Street Roots « March 6-12, 2015
Page 3
Editorial
Wrtteh
If you would like
to have
something
that you’ve
written published
in our pages, or would
lib to get involved as a
member of our reporting staff,
contact Managing Editor Joanne Zuhl at
503-228-5657, joanne@streetroots.org.
We ask that all submissions indude the
author’s name and contact information, .
if available.
Street Roots
211 NW Davis St
Portland, OR 97209
503-228-5657
■
i l l Fax:503-227-3117
www.streetroots.org
www.news.streetroots.org
Hours: 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 7:30
• a.m.-2 p.m., Sat, and 7:30-11 a.m. Sun.
Staff
Executive Director Israel Bayer
Managing Editor JoanneZuhl
joanneteeetroots.org
Vendor Coordinator Cote Merkel
cote® streetroots.org
Fare is fair, but this level of penalty is foul
Metropolitan Public Defenders.
riMet - our region’s flagship public
How does that happen? Confusion for one:
transportation system - provides an
Confusion around the start and stop dates for
esssential service in our community. In
and riders have reported that being
addition to its assets to the whole of Portland, exclusions,
it
is even more so a lifeline for people who have part of the problem. And yes, no doubt some
people knowingly getback on transit, despite ail
no vehicle of their own; who work one or more
exclusion. They take the risk of getting caught
jobs to stay afloat: People who have low or even
because for some it’s the only way to, get to
no incomes.
work, to school, or to connect with vital
There are always critics
services.
' .
.
to any institution,
Regardless of the reasons, simply violating an
particularly one that
exclusion does not merit a Class A
intersects with so many
misdemeanor. That’s oppressive when compared
lives and is so depended
to the offense, and even more egregious when
upon as transportation. But on the whole, the
compared to the need. Attorneys who represent
Portland metro area is fortunate to have such a
these cases report that many of their clients are
reliable comprehensive system as TriMet.
homeless or mentally ill. And the heavy-handed
So when we talk about changing the penalties
charge can tarnish a record, jeopardizing work
around violations to people who are excluded,
and housing options. It’s hard enough already.
let’s first clarify what we’re not talking about.
So we support the effort by Rep. Lew
This isn’t about easing up on people paying
Frederick to modify the state law removing the
their fare when riding TriMet. It s TriMet s
criminal act of unlawfully entering or remaining
authority to require that people pay for the
in or, on a public transit vehicle or station. This
services provided. It also has the right to keep
still leaves plenty of leeway for authorities to
its vehicles safe, and to remove people causing
remove people who are actually interferring
problems and interfering with a vehicle’s
with service, or engaging in disorderly conduct.
operation.
Frederick calls it out: IPTs are an example of
But current law extends too far. The penalty
regulations used to disproportionately target
for the charge of “interfering with public
. low-income people, immigrants and people of
transportation,” or IPT, is a Class A
color.
misdemeanor - the most serious class in line
In addition to removing the punitive
with drunk driving and minor assaults. A Class
nonsense, changing the law might also help
A misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year
release some of the pressure on our
in prison.
overburdened court system that is buried under
The sound of the offense is much different
a mass of misdemeanors, bench warrants and
than how it’s applied, according to some public
constant process. That’s something we all pay
defenders in Multnomah County. “The
for-
.
/
r
overwhelming majority of IPT cases arefor
It’s time we restore a little common seftse to
re-entry onto a bus or MAX tram or platform
both ends of the process, and Rep. Frederick’s
after previously being excluded. It is very rare
modest proposal will help. We hope fellow
to see someone charged with this crime for
legislators support the proposal. Not all lines
actually interfering with the vehicle or stopping
have to lead to the courts.
the vehicle,” says Chris O’Connor with
■
Operations Director Sarah Beecroft
Program Assistant Grace Badik, Jesuit
Volunteer, grace®streetroots;org
Development Director Sarah Cloud
Development Assistant Ann-Derrick
Gaillot
Reporters Emily Green, Sue Zafokar,
Christen McCurdy, Sarah Hansell, Sam
Bouman, Jacques Von Lunen
Photographers Diego Diaz, Kristina
W right
Canvasser Desmond Hardison
Board of Directors
Chairman Bruce Anderson
Vice-Chairman Brad Taylor
Treasurer Heather Stad ick
Secretary Amber Bielman
Directors Etch Rodgers, Michael Anderson,
Leo Rhodes, 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 Kamafa, Monica Kwasnik, Doug
Spangle
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.
u