April 13, 2016
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INSIDE
The
Week in Review
This page
Sponsored by:
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L OCAL N EWS
pages 6-7
O PINION
photo by n aiM h asan p hotography
Portland mayoral candidates Deborah Harris and Ted Wheeler face representatives from Portland’s
communities of color at a Thursday forum sponsored by the National Association of Minority
Contractors.
Mayoral Hopefuls Debate
Communities of
color hear from
candidates
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M ETRO
C ervante p ope
t he p ortland o bserver
Given Portland’s strained ra-
cial history and today’s divide
between economic classes, the
argument of who should guide
the city as its next mayor was the
topic of conversation for residents
at a mayoral debate for Portland’s
communities of color.
Addressing the topics of hous-
ing, jobs and transportation for
minorities within the city, the
candidates participating in the
Thursday forum sponsored by the
Oregon branch of the National As-
sociation of Minority Contractors
at New Song Church in north-
east Portland, included the sole
minority candidate for Portland
Mayor Deborah Harris, current
Oregon Treasurer Ted Wheeler,
Multnomah County Commission-
er Jules Bailey, and activists Da-
vid Schor and Sarah Iannarone.
A specially-curated panel of
by
Arts &
pages
8-12
is on a lot of people’s lips,” Bailey
said. “But one of the reasons it’s
so hot in this campaign right now
is that the affordability crisis and
displacement is starting to affect
middle and upper middle class
white families. This has been go-
ing on in communities of color for
a long time, for decades.”
One member of the audience
showed how distraught she was on
gentrification issues by storming
the stage and ripping up Bailey’s
name card, delaying the debate.
As a result, the jobs and trans-
portation topics were cut ex-
tremely short, but each candi-
date seemed to come to the same
consensus of guaranteeing work
for minority contractors and de-
vising plans to grant more access
to public transportation for those
economically pushed to the outer
limits of the city.
The candidates’ closing com-
ments made a last ditch efforts to
gain support, but demonstrated
that no matter who wins, how to
address gentrification within mi-
nority communities and through-
out the city as a whole will be a
top priority.
Madison Rebuild Planning Begins
ENTERTAINMENT
C LASSIFIEDS
C ALENDAR
minority business and advocacy
organizations sat across from the
row of predominately Caucasian
candidates, visually calling atten-
tion to the racial rift in Portland’s
government.
A shortage of housing for mi-
nority and low income residents,
along with housing displacement
from gentrified neighborhoods,
were two issues that opened the
debate.
“A big part of what we have to
do in affordable housing is create
these pathways for people to actu-
ally be able to own their homes,”
said David Schor.
Yet it was a question from Bish-
op Steven Holt of the Kingdom
Nation Church that both confused
the mayoral candidates and re-
ceived one of the most eye-open-
ing responses of the night. Not
one candidate effectively an-
swered the Bishop’s question on
how to assimilate displaced fami-
lies back into the community.
Jules Bailey acknowledged
the problem when give a second
chance to respond.
“We do have an affordability
crisis in this city and displacement
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The planning process has begun for rebuilding
Madison High School in northeast Portland as part
of the Portland School District’s plans to rebuild
many of its aging schools.
Members of the community are invited to partic-
ipate in the Madison Master Planning Design Work-
shop this Saturday, April 16, from 9 a.m. till noon in
the Madison High School cafeteria.
Anyone who wants to participate in the workshop
discussion and comes in early at 8:30 a.m. can re-
ceive a free breakfast and free child care. The plan-
ning session will begin at 9 a.m.
For information, visit the Madison Bond Project
website MadisonBond.pps.net or call 503-916-2222.