Michael Jonas on running for District 3, top issues, what’s going right

KOIN 6 News contacted candidates who are running for Oregon’s Third Congressional District in 2024, asking them to respond to these four questions:

• Why are you running for office?

• What is your prior government/civic experience?

• In your opinion, what are the top three issues facing the Third District and the state of Oregon?

• In your opinion, what is going right in the Third District and Oregon? How do you plan to build on it?

Michael Jonas is running as a Democrat. Here are his responses:

Why are you running for office?

I’m running for Congress in District 3 because I’m a creative and collaborative problem solver. I’m also running, because probably similar to you (the reader), I’m fed up with the long list of issues America has but doesn’t seem to solve. My campaign slogan is “Love, Science, Plans. And Action.” Thoughts and prayers are meaningful, but they’re not enough. Wishful thinking is great, but it’s not forward moving by itself. Our country needs plans based on research, evidence, and data that lead to intentionally implemented actions. I’m a community business attorney with an MBA and a nonprofit board volunteer. I get in and change structures and encourage businesses to profit while considering social enterprise models. I’m the guy that will be invited to the table but then tell those present that we won’t be doing business as usual.

What is your prior government and/or civic experience?

In years past I did policy research, voter outreach canvassing, political reporting, and in law school was the President of Public Interest Law. Unlike my other three opponents though, I am not coming off of a political position.

During, before, and after the pandemic for roughly 6.5 years, I have helped local businesses and nonprofits form, restructure, close, sell, grow, (and insert any other word you can think of here). In addition to offering pay-as-you-go legal services that are affordable, we have continuously provided educational programming both by means of our own Seminar Series “The More You Glow” and by speaking to numerous organizations about the legal issues they have questions about.

During the pandemic, I was working 60-70 hours a week on the ground helping all kinds of businesses close, restructure, and interpret the commercial lease moratorium, recovery loans, and ever changing health mandates. I hopped on numerous community calls at no cost. After George Floyd’s death and the riots that ensued, I made sure (often pro bono) that mutual aid organizations had what they need to be protected on the ground (ie. providing liability waivers, advice on bylaws and structure, and counsel on nonprofit compliance and formation).

If that’s not enough for you, in 2023, in addition to participating in their DC Fly In and years prior completing their Public Service Training Program, I graduated from Portland Business Alliance’s Leadership Portland program. That same year, I was chosen as an honoree of Portland Business Journal’s 40 under 40. As the infomercials say, “but wait there’s more.” I was chosen by the Small Business Administration (SBA) as Oregon’s Small Business Champion of 2023.

In your opinion, what are the top three issues facing District 3 and the state of Oregon?

The list is long, but if I had to choose only three, they would be as follows:

1. Houselessness and livability problems:

First, we need to treat our houseless neighbors like humans who have stories who deserve respect. They are not monolithic. We have a tendency as a society to paint them all as dangerous, lazy, drug dealers, and so on. Granted, safety is paramount. However, many people these days are one medical bill away from also being on the street. Regardless of how they got there or that they remain there, we must work on solutions that revolve around, “housing first but not housing only.” Meaning, we can and should house every single person. It’s a human right. We must also give them any and all wrap-around services needed from mental health resources, to harm reduction, to workforce training, to everything in between.

A similarly related issue is livability in Oregon. There are people with multiple jobs who work day and night and can’t afford their rent or can’t find affordable housing at all. Yes, we need to build affordable housing en masse. We also need to make sure the definition of “affordable housing” actually meets regional standards. Otherwise, we will build, build, build and have the same issue we’ve sometimes seen – thousands of apartments that start at monthly rates that none of the people needing them can actually afford.

2. Mental health resource shortages:

Luckily, it seems the state has realized that potentially since the 80s, there has been a massive shortage of mental health resources for youth and adults. The pandemic only exacerbated this issue. In numerous studies, Oregon has ranked extremely high in mental health issues and extremely low in resources to match them or meet the need. This needs to change immediately.

3. Small business formation, sustainability, and growth:

Oregon is a small business capital and haven. Our small businesses not only sustain the economy, they make the state distinct and vibrant. We keep telling small businesses (especially after the pandemic) to keep their retail open and present cute outwardly for walkability. Not only are small business taxes incredibly high, there’s an equation that just doesn’t pencil out that we aren’t talking about. While a large corporation like Starbucks may be able to maintain multiple locations and can afford to have one that is underperforming, a small business cannot. We are expecting small business owners (often family owned) to keep open and pay all of their bills while paying their large commercial lease payment, potentially a balloon payment of lease funds owed from the pandemic closures, and payments on an SBA or other loan. Then add on top of that inflation costs of goods, instability with staff changes (or staff that can’t afford to live in the area), and debts from a series of break-ins. Similar to how the affordability of housing doesn’t pencil out, neither does small business ownership. If we don’t change this, more businesses will leave as they are currently hanging by a thread.

Overarching to all three of these (and other issues) is that we need a different kind of politics where we actually say, “What is possible?” I’m tired of hearing “No, we can’t do that.” Humanitarian crises demand urgency, innovation, and an all hands on deck approach. For example, if you don’t like tents all over the city and building units for housing or a new shelter is costly, designate several fields that are “tent neighborhoods.” You may be thinking, “Can we do that?” Yes, we can.

We need to stop going in circles, prescribing solutions and not asking what they should be. We go in policy bureaucrat circles that really should start and stop with asking the real people on the ground (the real experts), “What do you need?” These are the people that should be at the table when we are making budgets, schedules, and laws.

Another overarching issue that affects us solving other issues is the surface level nature of conversations relating to issues that matter. In order to actually solve problems in creative, collaborative, and equitable ways, we need to actually be willing to have tough, sometimes painful conversations about the actual history (not the white-washed versions). If we aren’t willing to acknowledge our privilege and/or ignore pain or trauma of others, our solutions will be shallow. Going to one DEI training or putting out a statement is cute, but 100% not enough. We must actually discuss native and indigenous genocide and forced assimilation, Japanese internment camps, and how we treated and still treat African Americans in our state and beyond. If we are going to get solutions that matter, they must arise from real truths, real intentions, and real justice.

In your opinion, what is going right in District 3 and Oregon? How do you plan to build on it?

One of the things that is going right is the beauty of the district and the state. We must double down on protecting our land, our waterways, and our air. I will work on climate action measures that put the importance of inclusivity and social justice front and center. This will require communicating with and collaborating with a variety of local, state, and federal governmental agencies. In this process, I will make sure that those knowledgeable are also at the table which includes but is not limited to nonprofit organizations, farmers, indigenous populations, and BIPOC populations.

Another thing going right is our food. As I’m typing this, I’m thinking about what I’m going to eat for lunch today. People both locally and from all over the world, know that District 3 and Oregon are food havens. We need to make sure our food cart and restaurant owners, managers, and staff have what they need to stabilize, profit, grow, and maintain. We also need to make sure our farms and food ecosystems are supported both by 1. Understanding what they do and how important they are and 2. Providing them with financial governmental support. Specifically, I think I’m uniquely positioned to continue [Earl Blumenauer’s] legacy and help pass his Food and Farm Act

When asked for clarification on his answer claiming, “In numerous studies, Oregon has ranked extremely high in mental health issues and extremely low in resources to match them or meet the need,” Jonas referenced articles posted by Willamette Week and The Oregonian.

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