Politicians come to Mt. Hood to talk real issues

On Monday, 12 candidates and incumbent elected officials from East County sat down to talk with MHCC students in a roundtable-style discussion of issues and concerns that ranged from education to gang-related problems.

The event was called “Real Talk, Real Issues,” and was organized by Skye Troy, Mt. Hood’s Associated Student Government (ASG) director of state and federal affairs.

Regarding the Oregon Opportunity Initiative (Measure 86) came up, Carla Piluso, former Gresham police chief and candidate for the Oregon House of Representatives District 50 position, spoke of her worry about her daughter’s college tuition debt. She compared that debt to her own, which was considerably lower when she finished her studies.

“It is concerning to me that she is going to be starting her life after college with that much debt,” said Piluso. “Most important to me is that we do not (essentially deny) people to (earn a college degree) because of the cost of tuition.”

Ted Tosterud, the candidate for Fairview mayor, said that students must actively seek finances for college, and that resources are often available but remain unused.

Tosterud, currently a board member of the MHCC Foundation who oversees scholarships, said, “At the end of the year, we have a lot of scholarships left over because we didn’t get enough student participation.” He said there are scholarships available and students just need to take the time to fill out the required requests.

As for gangs’ continuing lure, Lori Stegmann, a Gresham City Council member, said she believes gang involvement, poverty, and homelessness are symptoms that all stem from “either having, or not having, access to good mental health.” She mentioned last week’s Marysville, Wash., high school shooter, saying he may have not “fit the mold of somebody we think of as a troubled youth.”

Stegmann said that middle-class people such as herself have access to counseling for depression through insurance, but young people “may or may not.” She said it’s great that students are being taught to read and write, but it’s also important to teach them to have a sense of belonging. She wants to give young people “basic necessities and frame of mind so that they can go to college, so they can learn to read and write,” she said.

Piluso said one of her top achievements during her law enforcement career was establishing the East Metro Gang Enforcement team, helping serve all of Multnomah County.

“One thing we know is that prevention is far less expensive than incarceration,” Piluso said. The anti-gang team works to help individuals caught up in gangs to break their cycles of poverty and gang involvement and to make the right choices, she said.

Troutdale City Council candidate Larry Morgan (and former MHCC student body president) said residents have a direct role in preserving public safety. He said they should look after each other. more than they often do: “We keep up with the Kardashians, but not with our neighbors.”

Other officials shared similar approaches. Fairview city councilor Tamie Arnold supported revitalizing Neighborhood Watch programs, which she said are very cost-effective compared to adding police patrols. “If we keep dipping into (city reserve funds) like this, eventually there won’t be any reserves left,” she said about epanding police patrols. Morgan echoed her concern, saying that 60 percent of Troutdale’s city budget goes to the fire and public safety departments.

Stephanie Nystrom, state representative candidate for District 52, had a unique view on how to improve the community, “We need to improve our infrastructure system – roads, community colleges, schools, our energy systems, some of which are, locally, inadequate,” she said.

Gresham’s Stegmann called for better representation on a federal level, saying that, “We need people who will get us (Oregon) attention.”

Troutdale city council member Rich Allen, seeking re-election, said it makes sense to merge that city’s police force with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s department. If ratified, a new contract for Sheriff’s patrols would save the city $800,000 in the first year, he said.

“Personally, as far as public safety goes, the only thing I care about is that someone qualified shows up quickly,” Allen said. “It may not seem like much, but $50,000 to $100,000 is quite a bit.”

Students and other attendees at the event were encouraged to ask questions. Troy, the ASG organizer, said she hoped that students would feel more connected to decision makers in their cities and counties, and that the politicians “learned some needs of students and community members to effectively serve everyone.”