RUNNING WITH CHINA Hood to Coast Relay goes global — SEE SPORTS, B1 PortlandTUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2016 • TWICE CHOSEN THE NATION’S BEST NONDAILY PAPERTribune • PORTLANDTRIBUNE.COM • PUBLISHED TUESDAY AND THURSDAY TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO: JAIME VALDEZ Portland mayoral candidate Ted Wheeler must boil down his complex dealings as state treasurer for a more local group of voters. Ted Wheeler knows business, but can it play THE ETHICS OF in mayor race? State treasurer must explain BLUE’S BODY involvement in public-private partnerships, activists say By NICK BUDNICK ■ Mother asks doctors to perform controversial ABOVE: Cyndy The Tribune carries her daughter, Blue, to In 2013, at the height of the battle over Ashley Treatment to stunt disabled daughter’s growth the bath to wash Portland’s move to cap the Mt. Tabor reser- her hair. Her voirs, opponents began linking Oregon morning routine — Treasurer Ted Wheeler to the contractor By SHASTA KEARNS MOORE including tube they blamed for the plan and what they con- The Tribune feeding, daily sidered a stealth privatization push. sponge baths and Now running for mayor after fi ve years in At 3 years old, Blue was not expected stripping her statewide office, former Multnomah County to survive. sheets — takes 2 Chair Wheeler has to introduce himself to these Six years ago, doctors sent her home to 1/2 hours. and other local voters all over again. He also die. Calcium was leaching out of her LEFT: Mom Cyndy fi nds himself having to explain that his support bones and nothing they tried would stop tickles Blue under for private-sector partnerships had nothing to it. her chin on the do with the still-bubbling reservoir fi ght. Her mother, Cyndy, who declined to The issue shows the fundamental challenge family couch give the family’s surname, took her little for Wheeler of having to explain to Portlanders girl home from Doernbecher Children’s TRIBUNE PHOTOS: his handling of complex fi nancial topics, said JAIME VALDEZ Hospital and prepared for the end. Jim Moore, a Pacifi c University political science Ever since Blue was diagnosed with in- professor who now heads the Tom McCall Cen- fantile spasms at 2 months old, she had EDITOR’S NOTE: ter on Policy Innovation. been on a cocktail of medications. The This family has It’s a situation that Wheeler’s main opponent, prescriptions never succeeded at stopping agreed only to talk Jules Bailey, appears poised to exploit. her seizures, but did make her constantly to the Portland “He’s going to hate to have to answer these groggy or asleep. Tribune because questions,” Moore said of Wheeler. “Because its reporter is “She was on so much medication that acquainted with that just gets into specifi cs. It doesn’t fi t on a she wasn’t waking up or anything,” Cyn- the mother bumper sticker or even in an hour-and-a-half through a parent- public forum.” See GROWTH / Page 2 ing group. See WHEELER / Page 3 Metro wage goal: $15.52 by 2022 ers from one Portland-area think House Speaker Tina Kotek, D- “Six years is too long,” said Brown proposal sets tank to describe the need for a Portland, and Senate President chief petitioner Jamie Partridge. higher minimum as “urgent.” Peter Courtney, D-Salem, said “People need $15 now. The gov- $13.50 minimum “The costs of essentials such Thursday they will push to pass ernor’s plan is not enough to as food, child care, and rent are the governor’s proposal. bring workers out of poverty. We for rest of state rising so fast that wages can’t Kotek said she would prefer to can’t expect prices to stay the By PARIS ACHEN keep up,” Brown said in a state- raise wages in Portland faster same over six years.” House Speaker Capital Bureau ment. “Many Oregonians work- than what’s outlined in the gov- Partridge said people Tina Kotek and ing full-time can’t make ends ernor’s proposal. Still, she said, throughout the state need $15 Senate President SALEM — Gov. Kate Brown meet, and that’s not right.” the plan gives businesses cer- per hour. Peter Courtney, unveiled a plan Thursday for In the rest of the state, the tainty and time to plan. The $15 initiative group also at a press a two-tiered minimum wage plan would hike the minimum to The plan still might not suc- wants cities and counties to re- conference to in the state. $10.25 in 2017 and $13.50 by 2022. ceed in averting a battle over the ceive authority to increase the discuss Gov. The proposal, released on the After 2022, the minimum minimum wage at the ballot box minimum wage higher than the Brown’s same day as a 6 p.m. public hear- would return to increasing in in November. state limit. minimum wage ing on the issue at the Capitol, conjunction with the Consumer Petitioners for a ballot initia- They said they plan to contin- proposal, said would gradually boost the mini- Price Index, the governor’s offi ce tive to hike the minimum to $15 ue gathering signatures to place they’ll support it mum from $9.25 to $15.52 in 2022 said. statewide by 2019 say Brown’s their initiative on the ballot. Jus- in the February only in the greater Portland ar- The proposal will be present- proposal falls short of Orego- tin Norton-Kertson, campaign legislative ea. ed to the Legislature during nians’ needs, especially those manager for Oregonians for $15, session. Housing prices and the cost of their 35-day session in February living in the Portland metro living have prompted research- and March. area. See WAGE / Page 2 TRIBUNE PHOTO: PARIS ACHEN “Pamplin Media Group’s pledge is to Portland Tribune deliver balanced news that re ects the YOGA HAS A LAUGH stories of our communities. Thank you — SEE LIFE, PAGE B10 for reading our newspapers.” Inside — DR. ROBERT B. PAMPLIN JR. OWNER & NEIGHBOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 26 DISNEY DAYS AAA Travel 536998.011916 Enjoy AAA booking incentives January 18–30 on Disney 600 SW Market Street, Portland vacations, compliments of AAA Travel! Visit or call AAA and Open House 2:00-4:00pm (Disney presentation at 3:00pm) let us customize a Disney vacation that’s just right for you, RSVP: 503.222.6767 your family and your budget. All events are open to the public and free to attend, Find our Disney events at AAA.COM/EVENTS but space is limited. Please RSVP. As to Disney artwork/properties: ©Disney. Disney Cruise Line Ship’s Registry: The Bahamas. Booking incentive applies January 18–30, 2016 at all AAA Travel locations in Oregon and the Southern 34 counties of Idaho. Disneyland® Park A2 NEWS The Portland Tribune Tuesday, January 19, 2016 Wage: Some say initiative offers too little, too late initiative. Courtney said he thinks legis- shaped through conversations Oregon City, Gladstone, Johnson port the governor’s plan. ■ From page 1 Betsy Earls of Associated Or- lative action on the issue will with stakeholders in the public City, Maywood Park, King City, “This proposal and the one egon Industries on Wednesday drain momentum for the initia- and private sectors, according to Durham and Rivergrove. About that I’ve been working on are said the group already has col- advised lawmakers to spend tive campaign. the governor’s office. 1.5 million people live within very close, so I don’t see a need lected nearly 40,000 signatures their time on issues other than “I think if we do take this ac- The higher minimum wage Portland’s urban growth bound- to go forward with mine,” Dem- and anticipates gleaning a total minimum wage. tion and make it happen, as hard rate would apply to Portland and ary, said John Williams, deputy brow said. of 50,000 to 60,000 by the end of “It sounds like ... there will be as it’s going to be, that I think it other areas in its urban growth director of Metro’s planning and Another proposal out of the the legislative session in early at least one ballot measure going really puts us in a situation that boundary. That includes the fol- development department. House Committee on Business March. forward no matter what,” Earls when the public goes to the polls, lowing cities and surrounding Brown’s plan is separate from and Labor would mimic a union- “We are well on track to have said. “What I would say to you is they have the ability to say, I unincorporated areas: Hillsboro, a proposal by Sen. Michael Dem- backed ballot initiative that would enough signatures collected by we will have to fight that ballot think they took care of the mini- Gresham, Beaverton, Tigard, brow, D-Portland, that would raise the minimum to $13.50 July to put this on the ballot,” measure probably so we will mum wage in a way we can live Lake Oswego, Tualatin, Trout- have set three different regional around the state and give cities Norton-Kertson said Wednesday. have to expend resources re- with and in a way we think is dale, West Linn, Forest Grove, minimums around the state, said and counties authority to set a Business groups opposed to a gardless of what you guys do. I helpful to the wages of our work- Cornelius, Wood Village, Wilson- Chris Pair, a press secretary in higher minimum. That bill is a minimum wage hike also are would advise you to sit tight, do ing people.” ville, Sherwood, Fairview, Happy Brown’s office.