SPREADING THE NEWS

In the recent 2016 Portland, Oregon Mayoral election, there was a candidate named Jessie Sponberg. Unless you were very familiar with all 18 candidates, you may not have heard his name come up that often. But to many of the people who call Portland home, Sponberg’s name is a beacon of hope, and representing what politics could be like in an ideal society. He also has released several rap videos about his campaign that have made him somewhat of a celebrity in Oregon. The three main pillars of his work and campaign are: Social justice and equality, environmental stewardship and accountability and transparency. During his interview with CULTURE, he was busy working on his latest social project: Purchasing a foreclosed home and transforming it into a resource center with a homeless camp in the back. And the best part? The very people who will utilize the camp and resource center are the ones renovating the home. They are building a future for themselves. The house is in East Portland, one of over 700 empty homes in Portland contributing to the current housing crisis. This is a major issue that Sponberg is very actively involved in, and as a Portland native, he hates seeing the city become gentrified with out-of-towners just like the rest of us. We spoke with the candidate a week before the election results came in, and even though he lost the election, he is not giving up on his community or giving up his hope.

What is your relationship with the city of Portland?

I’m a lifelong Portlander; I was born here 42 years ago in East Portland. I raised a son here. I started a plan in 2006, coming up with strategies to encourage a culture that devalues money and values the power of people and personal relationships. I have engaged in a subculture for over 10 years with the most actively engaged people in Portland, working to boost each other up to bigger platforms to promote our messages.

What is your message and why did you run for mayor?

I ran for mayor because I’m tired of doing all this work without a budget. I’m tired of being on the victim side of the microphone at City Hall. The real reason I wanted to run is because I value myself as a real life super hero. It’s all a part of my integral plan to save the world. I’m trying to win the most powerful seat in the popular city in the world at the height of its popularity. I have always been an activist in the streets, I also started as a musician and rapper who hosted food drives for children.

Portland is in a cycle of poverty that I cannot break from a grass roots level; all I can do is try and put a Band-Aid on the bullet hole. If I were elected mayor, I could have passed progressive local legislation on a weekly basis. Seven months ago, the current mayor of Portland declared housing crisis, and since then nothing has changed. We need legislation with crude, honest language that other states and municipalities can adopt. It is so hard to find quality policy in this country that isn’t corrupted by big money interests.

What are your views on cannabis, and the passing of Measure 91 in Oregon?

I was very active in working on passing Measure 91. It wasn’t perfect, but it is a new frontier of realization for Oregon and the United States. But corrupt lobbyists could ruin this thing. I am an Oregon Medical Marijuana patient myself. None of other candidates smoke pot or support its legalization. Patients go to Salem to advocate for themselves and are ignored by the legislature. I’d like to turn Portland into the next Amsterdam. I want to make Portland more pot friendly, which it currently isn’t. What good is it to legalize when it’s just going to get befuddled by legal red tape and the same bullshit? How are we going to increase revenue? We already have an incredible revenue source. The amount of money we’ve already raised in Portland is insane. For Portland to not have our ducks in a row so we can start reaping the benefits is so frustrating.

What would be your message to Portlanders about future of their city?

I am terrified to think of what the next four years will look like in this city and country depending on the outcome of this election. Portland is in trouble. There are people sleeping on bridges with babies right across the street from a church. It is not going to get better unless we get involved; it starts with active engagement. A big part of my platform is making sure City Hall is accessible—where all the decisions are made that affect our lives. I’m not going to give up. I’m not going to stop doing what I have been doing that has placed me in a position to run for Mayor in the first place. But no one person can do it by themselves.

Many were disappointed in Portland when Sponberg didn’t become the Mayor. We can only hope that he will keep fighting for Portland, and for those on the margins—like medical cannabis patients who cannot fight for themselves. As he said, “I’m not really doing something somebody else couldn’t do—it’s just so important to me to do it!” We can all be inspired by his message, and know that Sponberg will certainly be a name to remember as we watch Portland change and grow.