street roots
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By D a v id M a ir
The lemon at the
Bottom of my tea is pouting
it makes me sad
BY COLE MERKEL
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
arl Bennett speaks frankly about
homelessness, poverty, the American
government and the need for social
change. Perhaps he derives these
perspectives from a lifetime of living in large
and diverse cities, or maybe they come from
a synthesis of the many publications Earl
reads each week. Either way, his blend of
self-assurance and optimism feels refreshing
during our 20-minute conversation over a
cup of coffee.
“Washington residents say homelessness
is a Portland problem,” says Earl, who has
an apartment in Vancouver, Wash, and
E
D rip
b y D a v id M a ir
Sweat dripping from my
Mind why can’t I find how to
Stop momentum’s reach
TlieTait Home
r
Where senior and disabled adults
receive the care and respect they deserve.
r
Call us for more information
Earl Bennett
(503)223-2144
1337 S.W. Washington, Portland, OR 97205
www.tafthome.org
CEN TRAL CITY
A T T I
Changing Lives
Building Communities
Creating Opportunities
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their part.”
Having spent time in Washington, D.C.,
Earl also sees the benefit to providing a
more cosmopolitan experience for people
who are living in poverty. “The problem
here is that homeless people have nowhere
to go during the day,” he says. “They hang
out at drop-in centers or the library.
Whereas in New York and Washington, D.C.,
we have museums — we’re the museum
capital. Ninety percent of the museums are
free because they’re run by the
R eaganom ics, u n e m p lo y m en t (as a sym ptom
S m ith so n ian ; even th e zoo is free. H o m e le ss
of Reaganomics) and drug addiction. “We
need more drug intervention instead of lock
up,” says Earl, holding his hand firmly on
the table. “I never knew anything about
meth until I came out to the West Coast —
and I’m from New York City. There’s no
market for it in New York. At the same time,
homeless people have to be willing to do
people don’t have to congregate in one
place like they do here. I love museums. I
just wish there was more for homeless
people to do here during the day.”
In his free time, Earl enjoys going to the
library where he reads newspapers from
across the country to catch up on what is
happening in the political world. Some of his
P H O TO BY CO LE M ER KEL
favorite publications include the New York
Times, Washington Post and USA Today.
While he has dreams of moving on, Earl
is content with Street Roots for now. “One
of the things I love about the newspaper is
that it will keep money in your pocket. The
economy is still bad right now, but when I
sell, I know I can get money in my pocket
every day, and I can pay some bills here and
there. This is paying my rent, believe it or
not, until I can get to a better job. But even
the temp agencies are real slow. I’m going
to be doing this for probably a good while.”
If you want to purchase a paper from
Earl, you’ve got to find him. “I go
everywhere, Sandy Boulevard, Broadway,
Martin Luther King, Beaverton, Clackamas
- I don’t sell downtown. I’m from New York,
I’m not going to stand in one spot. In New
York City, we move around.” When you
finally do find Earl, stop for a conversation.
Donations keep Street Roots and our vendors
working by keeping our operating costs low.
Answers to puzzles on page 15
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spends $6 each day commuting between the
two cities. “I try to tell them it’s an
American problem. Since it’s an American
problem, first we need to not elect Romney,
then bring every state legislator up to
Capitol Hill to have a housing forum to work
with HUD and to open up more Section 8
vouchers throughout this country. People
shouldn’t have to sleep in front of doorways
downtown. They shouldn’t have to be
harassed by the cops because they’re
homeless and walking the streets at night.
The government needs to maintain housing
and jobs.”
As a native of Queens, N.Y., who came of
age during the 1980s, Earl traces
homelessness to several factors:
Vendor Wish List
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A New York
state of mind
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May 25, 2012
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Paper cups
Hygiene items
Towels
First-aid supplies
■ TriMet bus
tickets/passes
■ Printer paper
■ Shaving razors
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Street Roots strives for accuracy, but
we're human. So we also strive to correct
errors in our paper whenever possible.
Please report any errors to our managing
editor, Joanne Zuhl, at 503-228-5657, or
write to joanne@streetroots.org
......
BY LEA H N A S H
Leah Nash Photography Exhibit
A Different Kind of Normal: Stories of Asperger’s Syndrome
Now through June 30
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u"1 S° C'ety °f Ore90r1’ Ore9on State has one of the
highest rates of autistic diagnosis in the country.
Photographer Leah Nash spent more than a year focusing on five individuals with
S T o n edition nt thp ^,lvei'sityt.and complexity that exist across the spectrum. However,
in the 2013 edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders the
together, replaced with the broader diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
For more information about i witness gallery or NCP visit
www.nwcenterforphotography.com. Leah Nash is available for interviews.