CAYLE FOR PDX
CITY OF PORTLAND - DISTRICT 1
"THE RIGHT TERN FOR THE CITY"
Occupation
APANO: Civic Engagement Manager
Background
Community advocacy and organizing, social and human services, business management, public policy development, SEIU Local 503 Union Shop Steward, CAPE Council PAC
Education
Portland State University, Masters of Social Work
California State University Chico, BS: Human Resources Management
Public Experience
Current: Reynolds School Board, Reynolds School Board Director
Former: Portland Utility Board Member
Community Advocacy and Organizing:
Asian Pacific Islander Community Coalition of Oregon (APICCO), Board Chair
Immigrant Refugee Community Organization (IRCO): Executive Governing Board Member
Pacific Islander & Asian Family Center (PIAFC): Advisory Board Member
East County Rising: Board of Directors
IU Mien Association of Oregon (IMAO) - Community Leader/President
ABOUT CAYLE
I am originally from Laos and was born during the Laotian civil war. At the end of the Vietnam War, alongside thousands of other SE Asian refugees, I spent years in a refugee camp before immigrating to Portland, Oregon with my parents and two siblings. Adjusting to the American way of life for many of us was not easy. Like many refugees, my family struggled to find somewhere to call home, so we moved around a lot before settling in Northern CA.
Our communities lived in lower income neighborhoods and relied on public assistance because jobs were limited in a small town, and many could not provide benefits or full-time status. In my household, my mother stayed home to raise us siblings, while my father worked part time for the Redding Police Department as an auto mechanic, but we still had to depend on food and cash assistance to supplement the wages.
Times were often tough, but we had each other, we had community, we had our neighbors and together we all worked as team and village to help one another. Entities in the government system was also very active and supportive. They provided culturally responsive services to ensure people from marginalized communities were successful. They learned about the diverse cultures in their town and used their resources to needs to better care for their people, whether that was becoming knowledgeable about customs and traditions or providing linguistic needs. Community also came together to work on neighborhood issues like crime and drugs, but also came together to celebrate when occasions arose.
WHY I AM RUNNING
In 2003, I returned to Portland when I graduated college. I made a home with my wife and children in Northeast Portland and have remained East Portland residents till this date. After living in this district for two decades, I have witnessed first-hand how East Portland neighborhoods changed, some good and some bad. I've seen the development of new neighborhoods, businesses coming and going, and new people moving in and out.
Reflecting back on my lived and professional experiences, much of it led me to make the decision I have today about running to be your District I representative. As a member of a marginalized community, I understand first hand about the impacts of being underserved and underrepresented. We have to work harder for everything, and we have more barriers and challenges.
We might not all share identical experiences, but I can say that my humble background has prepared me to have a better understanding of the many struggles of we face today, and in particular, District I residents.
I cannot promise everything, but I can promise you that I will always try my hardest to make the best choices for the community. I will have an open-door policy for my constituents because I believe in a government that listens, and government that cares about their community.
Things will not happen overnight, but together with your voices, we can move in the right direction to bring back our beautiful city of roses.
COMMUNITY
We need to be more strategic when providing solutions to address houselessness, community safety, and support for hard working people so we can get the most out of our investments.
In order to do this work, we need to have a better sense of community to overcome the challenges of 2024 and beyond for East Portland. We can only do this if we include the voices of our diverse East Portland population.
Many have lost trust in leadership through false promises, mismanagement of public funds and many other dishonest acts. As your leader, I will work hard to earn the trust of the community.
I am someone who values integrity, honesty, and accountability. I am also a firm believer of transparency and responsible governing.
Here are some ways that I will help assure accountability -
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Support community driven processes such as the Police Accountability Commission and include community public participation as much as possible.
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Work with the city auditors to ensure a fair and impartial process in how audits are conducted, including but not limited to spending/budget, equity, and access.
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We need to make sure fiscal spending is responsible and measure results to ensure that outcomes align with the goals.
It is imperative that we assist our residents and business owners in getting back on track. The rising cost of living is making it harder for everyone to support themselves.
The increase costs of food, shelter, gas, and other necessary components for living makes it difficult to survive. We can look at ways to help mitigate the costs, so households and businesses do not have to feel overburdened.
In our city, there are lots of things we can do to ensure that people do not continue to add expenses to an already challenging economy.
Residents and business owners alike are not feeling supported or heard and have caused many to relocate. Let's look at our policies and helping change things so people can once again feel like this is their city.