street roots
2
Nov. 9, 2012
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Join the talk of the town in Street Roots
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Post election, the real
work begins
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here’s a lot to be proud of coming off the heels of the
election. Four states moved marriage equality
forward. Colorado and Washington voted to legalize
marijuana.
Nine communities in M assachusetts, Washington, Rhode
Island and California passed affordable housing measures
and levies — with San Francisco passing a proposition for
$1.1 billion dollars that will go toward affordable housing.
That’s amazing.
Locally, Portland and Multnomah County stepped up and
voted to support education, the arts and the library.
Statewide, we made
investments in the future
We expect our newly
by passing M easure 85
elected leaders, the
that would divert the
business community and
corporate kicker into our
Portland as a whole to
public schools.
tackle these issues. We
After all is said and done,
need leadership and we
$6 billion was raised in
need innovation from the
the presidential election
top.
and millions on local
elections. We don’t need
to tell you, that’s a lot of money.
In a time when many people and businesses are
struggling, it’s a reminder that in the United States there is
still an enormous amount of wealth. Election results also
remind us that we are far more progressive than is often
projected by corporate media and those on the fringes.
Now that the election is over, it’s time to collectively roll
up our sleeves and get to work.
We know that it’s time to bring marriage equality to the
State of Oregon. We know that we will be moving forward
on health care reform, and Oregonians will help lead the
way. We know that a much more robust strategy on
education and housing has„to be created, bo lb lorafe and,
nationally. We know that it’s time to change the criminal
Israel Bayer is the
executive director o f
Street Roots. You can
reach him at
israel@streetroots. org
Immigration, local police relationship too cozy fo r some readers
WHAT DO
YOU THINK?
Liters to the editor
are welcome at the
Street Roots office,
211 NW Davis St.,
Portland, OR 97209,
or e-mailed to
jo a np e i gstoe otiootSi
Street Roots
211 NW Davis St.
Portland, OR 97209
503-228-5657
Fax: 503-227-3117
www.streetroots.org
www.streetroots.wordpress.com
consideration. The community needs to
speak up. Contact the sheriff by phone, 503-
988-4300, and the county commissioners,
503-823-4000, and tell them you want an
end to police/ICE collaboration and our jail
personnel must not honor ICE holds.
- BOB BROWN
................ .............AAi/tnnmakrnnniU-
By Echo Logic
He planted the seed of today
She planted the seed of tomorrow
Shall we plant a seed of infinity’s way?
Give this tree birth, let her grow
Nay! Let her flourish!
Let all intricate branch growths reach to the stars
Singing into our spirits the song of silence
How bold this moment, ecstatic whispers
Channeling forth into graceful, alert presence
Managing Editor Joanne Zuhl
joanne@streetroots.org
members of the North American Street
Newspaper Association and the International
Network of Street Papers.
the sheriff has been unresponsive to a draft
policy that was submitted to his office for
The Seed of Unity
people experiencing homelessness and poverty by
on Fridays, and is available exclusively through our
Re: “Local enforcement of fed’s immigration
law weakens public safety” (Partnership for
Safety and Justice, Street Roots, Oct. 12) This
article demonstrates the problem that our
community faces. Trust and resources are
lost when the police and Immigration
collaborate with the purpose of deporting
people. I agree that Multnomah County can
set an example by ceasing to honor ICE
holds in our county jails. It is up to Sheriff
S t a n t o n to im n le .m e .n t s u c h a c h a n g e . S o fa r .
org.
justice system and to approach drug users and others with
new and innovative hard reduction models.
It’s time to reinforce the hope and change that has
received so much lip service of late, and work to maintain
an environment that will allow both local communities and
the nation to move forward.
We are lucky in Portland. We have a wealth of natural
resources, which are the individuals and families that make
up this great city. But we also have our work cut out for us
on both the equity and poverty fronts, and with police
reform. W hen compared to San Francisco and Seattle, we
are woefully behind on creating revenue for affordable
housing, homeless services and opportunities forpeople of
color.
We will never be able to truly compete with those cities
unless we face these problems straight on. We expect our
newly elected leaders, the business community and Portland
as a whole to tackle these issues. We need leadership and
we need innovation from the top.
M olds are being broken, not overnight, but gradually we
are reshaping how we perceive and manage a just and
functional society. And we will move forward, with
responsive leaders — provided we remember that we all
have our hands on the reins.
a
special story about an experience with a
ne of the most powerful things about
Street Roots vendor this past year, post
Street Roots is the community that
your story on Facebook.
is built between people experiencing
poverty and the public. We can’t express We will take selected submissions from
vendors and readers and publish them in
enough what it means
the December edition of the newspaper.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
to people to have an
This year Street Roots is asking for your
income, while also
support to help us maintain both the vendor
S E C T O R S S
being able to develop
program and the newspaper. A donation to
relationships with
’
Street Roots goes further than you could
Street Roots
ever imagine.
customers and local
By Israel Bayer
From now until Dec. 31, Street Roots will
businesses. It means
be holding our annual fundraising efforts.
having hope for many,
When you give to Street Roots, you know
and hope goes a long
your donation is guaranteed to go directly
way.
to supporting the vendors and the editorial
We’re asking readers to tag Street Roots
work we do.
on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
How do I give? There are several ways to
throughout the month of November.
give this year. You can simply write a check
For example, you find your partner or
friend enjoying a cup of coffee and reading a to Street Roots and mail it to 211 NW Davis,
97209, or go online at streetroots.org or
Street Roots on a rainy Saturday morning?
through the Willamette Week Give!Guide at
Post a pic on Instragram using the
wweek.com/giveguide.
#StreetRoots hashtag. The next time you
We can’t thank you enough for your love
purchase a paper from your local
neighborhood vendor, take a photo and drop this holiday season. From all of us at Street
Roots, we salute you.
it on Twitter and tag @StreetRoots. Have a
coie@streetroots.org
Operations Director Sara Beecroft
Program Assistant Kara Dimitruk, Jesuit
Volunteer AmeriCorps Member
kara@streetroots.org
Grant Writer Sarah Cloud
Development Assistant Cynthia Kiehl
Reporters Jake Thomas, Alex Zielinski, Robert
Britt, Sue Zalokar
Photographers Leah Nash, Ken Hawkins, Kristina
W right
Stay connected with us online
through Facebook and Twitter
Let this flow live on in all things, born to reflect
As these tears, being crafted of joy, find remembrance
Reach to the heavens, pull back to Earth a sacred object
Let this flute breathe into space its mystical fragrance
May we live on, strong and aware of purpose
Together, all is possible, so long as we see
We have each other, something to live for
Forgetting material distractions, we have unity!
Let all life forms find this, beyond words:
Thousands of tears fall to Earth, living on
Through the ages, we shall know, feel all!
Bruce Anderson (Chairman), Michael Anderson (Vice-
chairman), Heather Stadick (Treasurer), Eddy Barbosa
(Secretary), Rich Rodgers, Brad Taylor, Leo Rhodes,
Ken Hawkins, Nora Coon, Darren Alexander
each and sell them for $1, keeping the 75 cents in
profit for themselves. In order to keep the cost low to
our vendors, we receive additional support from
donations and in-kind contributions.
K 1wrenxr. vpks ttp.♦ uKH It i k i
Mary Pacios, Leo Rhodes, Jan Bayer, Sue Zalokar,
Robert Britt, Shannon Lattin, Jim Quinlan, Am ber
Tyrrell, Ann Ereline, Vinnie Kinsella
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.
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75c
goes directly to the vendor
who sold you the paper
i
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... i
JMCc
goes toward
printing costs
Vendor orientations are at 1 p.m. every Monday,
Wednesday and Friday at the Street Roots office.