Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Civility And Ethics topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public commenters press Portland council over contentious 'daddy' remark; councilors respond
Summary
Public commenters and some council members pressed the council about a widely circulated remark in which a councilor was described as calling the mayor someone's 'daddy.' Multiple residents urged civility; Councilor Loretta Smith took a point of personal privilege to say the remark traumatized her.
Several public commenters used the council's public communications period to demand an apology and call for greater civility after a heated exchange that has circulated on social media.
John Hollister, a public commenter, urged respectful discourse and invoked a 2008 presidential campaign moment as a model for refusing personal attacks: "No, ma'am... He's a decent family man," he said by way of example, urging the council to reject false smears. Jack Dickinson accused a councilor of past threatening remarks and said interruptions and procedural disputes were degrading the council's ability to govern.
During council responses, one councilor sought to clarify that a prior remark was not directed at Councilor Loretta Smith. Councilor Loretta Smith then took a point of personal privilege and said the statement — "you're my daddy"/"he's your daddy, not my daddy" as she described it — had been widely circulated and had caused personal and family distress. "I do not deserve to be disrespected and mistreated like this," she said, describing the experience as traumatic for her and her family.
Pastor Robin Weisner, a member of the public, emphasized Black pride during his remarks and identified Loretta Smith as a council member while urging the council to recognize the harms of disrespectful language. Annette Johnson (who identified herself as "Nettie") and Diane Sussman also addressed the council with concerns ranging from homelessness to environmental policy, tying their comments to the larger tone of public discourse.
The council did not take formal disciplinary action during the meeting; instead several council members publicly addressed the issue and described intentions to continue internal conversations. The exchange concluded with the meeting moving on to scheduled business.
