Street Roots • January 30-February 5, 2015
Editorial
Paid sick leave common sense, sm art business
espite the 24-hour nonstop work ethic of this
Policy Research, which has dominated studies in this
digital age, employees aren’t machines. They
field, a staggering 71 percent of low-wage Oregonians
have families, children, unexpected life events
(outside of Eugene and Portland) don’t earn paid sick
and sometimes they get sick. Unfortunately, too many
time on the job. But no doubt they do live in fear of
in our workforce are unable to take a day or two away
losing income or the job altogether, and they work
from work — without being financially burdened by a
when they are sick, jeopardizing their own health and
loss in wages or worse | | to get well.
the health of those around them.
It’s an obstacle to real health
The movement across this nation and here in Oregon
care, the kind of care that rewards
to require paid sick leave is welcome and justified
immediate, preventative actions
progress toward reforming our health care system.
that can deter the spread of
__________ Portland began a paid sick leave
illnesses; the kind
requirement in 2014. It has not been
that ensures a healthier and more
The administrative without its detractors, of course, and they
productive workforce for the long-term.
process should be
have their points that should be
The kind that is humane.
considered in crafting a statewide law.
manageable
and
President Obama called it out in his
The administrative process should be
small businesses
recent State of the Union address — the
manageable and small businesses should
United States is the only developed
should have some
have some flexibility in how the sick days
nation on the planet that doesn’t require flexibility In how
are applied.
paid sick leave. Current labor law does
the sick days are
The common complaint is that the
not even protect all workers from being
statewide approach must not be a one-
fired when they miss work due to illness. applied.
size-fits-all law. And we agree. Good
It’s a nationwide call to get up to speed.
" BIB^™11™"
paying jobs, a vibrant workforce and a strong economy
Unlike decades ago, when labor laws around sick
require both healthy workers and healthy businesses.
leave were written, we now live in a world where many
It’s important that Oregonian’s don’t have to choose
households are managed by either single parents or
dual-working parents. A sick child means the wage
between one and the other. Done right, paid sick leave
earner has to lose a day of work. And a week from the
is the healthy thing to do for businesses, workers and
job can put a huge strain on the fragile budgets of the
the whole community, and it’s the right example to set
working poor. According to the Institute for Women’s
for the rest of the nation.
H
EDITORI
Ending homelessness starts with human rights
common misnomer in many communities,
Portland, is that when you offer
A ; including
ervices to people experiencing homelessness
,4,,.
Israel Bayer is the
executive director o f ,
Street Roots. You can
reach him at
isrdel@streetroots.org
or follow him on
Twitter @israelbayer.
and poverty, you attract more people experiencing
homelessness. We call it the magnet myth.
The reality is this kind of thinking doesn’t translate
to the realities local communities face throughout the
country. More times than not, it
leads to elected officials and
communities working to manage
B ISECTO R'S the problem of homelessness
instead of trying to build the
DESK
political means to actually tackle
By Israel Bayer
the problem.
In Seattle, for example,
homelessness increased by 21
percent, according to their 2015
count. In Los Angeles, more than 50,000 are people
sleeping outdoors. In San Francisco, 7,000 people live
without a home. The list goes on and on.
Homelessness and the lack of affordable housing is a
national crisis. In places like Portland, where we see
rents skyrocketing and no clear path to solving the
problem, this issue becomes even more exacerbated.
This often leads to short-term strategies and knee-jerk
responses instead of actually prioritizing the issue.
We know that the criminalization of the homeless has
had a devastating effect on both our criminal justice
system and people sleeping outdoors. Understanding
that thousands of lives are affected by not having a safe
place to call home on one hand and making it illegal to
find a safe place to rest in on the other - we’ve more or
less institutionalized people to the streets.
In a place like Portland, where public space becomes
less and less accessible because of urban growth,
people on the streets end up paying the price.
Ten years ago, places such as Old Town, the Pearl,
areas of Northwest Portland and inner Southeast
Portland were considered low-barrier areas where
people on the streets could bed down without fear of
being uprooted and ticketed for sleeping. Today, those
areas are mostly off limits. The result is new challenges
for people on the streets who are left to sleeping in
more public parks and wooded areas.
Portland needs more creative solutions and services
for people on the streets, not fewer. Do we need more
affordable housing and rent assistance to offer people in
poverty a chance to be successful? Yes, please. Do we
need more shelter space for our most vulnerable
citizens? Of course we do. Do we need more projects
like Right 2 Dream Too, Dignity Village and Tiny
Houses? Absolutely.
What we also need are more compassionate and
smart strategies to deal with people on the streets
other than criminalization. This includes being able to
rest or sleep when individuals and families have literally
no place left to go. People experiencing homelessness
should be able to access public places, like parks and
sidewalks, without being targeted.
The Western Regional Advocacy Project, Right 2
Dream Too, Sisters Of The Road and Street Roots are
pushing for legislation in Oregon that would give people
experiencing homelessness these very rights — the
right to rest and to move freely, the right to sleep in
public places without discrimination.
A Homeless Bill of Rights and corresponding
legislation is being introduced in Oregon, Washington,
California and Colorado. To get involved and to add your
voice to more than 135 organizations, visit the Western
Regional Advocacy Project at www.wraphome.org.
Lastly, the next time someone says to you, “Yeah, we
have too many services ih Portland for poor people,”
tell them that actually, We don’t have enough, and if we
Wantto solve the problem of homelessness, it’s going to
take giving people access to housing and opportunity.
It’s going to mean giving people the human rights they
deserve.
Rage 3
Write in
If you would like
to have
something
that you’ve
written
incur
like to get involved as a
member of our reporting staff,
|gj|
contact Managing Editor Joanne Zuhl at
503-223-5657, joanne@streetroots.org.
We ask that all submissions include the
author’s name and contact information,
if available.'
- ■' • " •
•.
Street Roots
211 NW Davis S t
''
Portland, OR 97209.
503-228-5657 .
Fax:503-227-3117
www.streetroots.org .
www.news.sireetroots.org
Hours; 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 7:30
a.m.-2 pin., Sat, and 7:30-11 a.m. Sun.
Staff
Executive Director Israel Bayer
israel@streetroots.org
Managing Editor Joanne Zuhi
joanne@streetroots.org
Vendor Coordinator Cole Merkel
H fl
coiedstreetroots.org
Operations Director Sarah Beecroft
Program Assistant Grace Badik, Jesuit
Volunteer'
grace@streetroots.org
'
Development Director Sarah Cloud
Development Assistant Ann-Derrick
Galliot
Sil Reporters Emily Green, Sue Zalokar,
Christen McCurdy, Sarah Hansell, Sam
■ I Bouman, Jacques Von Lunen
Photographers Diego Diaz, Kristina
Wright
Canvassar Desmon Hardison
Board of Directors
Chairman Bruce Anderson
Vice-Chairman Michael Anderson
Treasurer Heather Stadick
Secretary Amber Bielman
Directors Rich Rodgers, Brad Taylor, Leo
Rhodes, Ken Hawkins, Nora Coon, Darren
Alexander, Eddie Barbosa, Rachel.Langfbrd
Volunteers
Jan Bayer, Rob Shyrock, Stacey Heath, John
Barker, Sarah Hansell, Jade Maniscalo, Sam
Bouman, Eliese Baker, Tom Ray, Lee Ko,
Aaron Von Reyn, Cherie Vedal, Jessie Carver,
James Yu, Melissa Kahn, Lisa Waldo,
Susannah Kamala, Monica Kwasnik
If you are interested in volunteering with
Street Roots, please submit a volunteer
application atstreetroots.org/volunteer. Or
call Volunteer Coordinator Grace Badik for
more information at 503-228-5657.