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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2015)
Street Roots • February 20-26, 2015 Editorial Page 3 Oregon’s environmental policies should be more then paper deep regon has a proud history of protecting its wildlife and natural resources. decades, as did our environmental standards. Yet the status quo on permits is extended time and time again. It’s a kind of “pay it forward,” only this is more like “pay We also have significant environmental for it forward.” problems. In addition to the larger environmental impact, the The latter is particularly frustrating when the best water quality of Oregon’s rivers, lakes and streams is intentions are left to languish under the weight of an linked directly to the health of our fish and wildlife, underfunded bureaucracy. We all think we’re doing the including the resources many families right thing, that rely on. This isn’t ju st between business we’ve done part, quality ol The our water and government. This is an issue of a but the problem Oregon's rivers, community’s health. A polluter’s liability festers. , lakes and streams Is extends no further than the compliance ■ ■ Our story in this of their current permit, even if it only linked directly to edition on Oregon’s reflects the environmental standards of the health of our Department of Environmental Quality is the first Reagan administration. a clear illustration of these placebo fish and wildlife. It’s the kind of penny-wise and pound- politics. According to the Environmental Including the foolish policy that gets played out on Protection Agency, Oregon has the resources many many fronts. Maybe it’s human nature: highest percentage of expired state- families rely on. the political tendency to be seen tackling issued, wastewater permits in the nation. This Isn't Just a problem after the fact — after the This, despite having the some of the damage is done — rather than investing in between business toughest water pollution regulations in the less sensational approach: prevention. the United States. In 2012, Oregon’s and government. It is as true of our environmental waterways were ranked the 33rd most This Is an Issue of protections as it is our education system, polluted in the nation, according to the a community's housing equity and policies around Environmental Protection Agency’s health. homelessness and poverty. Toxics Release Inventory. , If we as Oregonians believe in the DEQ says it doesn’t have the protection of one of our most vital natural resources, resources to do the job. The department " was already navigating a major backlog when the then we have to support what it takes to ensure its recession hit, prompting nearly 20 percent cuts in staff safety. Our DEQ needs the infusion of support, through and resources. The consequence? Regulations on fees and government funding, to update permits and emissions into our waterways that came into effect after assist companies and wastewater treatm ent plants in complying with the new standards that apply. The a state-issued perm it was written aren’t being enforced. values and policies of Oregonians shouldn’t be mere In some cases, this backlog stretches back to the 1980s. paper tigers — toothless and underfunded. They need What we’ve learned about the ecological impact of.. i£ chemicals, accepted discharge levels and water and fish bite/ consumption have changed significantly in recent H that you’ve w riteopjO hed like to get involved as a member of our reporting staff, I 1 I I 1 contact Managing Editor Joanne Zuhl at 503-228-5657, joanne@streetroots.org. We ask that ail submissions include the author’s name and contact information, Street Beete IB s IIÌISI 211 NW Davis S t Portland, OR 97209 503-228-5657 | « j Fax:503-227-3117 www.streetroots.org I www.news.streetroots.org I « Hours: 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon,-At, 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Sat, and 7:30-11 a.m. Sun. S taff Executive Director Israel Bayer Managing Editor Joanne Zuhl Vendor Coordinator Cole Merkel cole@streetroots.org Operations Director Sarah Beecroft I P ro g ra m A s s is ta n t Grace Badik, Jesuit Volunteer, qrace@streetroots.org Development Director Sarah Cloud Development Assistant Ann-Derrick Galliot Reporters Emily Green, Sue Zaiokar, Smart, calculated decisions will solve housing crisis he landscape of Portlahd is changing before our eyes. New housing and business developments, apartment buildings and condos are popping up across neighborhoods. It’s a brand new era. There’s money to be made, and lots of it. Saying all of that, we’re proud in Portland for what we have been able to accomplish. Take the urban D I B E C T O B 'S growth boundary, for example. It’s something to be proud of, right? The idea that we would create an B y Israel Bayer urban area with restrictions on growth to preserve the natural beauty of our state is something that is now looked upon as revolutionary. What’s unfortunate is that we’ve developed one of the globes most prized urban growth strategies without any sort of equity and poverty lens. There’s no question that one of the gravest mistakes elected officials and urban planners made is not creating a regulatory standard for building and maintaining affordable housing within that urban growth boundary, especially as it relates to our transportation and new development in the private market. Sadly, not much seems to have changed. None of the growth strategies that I’ve seen to date seriously attempts to answer the questions of affordable housing. Never mind that we’re already an estimated 40,000 units short regionally and our population could increase by 1 million people by 2030, and up to 2 million people by 2060. . . We haven’t even talked about the effects of climate - S BISK Israel Bayer is the executive director o f Street Boots. You can reach him at israel®streetroots. org o r follow him on Twitter @israelbayer. change and how it will affect the region’s growth as it relates to poverty and affordable housing. We should. It will. It is. It makes me cringe when we as a community put our own needs ahead of what’s best for the region at large. You don’tw an t density in your neighborhood? Tough. What’s more important - having a particular neighborhood free of affordable, skinny or tiny homes and a variety of housing options, or helping solve a housing crisis? r Some believe there is a way to build more cost effective affordable housing, as highlighted in the mayor’s state of the city address. There’s always room for debate, but that debate shouldn’t come at the cost of people suffering. When it comes to trying to find a solution to the problem of affordable housing, everything should be on the table. We should be supporting all of our options. What we need to solve the issue is not more process. and bureaucracy. What we need are visionary leaders willing to take sm art and calculated risks. Airbnb is one small example. Instead of redirecting money made from Airbnb for real regulations and money toward affordable housing, where there is a clear nexus, we simply said that it can’t be done. That’s not the way the system works. Unfortunately, right now, the system for building the necessary affordable units needed for people experiencing poverty doesn’t work, either. Something has to give. There is a wealth of opportunity when it comes to creating more equitable housing in our community. We have to find a way to get it done. — . Christen McCurdy, Sarah Hansell, Sam Bouman, Jacques Von Lunen Photegrapiiers Diego Diaz, Kristina Wright Canvasser Desmond Hardison illllliil S’ ’’’ sSfS! I ssSSi I ;S sss;’™ ( " ; l l l i | i | 8 .... Board of Directors Bruce Anderson Michael Anderson Treasurer Heather Stadick Secretary Amber Bielman Directors Rich Rodgers, Brad Taylor, Leo Rhodes, Ken Hawkins, Nora Coon, Darren Alexander, Eddie Barbosa, Rachel Langford 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, Doug Spangle If you are interested in volunteering with Street Roots, please submit a volunteer, application at streetroots.org/volunteer. Gr call Volunteer Coordinator Grace Badik for more information at 503-228-5657.
