What a muddle! Some members of Portland’s Charter Commission are realizing they have painted themselves into a corner. Before a final vote on the unnecessary changes to Portland’s charter, will others agree? Will radical charter changes replace well managed governance with perpetually inflamed politics?

Their central conflict is with an Executive Mayor’s political dominance over the city council. Other proposed changes are interconnected with this. After months of an internal politicalized process (off-record communications, chairman’s biases toward some members and proposals, predetermined conclusions, etc.) some are now publicly expressing what could happen with a ‘Strong Mayor’ or City Boss – “obnoxious behavior,” “…a nefarious actor or someone who is simply overwhelmed by the job” and the possibility of a “wackadoodle mayor.” Didn’t we have one a few years ago? Now, some members are realizing the difficulty of removing such a person.

The commission’s struggles result from some member’s emotional responses to national problems, unfairly and without documentation, transferred to Portland. Should the final report present radical governance changes, voters should prepare to be emotionally manipulated with unhealthy national style politics into November. Will other commission members see the conundrum they’re in? Possibly, but the more emotionally invested one is in extreme thoughts and beliefs, the more difficult to admit wrongheadedness. For now, the corner the commission is painting itself into keeps getting smaller.

Robert Kahn
Portland