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