Rene Gonzalez Pledges To Balance Budget Through Massive Property Tax On Homeless Camps

Portland voters are six days away from an election in which they will select twelve new City Council members and a new mayor as the city implements a new form of government. One of the most controversial mayoral candidates is first term City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez, who proposed a new policy on Tuesday aimed at helping balance the city budget.⁣
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“It’s simple: massive property taxes on homeless camps,” Gonzalez announced at a press conference. “Our tax dollars support public parks and spaces, and if elected I would brilliantly also collect taxes from the people temporarily living in them. This double dip would cleverly help replenish our municipal coffers that have been depleted by years of frivolous spending on things like Portland Street Response, green energy programs and police accountability. Did I mention I’m a lifelong Democrat? The Portland Business Alliance and Portland Police Association want me to remind everyone of that for some reason.“⁣
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Many voters have been turned off by the commissioner’s rhetoric, actions and ineffective governing. Some have gone as far as to start the Don’t Rank Rene movement, which encourages voters not to rank Gonzalez, or any candidate they deem unfit, because any vote – even a last ranking – can help them win. Members of this movement have called out Gonzalez’s emphatic support for police, aversion to police oversight, and opposition towards distributing life-saving supplies to unhoused residents, as well as his call for aggressive anti-homeless camping bans.⁣
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“Prior to my movement to open schools before COVID vaccines were available, it has long been my dream to criminalize homelessness,” remarked Gonzalez. “But if I’m elected and my genius and innovative ideas can generate some extra tax revenue from them along the way, I call that a win-win.”