Do Results Really Matter in Portland Politics? And how will this impact JoAnn Hardesty during her Reelection Campaign?

• Opinion Piece FIVE in a Series of SIX Political Commentaries by Gonzo Journalist Theresa Griffin Kennedy.

• Opinion Piece FIVE in a Series of SIX Political Commentaries by Gonzo Journalist Theresa Griffin Kennedy.

When the brash, and often socially awkward JoAnn Hardesty, the same woman Willamette Week once described as the “Angry Black woman” Portland needs, runs for re-election many Portlanders may have some questions for her.

Are you one of them?

What exactly has Hardesty accomplished and why should anyone vote for her again? Has she kept her word? Does her word even matter to her?

Or to you?

Do results matter in Portland politics? Or are we all so numb to politicians lies that we just stop expecting results? And if you vote to reelect an incumbent in Portland, what does that say about you, as a person and a voter? Does your vote mean you’re accepting their decisions thus far, or agree with what they have done, or failed to do?

If JoAnn wins, she’s going to state that the results of her many failed policies are acceptable to you, the voter, and that her leadership has been validated by the people, by the voters, by virtue of their vote. Is this something you as a voter are amenable to? Do you sign off on this?

Will JoAnn’s name familiarity be enough for you, or do you really care about the city of Portland? Do you care enough to research all the candidates and vote for the one who is the most qualified? Or do you just want to get the whole voting thing over with?

Is the new crime wave in Portland acceptable to you? Are the shootings, and the murders acceptable? There were a total of 92 murders in 2021 — the highest number our city has ever documented on record. Is that acceptable to you? Is the rampant heartache, the destroyed families and the grieving of Portland dead — is that all okay with you? Are you one of the grieving of the Portland dead?

Is it okay that you know Portland Police Bureau is dangerously understaffed and at least 400 police officers too short for a city this densely populated? Is it okay with you that Portland police officers are exhausted, discouraged, and that their morale has never been lower than it is right now in 2022?

Is it okay that detectives are working 36 hour shifts without sleeping, that officers are leaving PPB? That they are in despair at what they’re forced to see and investigate every day — human beings at their very worst behavior, killing each other, raping each other, robbing each other, assaulting each other? Or do you even consider police officers to be human beings? There are people in the world, sadly, who do not and objectify police officers, due to the visually deceptive façade of the uniform.

Are you one of those people, who think all police officers are the same?

Will you vote for another four years of Hardesty? Or will you take a chance on someone else who is perhaps more stable, a person who is not an addict for example? A person who doesn’t regularly make excuses as to why they can’t pay off their small debts? A person who doesn’t get into disagreements with taxi drivers after visiting gambling casino’s? A person who does not hold mysterious infamous grudges against any and all law enforcement, accusing them of committing absurd crimes like arson crimes they simply have not committed? Or of absurdly accusing police of sitting around and “eating” all day while not doing their jobs? Or a person who does not blame the Pandemic for everything that has gone wrong in the city of Portland?

We oftentimes vote for people because we think they’re nice or we like them for whatever reason, but what we regularly overlook are the results of the people that we’ve voted into office. What have they actually done? Have they done well or have they contributed to the degeneration of something larger than themselves? Like the breakdown of an entire city? Can they see the bigger picture of their failed policies, or are they living in denial, wherein they blame other factors and people for their own misjudgment?

In 2020, Portland was told a great lie. We were told by Hardesty and others in City Council that if the police in our once great city were “Defunded” and had their yearly budget cut by millions, and if the Gun Violence Reduction Team was fired, (for being racist supposedly) then our city could and would blossom. Our city would take off, and glow with the beauty of social harmony, racial equity and the benefit of numerous economic boosts, if we only “invested in people” rather than in the police budget in an effort to combat crime.

That is what Portland was promised by Hardesty and others in City Council. But Hardesty was the one who led the people the most to believe the foolish pipe dream she was selling. She was the pied piper so to speak. She was the one convincing Portlanders to believe the alluring lie of Defund the Police.

In 2020, Hardesty was full of promises for how great Portland would become if only we did those things — took away millions in PPB funding for continued training, (police training never ends. It is a constant requirement in law enforcement) and for the regular purchase of needed police equipment.

Many states did the same thing when they chose to Defund their Police, but it doesn’t entirely matter what other states did. And some say it should not matter that Portland leaders relied on what they thought was “trending” rather than look into best practices based on actual empirical research about public safety issues that actually have been proven to work.

But their foolish mistakes DO matter. Portland politicians foolish mistakes DO matter.

Rather than relying on subject matter experts in criminology and urban planning, (there are several professors at Portland State University who fall under that category) and looking into the public safety measures that indeed work, our leaders chose to do what was trendy and risky.

Portland politicians jumped on the bandwagon of public sentiment following the horrific murder of George Floyd and they defunded the police department, fired the GVRT and we the citizens are now paying the price. While they, the City Council members are insulated with their “security details” and safely living in the Ivory Towers their money affords them, (that includes JoAnn) we the citizens daily walk in danger.

What most people know is that these social experiments in trendiness don’t work. We all know that the Defund the Police movement, as sexy as it first sounded, simply does not and will never work. How do we know that? Because in all the states where “Defund the Police” occurred, crime shot through the roof and cities became dangerous, crime infested hovels overnight. There have been hundreds of scientific studies done to document and support the reality that the Defund the Police social experiment was not successful in any way, including the excellent analysis from the FBI in the above link.

That was our lesson as a nation. Defund the Police does NOT work. And it will never work.

What most other states did in response to what should be called The Awakening was to refund their police departments. They gave all the money back and the police in those states were able to return to normal proven methods of public safety measures that include all proper funding of police departments and needed specialty units.

Portland didn’t do that though. Some money was returned, but not all. And we still have, to this day, those radical extremists, who are still calling for continued defunding of police, even in the face of rampant crime and weekly murders.

From what I can tell personally, these individuals are the kinds of people who have personal grudges against an entire group, generally based off of one or two negative experiences they personally went through, often through their own fault. I don’t take these kinds of people seriously because they’re not rational or logical. Rather, they allow their questionable and subjective experiences to determine how they will treat an entire group of people they don’t know and have no real experience with.

But that’s neither here nor there. The question is do results really matter for voters in Portland? Can Portland voters actually learn from experience, or are they doomed to reelect incumbents’ even when their failures as leaders are well-known? Is this simply because voters are too lazy to do the research into all the candidates, who they are, what they value, and what their policies are?

Will this happen in Portland when Hardesty runs for reelection? Will voters vote for her again simply because of name recognition, or will they take their obligation as voters seriously and vote for the one person who is the most qualified?

What will you do?

I’m going to end this short article with some quotes and excerpts from news stories, all available via the internet. The quotes are things JoAnn Hardesty has really said. Statements she’s made to individuals in person, on the telephone, in emails, or in other written statements. I’d like you as the reader to really think about the things JoAnn Hardesty has said and done, and what they indicate about her as a person.

Ask yourself; is this someone Portland should reelect for another four years?

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STATEMENTS MADE BY AND ABOUT JOANN HARDESTY:

“The only way I ‘ll be in jail is if I whip your ass.” Hardesty said. “That might happen.” October 13, 2016.

“That crowd was growing as night fell. People pressed against the chain-link fence that cordoned off the Justice Center. Someone banged a drum. A group of white teenagers “baited” fishing poles with doughnuts and waved them over the fence to taunt officers.” I have been advocating for police reform for 30 years,” she said. “But I feel like a teenager when I see you on the street. Please don’t stop now. Don’t stop.” June 5, 2020.

“All of a sudden, a revolution started,’’ said Hardesty, who has pushed for law enforcement reforms for decades as an activist, state legislator and now Portland lawmaker. “This is a movement.’’ June 7, 2020.

“I demand action right now. Mayor Wheeler, if you can’t control the police, give me the Portland Police Bureau.” July 18, 2020.

“Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty said Wednesday she didn’t believe protesters in Portland are setting fires but that police are sending in “saboteurs” to create the strife — an unsubstantiated claim that drew immediate pushback from police and then an apology from her hours later. She also made a not-so-oblique reference to Mayor Ted Wheeler, referencing “ignorance at the highest levels in our city government. “I asked the mayor, ‘Who do you think they’re grabbing off the street?’ Well, ah, ah,” she said, attempting to mimic Wheeler stammering in response to her question.” July 22, 2020.

“But Hardesty thinks the lies extend beyond the federal government, and that even leaders in her own city — that is, her colleagues — aren’t telling the truth. She takes the biggest issue with the police bureau itself. “I am old enough to remember that during the civil rights movement, the police had provocateurs…intentionally added to the group to do disruptive stuff,” says Hardesty, who’s been involved in Portland government for 25 years and previously served in the Navy. “I have no doubt in my mind, I believe with all my heart, that that is what Portland police are doing. Hardesty’s accusations go further: “I believe Portland Police [Bureau] is lying about the damage — or starting the fires themselves — so that they have justification for attacking community members.” July 22, 2020.

“Hardesty’s accusations go further: “I believe Portland Police [Bureau] is lying about the damage — or starting the fires themselves — so that they have justification for attacking community members.” July 22, 2020.

“Hardesty says. “And so we may end up with martial law and elections canceled because there’s too much urban unrest for us to do something stupid, like voting someone into office,” she adds sarcastically.” July 22, 2020.

“In a Facebook post before Hardesty apologized, Portland Police Bureau Chief Chuck Lovell said he too wanted to see evidence to back up her claim and denied his officers were starting fires. “Commissioner Hardesty’s statement that police officers would commit the crime of arson in order to precipitate their violation of people’s civil rights strains credulity. I am interested in seeing what evidence she has to support her accusations. I’m disappointed that an elected official would make a statement like this without providing specific facts to support it. This allegation is completely false,” he said.” July 22, 2020.

“Today I let my emotions get the most of me during council and the comment I made to the press. But I’m angry, frustrated, and horrified by what has happened these past 50 days.” July 22, 2020.

“Using unfounded claims and misinformation is something no one in any position of power should do, and you deserve better. I appreciate the reminder that as a public servant I need to be careful making statements out of misinformation, and I take this to heart.” July 22, 2020.

“We all have bad days but most of them don’t happen publicly. I have always said we can disagree without being disagreeable, but today I did not meet that standard, and I’m sorry.” July 22, 2020.

“When asked directly if the city has a gang problem, Hardesty responded by saying: “No and I have lived here for 30 years. I remember when I first came here, people were like, ‘whatever you do, don’t go into inner northeast Portland. We got gangs everywhere. No, I do not believe Portland has a gang problem. I think Portland has a problem in investing in our youth.” February 16, 2021.

“The police have a role, but their role is simply to solve crime; their role is not to prevent crime.” April 1, 2021.

“Hardesty said their new proposal would also address access to guns. She reaffirmed her position that the disbanding of the Gun Violence Reduction Team last year is not to blame for the rise in gun crimes. “It is a totally unrelated issue,” she said. The PPB, meanwhile, has said it lacks the resources it needs to carry out investigations and that the rise in gun violence coupled with staffing shortages is inhibiting their ability to respond to 911 calls. “Let me just say, the police have the resources — the police don’t need specialty units to solve crime,” Hardesty said.” April 1, 2021.

“I remain deeply concerned these RRT resignations are yet another example of a rogue paramilitary organization that is unaccountable to the elected officials and residents of Portland.” June 17, 2021

“Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty remains one of the biggest opponents of more police. “We need real information about how Portland police officers spend their day. I’m not over the $152,000 that was spent for police officers to sit around all day and eat while East Portland was being terrorized,” she said.” September 17, 2021.

“I don’t believe PPB has a staffing crisis; I believe they have a recruitment crisis. PPB currently has over 100 vacancies. During the last budget, Mayor Wheeler and I wrote an amendment to expedite the hiring of new officers, with a restriction that the money could only be used for that purpose. I was told the other day that we have not hired a single new police officer because of this budget amendment. What would adding millions of dollars to PPB to create more empty positions they haven’t proven they can fill do to promote public safety? It will simply take resources away from other vital City services and give PPB another slush fund for their excessive overtime.” September 20, 2021.

“Police have an important role to play in solving crime, but we need to better understand how the average PPB officer spends their day…” September 20, 2021.

“I’ve asked Director Myers for an assessment about the daily activity of police and why it appears officers are responding to so few incidents per day.” September 20, 2021.

“PPB is currently unresponsive to the Department of Justice, unresponsive to the City Council, and unresponsive to the Police Commissioner. I (can not) sic, in good (conscious) sic, add people to a rouge bureau with a dysfunctional culture without seeing some serious changes.” September 20, 2021.

“If I believed adding hundreds of new PPB officers was the answer, I would support it. This isn’t about ideology, it’s about data evaluation and best practices. From where I am sitting, my evaluation does not reach the conclusion that adding more empty positions to PPB will improve community safety.” September 20, 2021.

“Hardesty, who is running for a second term next year, called herself a “budget hawk” when it comes to public matters but that she neglected her personal finances, despite earning more than $125,000 a year. “I have been an excellent steward of public dollars and that is what Portlanders elected me to do,” she told The Oregonian. “I understand my personal debt may cause concern since I am one of five commissioners voting on our city budget,” Hardesty told the Oregonian in a statement. “December 19, 2021.

“I always look and feel like a bag lady. I’m always carrying so much stuff.” March 1, 2022.

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Most of the statements Hardesty has made with regard to public safety issues have been offered from her limited personal perspective as a civilian. Her statements are not based on any professional research, or any manner of adequate educational background.

Hardesty does not hold degrees in Criminology, or Urban Planning, and has no educational background wherein she can claim she is an expert on public safety issues. Any higher education Hardesty has experienced going beyond high school is rumored to be a mere 18 months of community college classes she took over 40 years ago.

• Much like Donald Trump, JoAnn Hardesty consistently refuses to share any records proving her educational background for obvious reasons.

To those, like myself, who have earned university degrees in Criminology and Criminal Justice, and who have studied these issues, including sociology and urban planning, Hardesty’s blatant lack of comprehension of these complex issues is evident by the statements she makes. Statements which her inexpert opinions expound on regarding the role of police in solving but not in preventing crime proves how little she truly comprehends about the role of police or the history of crime prevention in America.

JoAnn has stated repeatedly that because she is “a black woman” she understands issues pertaining to pubic safety, police science, training, and police procedure, and even issues regarding urban planning. Hardesty has stated that that is enough for her or anyone else who may question her understanding of these issues — because she’s a black woman.

Unfortunately, being a black woman has no bearing on how well or not, a person may understand an issue as complex as criminology, police science or public safety. The color of one’s skin is not a determining factor on education level, mental acuity or overall intelligence and never will be.

JoAnn’s ignorance of public safety issues is also evidenced by the many absurd and paranoid accusations she has made about police officers, attacking them personally in bizarre ways, with absolutely no evidence to support her paranoid delusions of wrongdoing.

Is this the kind of person Portlanders want in City Council? Haven’t we seen enough? These are the things Portlanders need to think about come election time. Another four years of exhausting drama, accusations, chaos and embarrassment, or a new leader who is everything JoAnn Hardesty is not? We need a change.

~Theresa Griffin Kennedy