street roots
2
Juné" 20, 2014'
F n V
T
A
R
T
We are reaching a tipping point in Portland
S T
Oregon should support the
legalization of marijuana
Being able to vote on the regulation, taxation and
legalization of marijuana for recreational use in
November looks like a reality in Oregon.
Oregonians should vote yes.
According to New Approach Oregon, th e campaign
working on the legislation, revenues generated by
taxation of recreational marijuana will go towards
funding schools (40%), state and local police (35%) and
drug treatment, prevention and mental health funding
(25%). It’s projected that the revenue will be in the
tens of millions of dollars.
U n d e r th e c u rre n t ; :
proposed legislation
the state would
regulate the amount of
allowed purchase, sale,
production,
processing,
transportation and
delivery of marijuana
item s—as well as
granting, refusing,
suspending or
cancelling licenses. They also would regulate operating
hours, security, quality control, labeling, and other
health and safety issues. The measure prohibits
minors from buying, selling, manufacturings possessing
or consuming marijuana. It also prohibits minors from
entering marijuana stores under penalty of losing
driving privileges. Individuals would have to be 21 and
over to purchase.
The reality Is,
marijuana Is already
widely available in
Oregon. By regnlating,
taxing and overseeing
the sale of marijuana,
Oregon can shift its
resources to target
drug prevention.
_________________________
T h e reality is , m ariju an a is alre a d y w id ely a v ailab ly in
O regon. By regulating, taxing and o v erseein g th e sale
of m ariju an a, O reg o n can sh ift its re s o u rc e s To ta rg e t
d ru g p rev en tio n an d tre a tm e n t. It will also ta k e th e
profits off the sale of marijuana off the criminal market
and allow hard working Oregonians to access new and
emerging jobs created by legalization.
“We’ve got 20 states that have either explicitly
authorized hemp cultivation, or they are tairing steps
to promote it, Oregon being one of them,”
Congressman Earl Blumenauer recently told Street
Roots. “It’s one of those moments in history that is .•
ripe, and Oregon* this year, is poised to be the turning
point nationally. We’ve got these two states, Colorado
and Washington, which have legalized it. Everything’s
going to be trained on Oregon. People think that if
they can beat it in Oregon, they can beat it anywhere.
If it wouldn’t pass in Oregon, where would it pass? If it*
passes, Thè wave will crest. We’re a cheap state to
campaign in, so there will be energy and attention. If it
passes here, California is a foregone conclusion, as is
Maine.”
We look to other civic leaders and elected officials
around Oregon to show courage and to be bold,
understanding that this is smart and effective policy.
Let’s help make history.
IM W
Portland is reaching a tipping p o in t
Couple the decline of affordable
housing units with the increase rental
prices from around the city and we re
heading into a perfect storm. In fact,
some might say th e storm has already
arrived on our shores. It sure feels
that way.
We are'
dangerously close
as a city to
following in both
Seattle and S a n ,
Francisco’s ~
B y Israel Bayer
footsteps when it
“
■■■■ comes to
becoming a city
w here only concentrated wealth,
(mostly white), and the m ost destitute
live side by side.
It’s not a joke th at small business
owners, teachers, baristas, to name a
few, now have to look outside of the
, city just to be able to maintain a
lifestyle where they aren’t spending a
large percentage of their income on
housing alone.
Understanding th at they’re in the
midst of a housing crisis — San
Francisco voters passed a Housing
T rust Fund in 2012 with a goal o f ,, #
building and preserving m ore than
30,000 affordable housing units in the
city.
The fund requires th at the city sets
aside, general fund revenues beginning
in 2013-2014 and ending in Fiscal Year
2042-2043 to create, acquire and
rehabilitate affordable housing and
promote affordable home ownership
DIRECTOR'S
DESK
Israel Bayer is the
executive director o f
Street Roots. You can
reach h im a t ’ 1
israel@streetroots. org
orfollow him on Y
Twitter @israelbayer.
WHAT DO
YOU THINK?
Send letters to the
editor to the Street
Roots office, 211
NW Davis St,
Portland, OR 97209,
of e-mail to joanne®
streetroots.org
program s in the city.
In Seattle, w here a similar setting
exists, they are working hard to
connect transportation, density and
housing through a range of different
programs. T he city also h a s a housing
levy that has been overwhelmingly .
supported by voters since the 1990s.
These are just a few examples.
If I’ve said it once in this column,
I’ve said it a million times. We m ust
be thinking bigger if we are going to
combat the rapid economic and racial
gentrification of our city. In order to
do this we need leaders not thinking
about the status quo, but thinking
about how they are going to develop a
plan to support working Oregonians.
In order to get to a m ore equitable /
Portland it’s going to take m ore than
just charity. It’s going to take real
infrastructure — like raising the
minimum wage and creating
something like a Housing T rust Fund.
Currently, we are moving from year to
year with patchwork like strategies
that have us falling woefully behind.
The reality is if Portland wants to
be a world-class city, it’s going to have
to take steps in these directions
anyway. The question is w hether we
have the leadership to make that
happen today instead of waiting until
we can no longer even tackle the i
issue with a systemic approach.
We have the political will to make it
happen. It’s just a m atter of having
elected leaders who are willing to do
something about it.
A n individual
experiencing
homelessness
sleepsnext to an
A T M machine in
downtown
Portland.
PHOTO BYISRAEL BAYER
■■
O urm issbn
staff
Board o f Directors
Street Roots creates income opp<xtunities fo r'
people experiencing homelessness and poverty by
producing a newspaper and other media that are ■
catalysts for individual and social change. ’
Executive Director Israel Bayer
Bruce Anderson (Chairman), Michael Anderson (Vice*
chairman), Heather Stadick (Treas.), Eddy Barbosa (Sec);'
Rich Rodgers, Brad Taylor, Leo Rhodes, Nora Coon,
Darren Alexander, Amber Bielman
. .
Street Roots publishes every tw o weeks, launching.
; on Fridays, and is available exclusively through our
street vendors dr by subscription. We are proud
members of the international Network o f Street
Papers.
Street Roots
211 NW Davis St.
Portland, OR 97209
503-228-5657
Fax: 503-227-3117
streetroots.org
news.streetroots.org
israel@streetroots.org
Managing Editor Joanne Zuhi
joanne@streetfoots.org
Vender Coordinator Cole Merkel
cole@streetroots.org
Operations Director Sarah Beecroft
Program Assistant Grace Badik, Jesuit Volunteer,
grace@streetroots-.org
Development Director Sarah Cloud
Office Assistant Amber Bielman
Reporters Jake Thomas, Alex Zielinski, Nathan
Gilles, Sue Zalokar, Ann-Derrick Galliot
Photographers Kristina W right, Christopher
Onstott, Adrienne Burkett
Volunteers
Jan Bayer, Elizabeth Tierney, Rob Shryock, Ann-
Derrick Gaillot, Stacey Heath, Vinnie Kinsella, Michelle
Breslau, Paula Cracas, John Barker, Mary Locke, Lucas
Manfield, Jessie Carver, Cherie Vedal, Sam Bouman,
Isaac Hastings Hauss, Emily Green, Tom Ray, Sarah
Hansell, Afana Kansaku-Sarmiento, Kyle Craven,
Audrey Benison
Street Roots Rose City Resource
Street Roots publishes the Rose City Resource, a
comprehensive booklet o f services for people
experiencing homelessness and poverty.
To inquire about getting guides, call 503-228-5657.
Resources'are online at www.rosecityresource.org.
Venders
Sheet Roots vendors buy thenewspapers for- 25 cents' ’
each and sell them fo r |1 , keeping the 75 cents in .' .
profit fo r themselves, In order to keep the cost low to
our vendors, we receive additional support from
donations and in-kind contributions.
75 '
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who sold you the paper
25
goes toward
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Vendor orientations are. at 1 p.m. every Monday,
Wednesday and Friday at the Street Roots office’