“You Might Be Screwed”: Excerpts from Jefferson Smith’s U of O Commencement Speech
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTJeQpPU-bM&w=560&h=315]
Please join us on Friday, September 28 at noon for an ELGL forum with Jefferson Smith, Portland mayoral candidate.
Jefferson’s Bio
Jefferson started and ran a nationally recognized organization, the Bus Project, for a decade. He grew it into a success with affiliated headquarters in 4 states. He set and met objectives and built a team of hundreds of people, including staff and volunteers. He also identifies and recruits really great people and has developed leaders who are spread out across Portland and the country.
Jefferson was elected in 2008 by the people of East Portland to represent them in the Oregon House. He was re-elected in 2010 and his colleagues elected him twice to Leadership. Being Mayor means managing other politicians for success. Jefferson knows how to do that and get things done right.
As East Portland’s Representative, Jefferson successfully worked with citizens, lawmakers and stakeholders to champion common-sense, economic solutions like the landmark water investment program, the “Cool Schools” program to retrofit schools for energy savings and to create jobs, and the “economic gardening” plan for homegrown Oregon businesses.
Jefferson serves on the state committee that oversees the budgets of the Governor, Secretary of State, and State Treasurer. He carried the bill to reduce middle management in state government as well as the transparency act to put Oregon’s budget online.
He has dedicated much of his life to involving citizens in democracy. Jefferson led the efforts to help Oregon voters register to vote online. His commitment to challenged neighborhoods like his helped advance one of the State’s first efforts to curb human trafficking and sparked efforts to increase safety on the MAX.
He has been a cattle-hand in eastern Oregon, run programs for inner-city kids in Washington, DC, coached youth basketball in Eugene, rick-rolled the Oregon House, and done dozens of cartwheels for good causes. Jefferson lives in East Portland with his wife Katy and their puppy George Bailey.
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