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Talking Story  by Polo

Sho Dozono

From The Asian Reporter, V18, #4 (January 22, 2008), page 7.

Please note: The Asian Reporter does not endorse candidates for political office. Our responsibility is civic engagement. Portland mayoral candidate Sam Adams is also invited to discuss his leadership and have his values published here.

"One reason I’m running for Mayor — " running for Mayor? I said to myself. I always thought he was the Mayor, Da Boss, The Big Uncle we go to. To fix things little and big. Little things like getting that stolen Esan baby girl back to her anguished mama in Chiangmai. Big things like getting international airlines, ambitious business, and curious tourists, back into PDX after U.S. Immigration finally got rid of the idea of our pretty airport as their nasty sentinel in Apache territory.

Indeed, Sho Dozono has not only been our go-to guy, time after time in his 30 years of community leadership, he didn’t even wait to be asked. Like leaping in when Portland schools went broke. Like flying to New York after 9/11, to New Orleans after Katrina, to Thailand after Sumatra’s terrible tidal wave. He just took care of business.

"One reason I’m running for mayor is that I’ve been around a long time, engaged in helping our elected officials, our business sector, and Portland citizens. And now, here’s a chance for the highest honor: for public service."

Mr. Dozono is president of Azumano Travel, a former commissioner of the Port of Portland and past president of Portland’s Japanese American Citizen’s League, among many-many more brick & mortar institutions and community efforts at the core of how we experience Portland, Oregon. He has worked with five Portland mayors, making things work between government and the governed. Us. No wonder so many folks on a dismal downtown weekday, on a Saturday noodle shop morning, looking for help, feeling around for a familiar face, think of Mr. Dozono.

Too bad he’s shaved away his silvery beard.

"And when I finally decided to try it (running for mayor), and then decided on public financing, it all felt so good."

Running for the city’s top job can cost a million bucks, much of that for expensive television ads. Under Portland’s two-year-old campaign financing law, a candidate for local office can receive 200,000 public dollars if he or she agrees to turn down the usual sources of support — moneyed urban interests that naturally expect returns on their favors.

To qualify for public funding, a candidate must raise 1,500 five-dollar individual donations by the end of January. You need to shake a lot of hands. Fast. Seed money for a campaign is okay, but not more than $20,000, collected in contributions not exceeding $100 each. It’s household-to-household, business-by-business, democracy. Very Jeffersonian. Portland’s unique campaign reform ordinance is intended to make next mayors responsive to us and responsible for our families.

"I intend to go to every part of the city," Mr. Dozono told us, us kitchen table Asians, talking over chicken wings and Kettle Chips, you know the way we do. "And let every part of Portland know that I’m your candidate. Because citizens are financing my campaign."

As he dashes from gathering to gathering, getting his 1,500 supporters, Mr. Dozono is likely to get an ear-full. He says he’ll be learning a lot about what constituent communities want from city leadership. He also says he’ll be laying out what he believes in, what themes his leadership will push if elected to office. There are basically three.

1. Maintaining the city we love by keeping Portland competitive.

Most precious about Portland, ask anyone living here or wishing she did, is our quality of living — lovely rivers, green skylines, safe streets, cool mass transit, neat neighborhoods, energetic ethnics. All of this, according to Mr. Dozono, depends on a healthy local economy, and that depends on Portland staying hot in our extremely competitive global marketplace.

As an owner of an award-winning enterprise, employing 250 in 10 Northwest cities, bringing in annual revenues of $217 million, Mr. Dozono says he knows this marketplace real well. Indeed, he has been a vigorous political and business contributor to our Pacific economic community for 30 years. Ask anyone.

2. Healthy commerce depends on great schools.

"You’ve got to have an educated workforce," Mr. Dozono says. And strong schools rely on brisk business. Lively trade generates tax revenue and jobs; both fund our schools. Central to Sho Dozono’s proposed policies will be investment in kids and schools and business.

3. Inclusiveness of all communities.

"Our newcomers need to take democracy seriously," says Mr. Dozono, a former immigrant outsider, now an inside contributor. "Everyone here, rich or poor, gets one vote. If immigrant communities turn out only a half or only a quarter of eligible voters, you only count as half or quarter of a person." Political disconnect, according the candidate, gives elected leadership the perception that immigrants and ethnic minorities are irrelevant. "If you don’t take democracy seriously, you’re only a percentage of a person."