Mingus Mapps is a Portland City Commissioner. He leads the Water Bureau, the Bureau of Environmental Services, and the Bureau of Emergency Communications (9-1-1). He is also an academic scholar who teachers courses on government. Mapps defeated incumbent Commissioner Chloe Eudaly and former mayor Sam Adams in the 2020 election. He is a unique figure in Portland politics; as you'll hear in the interview, he is whip smart and pragmatic--and he doesn't hesitate to levy critiques (including Portland's "ineffective" form of government). In this episode, we cover Portland's homelessness crisis, the challenge of addressing addiction issues, his mentors (former Multnomah County Commission Chairs Gladys McCoy and Bev Stein), and his call for Portlanders to jump into the fray and get involved in city affairs.