After graduating from the University of Portland, Eric Zimmerman entered the Army and Oregon Army National Guard as a second lieutenant. In 2009, he was deployed to Iraq, serving as a platoon leader with distinction, earning the Bronze Star Medal and the Combat Action Badge.
After serving overseas, Zimmerman returned to Multnomah County — first working to expand job opportunities for returning veterans, then working for County Commissioner Diane McKeel, rising to chief of staff. Their office has led the county’s efforts on economic development, anti-human-trafficking, veterans housing and improving services for those experiencing mental health crises.
Continuing to serve in the National Guard, holding the rank of captain, he led the effort to make his unit a national leader in preparing for the lifting of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the restriction on women serving in combat units.
Zimmerman is running for Multnomah County commissioner in District 1. Here are his responses to Street Roots' candidates pop quiz — a mix of short-answer, yes-or-no, and multiple-choice questions. (Read other candidates' responses.)
QUESTION 1
What area of the county government are you most interested in working with and why? (100 words or less)
The county has a key role to play in many issues, and I believe the three most important we face are the following: 1. Developing policies that create economic opportunity and support families struggling today. 2. Addressing the current housing crisis, by supporting permanent housing for homeless individuals and expanding affordable housing development across the community. 3. Increasing our shelter inventory and capacity to provide necessary and vital off-the-street shelter for safety and health while working on an ongoing basis to increase access to services for housing, treatment and employment.
QUESTION 2
What is one solid step you will take to expand affordable housing countywide? (150 words)
This year, for the first time, the county has invested in developing affordable units. I want to invest funds in this manner to continue to build the inventory of the most-affordable units. This is part of the county’s responsibility in A Home For Everyone to address homelessness and help get people into transitional and affordable housing. But we also need to be doing more to address workforce housing issues so that struggling families do not end up on the street because of evictions, rising rents or a personal financial setback.
QUESTION 3
Yes or No: Would you support establishing a safe injection site?
No.
QUESTION 4
Beyond Portland, Multnomah County encompasses smaller municipalities all dealing with housing and homeless issues, with the county often picking up the slack. How will you get other municipalities to better address these issues? (150 words or less)
I think it is critical that we find the resources at the city, county and state levels to support investment in affordable housing creation including creative approaches like land trusts, public bonding or partnerships with private funds like union pension funds. We also need to look at the alignment of services across jurisdictions to help stretch dollars further and ensure services are effectively delivered. Last, we need to better understand how policies in individual jurisdictions are affecting housing and homelessness in the region as a whole. If some localities are conducting camp sweeps, those homeless individuals can be displaced to another community. Similarly, failing to develop affordable housing near employment opportunities will have an impact on struggling families – driving up transportation costs and hurting quality of life.
QUESTION 5
Story question: If Multnomah County’s budget projections showed a severe deficit by 2017, what would be your approach now to prevent or mitigate that situation? (150 words or less)
I will fight to maintain current service levels by ensuring we are not expanding programs today that have to be cut tomorrow. We need to focus on essential services, paying attention to those most in need. A bad budget is usually accompanied by a bad economy, translating in more need for county programs. We will need to work with county employees to minimize the impacts of cuts and prioritize programs. We will also need to look for ways to save money through innovative approaches and better use of data to understand what is working and what is not.
QUESTION 6
Complete this sentence with the following options: I smoke marijuana ________________
a. For medicinal purposes only.
b. To decompress after a stressful day.
c. Recreationally. Hey, it’s legal.
d. Rarely.
e. Never.
e. Never.
QUESTION 7
Make one promise to the city’s people of color that you will deliver on as commissioner. Street Roots will check on its status every year.
We need to create more pathways for children of color to gain skills and leadership opportunities that they can use to succeed in life. The Summer Youth Connect program is a critical resource to offer such skills to youth in the community. It has only survived thanks to the dedication of Loretta Smith to protect it. I commend Commissioner Smith for that work, and I’m proud to have her endorsement in this race. I know that Commissioner Smith will be forced to leave her seat in 2018 due to term limits, and it is my promise to pick up the
mantle from her and protect this critical program.
QUESTION 8
How will you ensure young people of color will succeed in Multnomah County? (150 words or less)
I strongly support creating more opportunity for the youth of color, such as the Summer Youth Connect Program referenced above. We also must expand internships and other entry opportunities for youth of color to join the county workforce. There is also a critical conversation about children of color in our community and closing the achievement gap so that young people of color graduate from high school ready to succeed. That includes better parental support and early childhood education in a culturally conscious way. It also includes poverty reduction and helping working families avoid displacement, which can harm a child’s education and uproot them from support in the community. And finally, we must work with law enforcement to provide better community policing that helps kids avoid criminal behavior and that reduces the number of our youth that enter into the juvenile justice system.
QUESTION 9
Pair the issue with the sentiment. Use each sentiment only once:
1. Sell Wapato Jail
2. Appointed (not elected) sheriff
3. Rent control
4. Regional Air Quality Bureau
a. Great idea
b. Good idea
c. Needs work
d. Nope
1. Sell Wapato Jail – a. Great idea
2. Appointed sheriff – d. Nope
3. Rent control – c. Needs work
4. Air quality bureau – b. Good idea
*CORRECTION: Zimmerman's responses about an appointed sheriff and a Regional Air Quality Bureau were transposed in a previous version of this quiz. Zimmerman supports an elected sheriff and a Regional Air Quality Bureau.
QUESTION 10
The county’s Racial and Ethnic Disparities Report reveals that black people are 320 percent more likely than whites to be prosecuted for a crime, 500 percent more likely to spend time in jail, and 600 percent more likely to be sentenced to prison. What will you do to help correct that? (150 words or less)
We need to build better relations between law enforcement and our African-American communities. Everyone should have a shared interest in ensuring fair and just treatment of all our residents, regardless of race, as well as effective community policing that can reduce crime and strengthen neighborhoods. I have strong relationships in both the African-American community and law enforcement. And I think it will take a leader that can credibly work with all stakeholders if we are going to reduce racial disparities in arrests and incarceration.
QUESTION 11
What is one thing you will do to better serve people experiencing mental health crises? (150 words or less)
Increasing the capacity of the Unity Behavioral Health Center is critical. Investing in peer care and mentoring is an important ongoing step we must give to clients experiencing crisis to reduce visits to the ER. These are both programs I want to champion at the county.
QUESTION 12
As the community faces a housing crisis and growing economic and racial disparities, services aren’t going to cut it. Give an example of one thing you will do to prevent this opportunity gap from widening.
We need a shared commitment by government, advocates and business to creating middle-wage jobs. There are tons of opportunities in this community for professionals and others with a particular skill set. But the growing disparity between haves and have-nots is driven by the loss of decent jobs that can support a family that do not require an advanced degree. Adding those jobs will take an intentional commitment and hard work, and we must commit to ensure good wages and benefits in those jobs. But they are the only way we are going to stop those disparities from overwhelming us.
QUESTION 13
Select a local artist – professional or amateur – to draw your favorite thing about Multnomah County.