Mitch 'Trump' Green knows no bounds
City councilor threatens to withhold university funding unless charges dropped
We’re appalled that President Trump threatens to cut off government funding to universities to extort them into concessions unrelated to the purpose of the funds. Who but Trump would consider abusing government power in such a way?
City Councilor Mitch Green, for one. He spoke before a crowd of activists at Portland State University last week and threatened to block city funding to the university unless it drops charges against students accused of participating in an occupation of the PSU library last year, an event causing over $1 million in damages and closing the library for five months.
This is what he said:
“Portland State University depends on Portland City Council for a number of the things that they want to do, so if we wanna show up and use our lever on City Council, it’s through the power of the purse. So on this day of action, I’m just gonna say that I know that the administration is planning to build a Performing Arts Center. And they’re going to come to City Council for money for that. And if they want my vote, they’re going to have to drop the charges on those students. And they’re gonna need my vote to get that money, because I am in solidarity in coalition with other leftists on City Council. We know how to stand up and fight back, thank you very much.”
This is the tactic of anarchists who justify any action in pursuit of power. Green has presented himself as a reasonable and intelligent representative in his first months in office, often belying his Democratic Socialists of America affiliation. Do the “other leftists” on council agree with him? We’ll soon see.
Green has not responded to an email and phone call asking for a response.
To me, this is evidence that the new charter system (with 3 councilors per district) is a failure. The city elected extremists, like Councilor Green, because each candidate only had to receive 25% of the vote in their district.
I would like to see 7 districts with one councilor per district. And the candidate would have to win a *MAJORITY* of votes in the district to be elected.
Wow, Socialist Mitch Green advocates the destruction of PSU library public property AND letting the perpetrators go free? I hoped he and fellow City Council Socialists (DSA) were not so extreme, but foolish me for being naive. God help us.