This photograph of United States Representative Dennis Kucinich and me was taken as Congressman Dennis Kucinich left the room with his wife, Elizabeth, after his stirring opening speech at the AFL-CIO convention in Seaside last week. Except for not doing the thumbs-up sign, I look like Stephen Colbert. But I think everyone in the room was smiling widely, too. The photograph was taken by my new friend Ed from Klamath Falls.

I attended the convention as a delegate of the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA). I've been a member for 21 years, and have participated in many ONA conventions but this was my first as a delegate to the Oregon AFL-CIO's.

Some of the notes of quotes I took during Rep. Kucinich's speech:

Of Oregon:
"There are very few places in the United States that have not only the beauty but also the consciousness of the people who live here, who have real respect for both freedom and human interation with nature."

Of unions:
"The union movement is grounded in the foundational principles of America: Equality. Unalienable Rights. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. What else could you call the right to organize, the right to fair pay for honest work, the right to a secure retirement?"

Of the United States:
"Francis Scott Key, when he wrote the Star Spangled Banner, linked bravery with freedom in his last line: "The land of the brave, the home of the free". Bravery and freedom are interlinked. What we need right now most of all, is courage."

Dennis' speech resonated with me, even more than the one I heard a few weeks ago from Barack Obama at the Convention Center, calling for hope. Congressman Kucinich talked about the effect of government policies on working people. In my job as a staff nurse on the inpatient psychiatry unit at OHSU, I see first-hand the impact of misplaced priorities on citizens struggling to get by. People who've been laid off and can't find new work paying wages that support their family. Young adults who started using drugs in high school or earlier, in neighborhoods where illegal substances are readily available. Mothers overwhelmed with juggling two part-time jobs while trying to help their kids get their homework done.

I believe the Portland City Council needs courage to prioritize the City budget to take care of basic needs in all 95 neighborhoods. That would be brave because the headlines go to the fancy-schmancy projects, not community safety, excellent neighborhood schools, affordable housing, and family wage jobs with secure health care coverage. The pursuit of happiness and of lofty ideals isn't the first concern of parents and children living in the family car, or of workers without health care insurance worrying about a sick relative. I want government in Portland to take care of necessary services within the City's core mission, before funding optional high-cost extras.