like what the Beaverton School District has enacted, “One Pill Can Kill.” That spreads awareness and warns parents about new ways students are getting the drugs, like from social media or intaking Adderall that has been dangerously spiked.
Voter FraudOne person worried about the validity of Oregon’s vote by mail system, saying it allowed for corruption and illegal ballots to be cast. It was a concern Merkley roundly disagreed with.
“The vote by mail system is the most secure in the country,” he said.
He wants to see it spread to other states across the country, because it counters other efforts to disenfranchise groups of people. He pointed to a recent example in Montana, in which lawmakers attempted to prevent those living on a reservation from voting if they did not have a street address.
“These are things to try and shrink access to the ballot box, which is the beating heart of a Democracy,” Merkley said. “When President George Washington said I won’t run again, it was a really big milestone for our Democracy. Every generation has to work anew to defend our Democracy and ensure the peaceful transfer of power.”
Hedge Funds in HousingThe issue that had Merkley most fired up was around hedge funds buying up housing, particularly single-family homes. In some markets those groups are snapping up 40% of homes on the market, often making an all-cash no-inspection offer that is impossible to match.
“This was the biggest source of wealth for middle class Americans, and now billionaires want to take that slice,” he said.
Merkley spoke about his new version of End Hedge Fund Control of American Homes Act. That bill, co-sponsored in the House by Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Oregon, would “kick hedge funds to the curb” when it comes to owning single-family houses. The hope is it would allow ordinary families to have a better chance of becoming homeowners.
“These homes should be for families, not profit centers for billionaires,” he said.
Israel-Hamas
As the conflict continues between Israel and Hamas, Merkley was asked for his stance on the brewing threat of war. He decried the October 2023 attack by Hamas on the Gaza Strip, but said that Israel’s response has been poor, condemning the indiscriminate bombing and restriction of food, clean water and medicine.
“All of that is against international law,” he said. “It is a nightmare in Gaza.”
Merkley said he supports the two-state solution, and remains hopeful peace can be found. He spoke about in college hitchhiking through the Gaza Strip and Israel. At the time there was optimism a solution would be reached, but now 45 years later he said it seems more complicated than ever.
“We have to stop passing on this cycle of war and hate to the next generation,” he said. “Right now there is potential for a regional peace agreement, which would involve security for Israel and a Palestinian state fully recognized.”
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