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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 12, 2012)
2 street roots Oct. 12, 2012 Lots of choices, lots of opportunities e have mayoral and council candidate interviews in this edition of the newspaper. We asked candidates questions on the issues of civil rights and the future of Portland. In the H next ecJjtjon Qf W The bar is set pretty high for future office holders s a non-profit newspaper, Street Roots can’t endorse candidates. What we can say, however, is how those candidates, if elected, should govern our great city. Street Roots has been around the block now for more than a decade. In that time, the organization has been active in helping contribute to and challenge a number of important policies related to poverty and social justice. We understand the many voices, lobbying efforts and insider politics that will influence and guide individuals who maintain our city government. We understand what it’s like to be used for political gains and completely ignored when speaking critically of laws or office We need an atmosphere holders. We also understand that allows for people that what candidates’ to be critical of the promise on the campaign work government does will not always be achievable while also working side once in office. by side to tackle the It’s easy to say if elected problems we that one will curb collectively face as a homelessness and uphold community. people’s civil rights. It’s another thing to become a real housing champion and to not engage in horse-trading the rights of people experiencing homelessness and poverty away for a divergent strategy with powerful interest groups. The rates of unemployment and incarceration for the minority communities are staggering. Yet we still have gentrification and displacement and a growing concentration of wealth and disparity in our city. Nonetheless, Portland remains a great city. It doesn’t take one long to venture out from the liberal and progressive environment that we’ve created in Portland to realize that we are special. From the cycling movement to technology and the arts, to food production to creating new and innovative ways of doing business, we are an example of how a city can get it right. We are optimists at Street Roots. We believe in the power of the human spirit and creativity. We also believe in the positive influence of government and the importance it plays in all of our lives. We need government and government needs the people in order to be successful. We need an atmosphere that allows for people to be critical of the work government does while also working side by side to tackle the problems we collectively face as a community. We’re looking to our leaders to lead by example, to rise above the noise and to work toward a Portland that is a thriving and diverse community. A city that allows for all social-economic classes to live in peace with one another, and not accept the status quo. It’s easy to say, or write, but it’s another thing all together to actually accomplish. We commend and thank the outgoing office holders that continue to serve our city. While we have not always agreed with every policy and at times strongly disagreed, we have found a way to work together as a city to do great things. Do we wish they had done more, of course we do. We wouldn’t be Street Roots unless we expected more of ourselves, and our elected officials. And whoever is elected in November to lead Portland, the community is expecting the same of you. A Portland, OR 97209 503-228-5657 Fax:503-227-3117 www.streetroots.org www.streetroots.wordpress.com DIRECTOR'S DESK newsPaPer we w*11 be asking candidates questions specifically B y Israel Bayer Israel Bayer is the executive director o f Street Roots. You can reach him at israel@streetroots. org about housing and homelessness. ■■■■ m h h m h b m b b Please join Street Roots for a candidate forum on housing and homelessness next Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. at Portland Community College, 2305 SE 82nd and Division. The forum is co-sponsored by JO IN , Oregon Opportunity Network, 211info and the Community You’ll also find in this edition our endorsements for state and local measures. Street Roots vendors, staff and volunteers sat down for a lively two-hour lunch discussion to determine our positions. On the back page you’ll see that we are being even more outspoken about Measure 79. The measure would create a constitutional ban on the real estate transfer tax. The National Association of Realtors has dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into this measure with the hopes of buying your vote. Street Roots says no way. We believe that creating such a measure is confusing and unnecessary, and ultimately wrong for Oregon. Please Vote no on Measure 79. Lastly, we encourage people to simply vote this election cycle. The future of our city, state and country are in our collective Vendor says thank you and farewell for a trip home Vendor Joey Ponzio is on his way back East to restore his life after experiencing homelessness the past year. This was a note he left Street Roots. WHAT DO YOU THINK? Send letters to the editor to the Street Roots office, 211 NW Davis St., Portland, OR 97209, or e-mailed to streetrootsnews® gmail.com. Volunteer AmeriCorps Member kara@streetroots.org Grant Writer Sarah Cloud Development Assistant Cynthia Kiehl Reporters Jake Thomas, Alex Zielinski, Robert Britt, Sue Zaiokar Photographers Leah Nash, Ken Hawkins, Kristina W right Stay connected with us online through Facebook and Twitter To my friends at Street Roots: I will miss you all, and I’d like to thank Street Roots for the transformation of my life. When there was no employment, Street Roots was there for me. At first, when I started working, I was embarrassed to let people know me, see me selling papers. But then I realized there was nothing to be em barrassed about. In fact, I started taking pride in what I was doing and what Street Roots was doing for me. Street Roots was restoring me, getting me back into the work force. And, with employment at Street Roots, I started feeling good about myself. I was making money and providing for myself again. I was proud of what I was doing and no longer ashamed. In fact, I met some really good people while working for Street Roots: both customers and fellow employees. There are too many to start naming. Street Roots for me was shelter when I had none; employment when there was none; even a friend when there was no one. I don’t know what I would have done if Street Roots wasn’t here or there! Thanks to all of Street Roots. I will truly miss you all. J b BBUB1L3 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
