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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (April 29, 2011)
15 Street roots April 29, 2011 EDITORIAL Setting the bar a little higher each year his edition of the newspaper, like every edition of Street Roots, is filled with in-depth news, commentaries and voices from people experiencing poverty in the Portland region. The vendor program and the relationships built between readers and By Israel Bayer businesses with — ■■ people experiencing homelessness throughout the community is at the core of the organization. We often highlight the vendor program through our fundraising efforts because it is at the heart of the organization, and it’s what resonates with people. Saying that, the newspaper has become an increasing go-to for many people throughout the Portland area for original news and commentary. SR prides itself on being able to deliver a unique perspective concerning the community through it’s in-depth reporting on a range of issues. This year we have introduced a handful of partnerships through the newspaper to better serve the community. The Bicycle Transportation Alliance, the Portland Police Bureau, and newly introduced Western States Center (page 14) have regular columns in the newspaper. Along with these voices we have regular columnists on a Lose the rhetoric, and gain a movement treet Roots communicates with people experiencing DIRECTOR'S poverty every day, much like hundreds of DESK organizations and institutions around Portland. Sometimes we get it right, and sometimes we don’t. What we can’t understand is why progressives continue to use the language we do when trying to create a social justice Israel Bayer is the movement. executive director o f Street Roots.You can The far Left can’t seem to accept that*if it’s going to reach him a t frame goals using words such as “capitalism” and streetroots@hotmail.com. “socialism,” they have already lost the masses and thwarted any progress in a social movement. Most people already have an image in their mind about what these words mean, and often they have nothing to do with the Is there any wonder point a group or a coalition that we see more and is trying to get across. The more poor people message is lost. joining conservative While progressives are and right wing causes? busy making fun of the Tea Party and moderate Conservatives, those within the movement are busy communicating simple messages with populations that the Left has either completely ignored, or alienated for one reason or another. At the other end of the spectrum, progressives and institutions that determine the course of social justice movements, and more importantly funding have-adopted several key phrases such as “gender,” “health” and/or “facial equity,” or “social determinants.” _ Framing issues in the rhetoric of equity, and how social determinants impact poor and working people may feel at home in textbooks and academia, but it bears little S prison reform, homeless and affordable housing policy, and people telling their own experience of living outside. By offering a wide range of voices in the community we are better able to understand poverty and a myriad of issues that are interconnected, like law enforcement, transportation and immigrant and refugee communities. It’s easy to come to expect a certain quality of news and opinion without understanding the level of work put into the newspaper. For such a small group we have set a high bar. That’s why we’re asking you for your help this spring. SR currently works with around 100 vendors gaining an income of they- own in front of 50 businesses throughout Portland. We have around 60 volunteers who help us produce a newspaper that reaches 18,000 readers, and 60,000 Rose City Resource booklets that are distributed to more than 150 organizations and institutions. This is all done with a staff of three and a half people. We are, in a sense, a people-" powered moving train. We are as grassroots as grassroots gets — giving Portland something special At the end of the day, it’s people like you that make us successful. That’s why this spring we are asking you to help SR stay strong and think about giving a one-time or recurring donation to the organization. We can’t thank you enough. Keep coming back. You won’t be disappointed. LETTERS Make your impact happen relation to the boots on the ground; the common folk we are trying to organize. There’s a disconnect happening between the individuals and institutions charged with supporting organizations working with people in poverty, and the people themselves. So is there any wonder th a t- we see more and more poor people joining conservative and right wing causes? There’s a reason the Obama campaign used slogans like “Yes we can,” and “Hope” during the last presidential election. These words translate across issues, and people have the ability to conjure up what those specific phrases mean in their own busy lives. In short, they can relate that “Yes we can” make a difference, and that yes, there is “hope” on the horizon. Of course, SR believes in equity for people, from the poor to people of color to individuals identifying as gay or lesbian, transgender or queer. But as a movement, we all seem mired in semantics so far removed from our realities that we don’t seem to know what exactly to ask for anymore. It’s clear that many progressives in elected office are moving from election to election without a clear sense of vision and values, while the Right is organizing within their party base relying on simple messaging and framing. As long as we frame poverty issues with vacuous buzz words created by a disaffected class, we will continue to lose a base of working people that believe that organized labor, the Democrats and other progressives are only out for themselves. The progressive movement has to set aside its own terminology and judgment of others, and what it believes is right before the masses of poor and working people. We’re not organizing the poor. We’re organizing for a movement of middle class values and what we believe the poor need, and it’s killing us. What the poor need is to be a part of the conversation and allowed to air their message without the guise of political correctness. Let s stop running for election, and start walking side by side with the people who have something truly important to say. STREET ROOTS’ EDITORIAL BOARD The views expressed in the rftoriak in S W Roots are the OTEHSusrf Sam A ffondi is a vendor with Street Roots. WHAT DO YOU THINK? Street Roots encourages readers to submit letters and columns for publication. Send letters to the editor to the Street Roots office, 211 NW Davis St., Portland, OR 97209, or e-mailed to streetrootsnews© gmail.com. S A M A L -J O N D i C Q N T R 1 B U T I N G C G H .U ly jN I S.T . . move into one of the cheap hotels. Next day I'went to get some linen. The t was 11 o’clock in the morning. I lady at the desk gave me what I needed. When I thanked her, she tilted her head walked into the office to get more slightly to the right and with kind brown newspapers. I had to use the washroom, so I walked to the back where it is located. eyes said, “You’re welcome.” I was puzzled. Nobody is supposed to like me; I don’t even On my way there, I passed by Joanne’s like me. station. She is the managing editor. She I was heating up some food for dinner tilted her head back, running her fingers the following night when she eame.out of through her hair; her cheeks blown out as the office and started talking to me. Debby big as a small balloon as she blew out a deep breath, all in frustration and a moment is a friend of all people. She makes people warm inside, liking themselves. What a gift of uncertainty. I knew what was going on - to have. After our conversation I walked she was searching for the right words to away thinking that maybe I .still have make the best picture she can, ft) serve the something. Maybe I best dish. Joanne Zuhl goes through that can be somebody. All gate quite often | | ’’ maybesf but good always looking for It is not about the dollar, it is maybes. the right words. To about you, it is about me, It It Js people such her and to all other’s as thfese along with is about our community and who work hard to places as Trinity keep us informed our country. Episcopal Cathedral and aware, my on NW 19th Avenue deepest respect and that make Portland a great city. People such appreciation. as Father William Lupfer, who faces the I was standing in front of the public needy without making them wait outside to library one morning. As usual, I was selling show the world the good that he is doing. A the newspaper. A lady steps out, comes man who cares about other’s dignity while down the stairs and walks towards me providing them with what they need. saying, “I love this paper but I don’t have a People like the cook Heidi Rose who dollar.” I reach into my plastic bag. I took serves love with the food she cooks. They one copy out and said, “Do you want one even pay for your glasses if you need them. anyway?” She struck me as one who was Sid Mobeaty who handles that, is another sincere but had been bruised by life. She gentle soul. was as tender as a spring leaf. Organizations like Portland wiki “But that is a dollar for you, and you need (portlandwiki.org/PortlandWiki): It is a i t ” She said. service that connects all the dots, to bring “It is not about the dollar, it is about you, various organizations together to improve it is about me, it is about our community each other’s ability to serve the community and our country,” I replied. in more ways than before. To organize the She took the paper, took two steps back community in ways where it can put and said, “I love you.” I looked into her proposals to the establishment so the latter eyes, and they were watery and I said, “I can respond quickly and effectively. love you too.” She turned around and It is about how one can serve one’s walked away, I never saw her again. If we all treated each other with courtesy, community not how the community can serve you. So bring your ideas and we will all be that much better off. I can t proposals to the table and make your count how many times I’ve been up and down in my life. For immigration reasons or impact happen, and your voice heard. Whether you represent yourself or a political ones, I can’t hang onto what I corporation, make a difference and get in accomplish in my life. Often times I run low touch. on self-esteem. I was going through that when I managed to save a little money and I
