City Commissioner Carmen Rubio apologized to supporters today after news broke that she had accumulated over 150 parking and traffic violations over the past two decades. According to The Oregonian, her driver’s license has been suspended at least six times due to unpaid fines or failure to appear in court.
“I know that the best things to do when you make mistakes are to take responsibility, clean up the mess, and do better going forward. And that’s what I’ve done,” Rubio wrote. “When I paid my fines off many years ago, I closed the book on those times. But I haven’t forgotten the lessons I learned.”
Willamette Week reported that Rubio’s colleague and closest rival, Commissioner Rene Gonzalez, also has a history of traffic-related offenses. Gonzalez has received approximately 20 tickets in the past, leading to two license suspensions for nonpayment of fines. While he acknowledged his mistakes to Willamette Week, Gonzalez has not yet addressed his traffic record with his supporters.
