Readers respond: Rubio remains best choice

I have worked with Carmen Rubio for several years, and she indeed messed up regarding parking tickets and her driving record (" Portland mayoral hopeful Carmen Rubio, dogged by driving record, damages parked Tesla, then walks away ," Sept. 18). No one knows this better than she.

I still believe in Rubio's ability to lead this city and will vote for her.

Over her career, she has demonstrated an ability to work with people to solve problems. She is a quiet leader who will unite us, particularly as we transition to this new form of government.

As Latino Network's top executive, she grew a small nonprofit to an $18 million comprehensive service and advocacy organization. That is not easy to do. She succeeded because she is excellent to work with – hardworking, well-liked and well-respected by the staff, volunteers, donors and community leaders.

Carmen Rubio doesn't just identify issues; she takes proactive steps to address them. Instead of complaining about our city for the TV cameras, she quietly and effectively worked with business leaders, developers and others to reform our permitting system, a decades-old issue that everyone knew was a problem. Her willingness to tackle this once-intractable issue demonstrates her commitment to making our city a better place for all of us. Each of her accomplishments tells a similar story.

Running city government is not glamorous. It requires someone with the skills, diplomacy, and work ethic to solve problems. I firmly believe that Carmen Rubio is the best person for this job, flaws and all.