Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 25, 2011)
4 street roots Nov. 25, 2011 BRA D Y, from page 3 Stages, so they’re going into that as a partner. 1,100 jobs. Their whole mission is to continue to grow by doing research and development on what they call personalized medicine. In order to build their vision they need some facilities on the hill or on the water front and the city should be a good partner and say what are the land issues? What are the transportation issues? We should be out ahead of them so we’re not slowing the process down. The Portland Development Commission has some great initiatives like the Main Street Program and the Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative. We should be the best place to start a small business in the country. Ninety five percent of thè businesses here have 50 or fewer employees. This is a hot bed of innovation and the city could have a streamlined permitting system for opening and growing small businesses J.T.: The affordable housing inventory in the city’s core continues to shrink despite a promise by the city to preserve those units. Meanwhile, the waiting lists for apartments are becoming very long. What are your ideas to expand affordable housing to the lowest income households in Portland? with multiple barriers to getting hired? J.T.: How will you Work with the county and state to develop better solutions for people experiencing poverty?. E.B.: I’ve certainly worked in an industry focused on saying that there’s a lot of work that people can do if you give them a chance, or a second chance. If you’ve been an inmate, you deserve a second chance. You have to believe in people and that they can take on different jobs. You have to think past barriers. You can make reasonable accommodations for a lot of individuals in many jobs, and I’ve been very successful in doing that. It really creates a sense of community to bring in people with disabilities so that everyone is working together. E.B.: I’ve been on the Oregon Health Fund Board and the Oregon Health Policy Board. For the past few years, I’ve been working on health policy, which really links the state, the counties and private industry in a solution-building process. We need to have people in the room who E.B.: We’re facing a crisis on funding. On are not afraid of the complexity of the top of that, we have a homeless population problem and recognize that it’s a multi- that we’re not fully addressing. I’m stakeholder problem extraordinarily and find our set of concerned about i t I shared valúes and don’t have the J.T.: Every year public transportation gets build something solution. I know that more expensive while sendees get cut. The Free together that can be there’s a number of The measure of a great city Rail Zone is always threatened with more than a white people working on is how it takes care of its elimination. What ideas do you have to paper on the shelf. I solutions, and it’s got most vulnerable people. preserve the Free Rail Zone? don’t tolerate white to be one of our top papers on the shelf at priorities. The one That's one of the things E.B.: I want that Free Rail Zone. There all. I’m always thing that we have to that's going to be on my are three things you’re going to hear me looking for the do is be honest and immediate priority list. This biggest boldest talk about in this campaign: One is jobs and get ahead of it. the economy, the public'safety system and community can solve this. solution, and J don’t It’s really the neighborhoods east of 82nd Avenue. see boundaries so disturbing to me to One thing that is key for the neighborhoods much on these think that right now, east of 82nd is more bus service to job sites jurisdictions. according to the last For instance, the , and the city center. I’m adding to your count, we have about question here. Oregon Health Policy Board brought 750 kids that are homeless, and since 2009 together insurance executives, hospital the number of homeless families has J.T.: How about the Free Rail Zone? executives, labor leaders and community increased 35 percent. That’s not acceptable. activists to say we should cover the kids; we The measure of a great city is how it takes E.B.: I’d have to look at the budget. I , should make sure that evéry child in Oregon care of its most vulnerable people. That’s has access to health insurance. That seemed think it’s one of the great regional draws for one of the things that’s going to be on my like an impossible dream four years ago. I’m visitor?, not just for people who live and immediate priority list. This community can work there. We have to think about it from a solve this. We can muster the compassion to optimistic, even though things can seem hospitality perspective. Great cities of the give 75Q kids a place to sleep. Right now, we complicated, if you get the right people in world have great transportation systems. the room. have close to 2,000 people who are sleeping outside or in an abandoned building or a car. For past interviews with city candidates, go J.T.: Employment is at the foundation of It’s going to take community partnerships to to www.streetroots.wordpress.com self-sufficiency. What will you do to help people solve the problem. J.T.: What are your thoughts on the new Office of Equity and Human Rights, and what are some issues you ’re hoping it’s going to tackle? E.B.: Well, first off. I’d want it to report to the mayor in order for it to really have the credibility that it’s looking for. I’m vey excited about it; I hope its mission can really get clarified so that it’s working on highly leveraged projects that are upstream. Here’s how the office could backfire: the City Council puts forward a set of policies they’ve been working on for months, and someone says, we should have the Office of Equity look at i t That’s not a useful thing to do. You’ve got to have the office looking at projects that are upstream at the initial Please join Oregon ON, Street Roots. 2llinfo and JOIN . , fo r two g re a t. „ . t PS’ FOffiJW® ■ ■ SOTH FORUMS ARE C R E E All ASE WELCOME M irador . COMMUNITY a* ft - T f * - f Canning jars & equipment, cookware, kitchen tools & appliances Organic cotton sheets, towels, & blankets Natural Kitchen & Home Food dryers 2106 SE Division Books on meat-free cooking, gardening & sustainability 5 0 3 -2 3 1 -5 1 7 5 m irad o rco m m u n ity sto re.co m M o n -S at 10-6 * Sun 11-5 Juicers Both forums ILSDam - 1pmf First Unitarian Church Eliot Chapel, ION SW 12th Ave', in downiownPortland .PsriWeÉVMayæ’ Candidates PurtldndCity CommissImisrGanclífales , OZvfeï- « For more information or if your organization would like to co-sponsor this event, please contact Oregon ON at 503-223-4041. »1 s 21 linfe I H B 1 ill Get Connected. Get Answers. Interested in supporting Street Roots and getting your business noticed? Advertising in SR! Call 503-228-5657,
