street roots
2
Aug. 31, 2012
I
All types of people — one community paper
S
This is no political season
for sitting on the sidelines
ifty percent of people ages 18-40 in Multnomah
County are not registered to vote. Not cool.
F
Some say that it’s a combination of people
having moved from on address to another, or not
voting in the mid-term and primary elections. In
Oregon, that means you will need to register again to
vote.
Others say the poor rate is because demographics of
Portland are changing, and many young people have
yet to be introduced to the level of civic engagement
that makes Portland
special.
It's tim e to tune back in.
Apathy also plays a
If you care about the
part. Some voters
world you live, regardless have tuned-out since
of your issue or passion,
the 2008 elections,
placing your vote in
That’s no excuse.
November m atters.
Maybe the past four
years didn’t go exactly
the way you wanted
and the constant barrage of bad news about war,
poverty, global warming and the recession has left a
sour taste in your mouth. Whatever the reason, it’s
time to tune back in. If you care about the world you
live, regardless of your issue or passion, placing your
vote in November matters. Seriously.
Oregon offers one of the most progressive and
effortless systems with vote by mail. Being able to
have dinner parties with friends, or an evening with
your significant other, discussing the many ballot
measures and political races this November is civic
engagement at its best. It’s the perfect time to be able
to discuss a range of important issues and then
directly weigh in on those issues with a vote.
Street Roots will be publishing an election postcard
this year highlighting our views on local and statewide
ballot measures. We will also be running interviews
with local candidates for mayor and city council. Look
for coverage throughout the month of October leading
up to the November election.
Street Roots along with its partners will also be
sponsoring a candidate forum on housing and
homelessness where we’ll be drilling mayoral and
council candidates on issues of poverty. The event
will be held 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17, at the
Portland Community College Southeast Center at
Southeast 82nd Avenue and Division Street. Be there.
Registering to vote is easy as pie in Oregon. Go to
www.oregonvotes.org and register, simple as that. You
can also register to vote at your local post office or
the Department of Motor Vehicles. There will also be
an army of young people out and about at busy
crossroads and on college campuses registering folks.
Don’t put it off. The deadline is Oct. 16.
Voter registration is down in Oregon and around the
country. Let’s not follow the whole baby boomer,
disillusionment-in-politics thing that happened after
the 1960. Our global environment cannot afford it,
literally.
Israel Bayer is the
executive director o f
Street Roots. You can
reach him. at
israel@streetroots. org
LETTER
Vendor's positive outlook reflects on customers
WHAT DO
YOU THINK?
Send letters to the
editor to the Street
Roots office, 211
NW Davis St.,
Portland, OR 97209,
ore-mailed to
streetrootsnews®
gmail.com.
Program Assistant Kara Oimitruk, Jesuit
Street Roots
211 NW Davis St.
Portland, OR 97209
503-228-5657
Fax; 503-227-3117
www.streetroots.org
www.streetroots.wordpress.com
transportation to housing and homeless
treet Roots works hard to present the
services.
vendors and public with a great
When Street Roots can, we work hard to
newspaper each issue. We work hard
be leaders on the homeless and housing
to present voices on a variety of issues that
front. We aren’t shy about highlighting and
touch poverty. People
giving voice to new ideas and to push local
ask me all of the time,
leaders and the broader community to think
“
what’s the focus of
about issues in a different way.
5 ; | » | « « l S r S
the newspaper? Does
The effects of poverty are constantly
,'
Street Roots work to
changing in our community. Everything is
present in the paper
interconnected — from high unemployment
B v Israel Bayer
people experiencing
rates to domestic violence to gang activity
yjy Israel aayer
homeieSsness, or is it
to how institutions respond to these issues.
m
h u m
h m
h i
more of a community
It all has an effect on our entire community.
newspaper? My
We dive deep into important issues and give
answer is always the
people the opportunity to have a global
same — both.
view on issues that matter.
Street Roots believes that the changing
For new readers just being introduced to
demographics and highly educated
Street Roots, we welcome you to our pages
readership in Portland have created a public
and hope you can find the time to develop a
interested in a broad range of social justice
relationship with a local vendor. For many
issues. In each edition you will find poetry,
of you who have been reading and
artwork and sometimes opinion pieces from
supporting Street Roots for years, we hope
people on the streets. You will also find a
you continue to enjoy what we produce and
range of investigative reporting on local
our path continues to offer you new and
issues that matter, as well as with
interesting ways to engage in the issue. We
interviews with musicians, authors, experts
are also open to suggestions and would love
in a specific field, and many others. We do
the feedback. Visit us at streetroots.org or
our best to present local politics on issues
on Twitter and Facebook, where a lively
that affect people experiencing poverty, and
discussion is always taken place.
how policies and happenings will shape the
Lastly, to find out more about Street
lives of those we serve.
Roots, visit our annual report in this
We also believe in coalition building and
edition. We sincerely appreciate your
providing a platform for many individuals
support, your readership and your
and organizations to communicate to a
engagement in this ongoing conversation.
broader audience. Although we may not
At Street Roots, we believe in humanity. We
always be able to lead a specific campaign,
believe in you. Thanks for believing in us.
we can provide an outlet for those who are
working on issues ranging from equity to
Volunteer AmeriCorps Member
kara@streetroots.org
Grant Writer Sarah Cloud
Accountant Heather Stadick
Reporters Amanda Waldroupe, Jake Thomas,
Devan Schwartz, Robert Britt, Sue Zalokar
Photographers Leah Nash, Ken Hawkins, Kristina
Wright
I’m a manager at a restaurant on Fourth Avenue and Taylor. I
take my breaks across the street near one of your vendors, Marlon
Crump. I noticed him there in October, and ever since then I see
him every day I work. He has become almost a family member to
me.
In the last 6 months I have lost 3 family members and I am over
1,500 miles away from home. He was the first person to lend an ear
and a kind word to make me feel better. I notice that everyone who
works in the area feels the same way. I can’t explain how much he
has helped me, through more than just a great source of
entertaining news articles. No matter what the weather, no matter
what kind of day he’s had, he’ll be out there in dress clothes and a
smile on his face. It’s reassuring to know that your attitude does not
have to reflect the situation you are in.
Having a positive outlook can not only change your own life, but
also those around you. Indeed it has! Marlon is a fixture in that area.
I couldn’t imagine him not being there greeting everyone that walks
by. He tells me he loves his job, and is grateful every day for it. I
thank you for creating a program that helps deserving people like
him, and that you have brought his smile to our community. Thank
you so incredibly much for what your paper is doing for those
around me. And I hope you could give him some recognition for the
above-and-beyond work he does daily.
- A L Y X STEPHENS
Portland
Maty Racios, Leo Rhodes J a n Bayer, Eliese Baker,
Sue Zalokar, Michael Moore, Robert Britt, Cynthia
Kiehl, Hannah Schultz, Robyn Wirkes, Shannon
Lattin, Jim Quinlan
•mu
Street Roots Rose City Resource
Street Roots publishes the Rose City Resource, a
comprehensive booklet of services for people
experiencing homelessness and poverty. •
To inquire about getting an order of the Rose City
Resource for distribution, please write to
pdxrosecityresource@gmail.com. Resources are also
available online at www.rosecityresource.org.
Vendor orientations are at 1 p.m. every Monday,
Wednesday and Friday at the Street Roots office