Dear Friends and Neighbors,
This month – and the coming year it begins – is a moment for us to stand together. To summon our resilience. To form a web of care for each other and the community we’re building together. To continue developing the skills and insights that will help withstand the uncertainties of tomorrow and address the pressing needs of today.
Multnomah County is a strong, social safety net government that meets people on their most challenging days. We stand alongside people in crisis and move them toward stability. The challenges we face this year are challenges we’re prepared for. We’ve been here before with a commitment to protect our community, provide critical services and treat every person with dignity. We renew that commitment now.
All are welcome here – today, tomorrow, no matter what.
This is a sanctuary county in a sanctuary state and we must protect each other. Oregon's sanctuary status means that our governments cannot help enforce federal immigration laws without an order signed by a judge. Multnomah County will uphold our Community Sanctuary Promise and all other Oregon laws and legal protections.
I call on every resident to stand strong in your values and the values we share. The power of our democracy lies with us as we fight for the Multnomah County we know is possible. This means protecting our first amendment rights and all of our rights. It means Multnomah County services and safe access to law enforcement is open to all our community. It means we will model our kind of governance: compassionate, collaborative, decent, and accountable.
We stand in solidarity with those most impacted by what’s to come, especially residents who are immigrants, refugees, LGBTQIA2S+ and members of Black, Indigenous, Latiné, Communities of Color and people of the global majority. You will continue to be safe here. We’ll treat any rising politically-motivated violence, threats or bias-crimes with the consequence they deserve. And we’ll look forward to engaging and working with non-profit, philanthropic, jurisdictional partners and others to ensure mutual protection, power building and shared resources that help us stand up for the values that must be front and center.
I believe in this community and I’m confident we’ll continue recent local progress to address many pressing challenges. Through that work we’ll offer a light in the darkness. Like many leaders at the state and local level, I will not stand by as abortion access, environmental protections, civil liberties, or other priorities come under attack. I will fight alongside you to preserve all of these things and the safety each of us deserves.
Our policies in our County are strong and will continue to be. We’re doing the daily, active and ongoing work to engage in diverse, equitable, and inclusive practices. We will continue to carefully review County policies and investments that successfully preserve and expand marginalized communities' access to resources and support.
Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day – a “Day of Service” and a chance to reinvest in the vision our civil rights leaders fought for as we continue fighting for it ourselves.
One of my favorite quotes of his was delivered in Montgomery Alabama in 1957, when Dr. King reminded us:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
We should keep this in our hearts as we move ahead. What happens next will be a work in progress based on our ideals and commitments to each other. I trust you will show up for that and I will do the same.
JVP