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Street Roots • May 29-June 4, 2015 Federal government isn’t solving big-picture problems, so m aybe... BY M . IMELS JOHNSON CONTRIBUTING COLU M N IST Commentary TPo 1m T T- 11 IL O U.U LO V>lLy ±13,11 M. Nets Johnson is an elected director serving on the board o f the Multnomah Education Service District, an adjunct professor at Warner Pacific College and an attorney. he seasons are changing here in Portland. The sun is finally starting to shine with some consistency, the days are getting longer, the darkness is fading into winter’s past, conversations on the proverbial patio have returned, and blossoms and pollen are everywhere. Winter The federal government was looked at as is gone; summer is almost here. more of the problem than the solution. Budget season is also heating up at the States were the ones with the ability to city of Portland, and with three incumbents solve the big problems of the day. Although (Amanda Fritz, Steve Novick and Charlie this point of view started to take root in Hales) already declaring for re-election 18 months out, it must mean that as summer is American government, it took several decades to become realized. That’s because, almost upon us, so is the 2016 election despite rhetoric about how big government season. The 2016 election is a presidential is the problem rather than the solution, one, which promises to bring a lot of focus federal money continued to flow backlo to big-picture issues such as income . districts at record levels through the inequality, national security and the general appropriations process. Appropriations direction of America. The issues that will earmarked for Oregon by legislative giants likely drive the election for control of City such as Rep. Les AuCoin and Sens. Bob Hall will likely include inequity, as Packwood and Mark Hatfield ensured that, manifested in the increasingly unaffordable though small in stature, Oregon always housing options, transportation funding and received more than its fair share of federal continued police reform. This is good — all tax dollars. Those tax dollars went to build of these issues should receive a hill and things like Portland’s light rail, highways robust debate by all the candidates involved. and public universities. Earmarks started to These are the issues of the day. Some, like receive intense scrutiny in the 2000s with housing and transportation funding, are things like Alaska’s famous $223 million becoming harder and harder to solve, the , “Bridge to Nowhere.” Finally, when longer we wait. It’s time that we made a Republicans gained control of the House of commitment to debate the issues and solve Representatives in 2011, they banned all the problems. earmarks. This has greatly reduced the However, while the election is likely to be amount of federal money flowing to the dominated by talk about housing; state and local levels. transportation funding, planning and a host State and local governments rely heavily of other issues, this election should be on federal funding. According to the focused on something more fundamental Economic Policy Institute, federal grants to and more at the core of who we are as a state and local governments across the city. Namely, the 2016 races for City Hall country totaled $607 billion. That amount, should focus on the role and responsibility already significantly less than in years past, of local government to solve the big was cut again in perpetuity by sequestration. problems of the day. For the entire 20th century, large societal This left states and local governments scrambling to fill giant budget holes. problems were solved at the federal level. | Additionally, Congress used to be a place President Theodore Roosevelt tackled where people could come together, set aside monopolies and oligarchies with his famous “trust busting” crusade aimed at leveling the their differences and solve the large problems of the day Now, however, playing field for middle-class Americans. Congress is completely dysfunctional and Franklin Delano Roosevelt radically remade unable' to solve any issue of real substance. government and reduced inequality through the New Deal. President Lyndon B. Johnson ' And now, the federal money that used to flow to states and localities has been tried to complete the New Deal with his Great Society, which created Medicare and ; reduced, though the large problems of the day such as immigration reform, inequality, Medicaid. For generations, the federal infrastructure funding, etc., remain. To , government was where Americans could recap: less federal money, more unsolved turn to for problems. Who will fill the void? solutions to the biggest societal problems of City Hall has already tried to solve some the day. of these big problems that are usually But then something slowly started reserved for the federal government. Over changing with the rise of Ronald Reagan. ■ Page 11 the last two years, Commissioner Novick But those who see local government and Mayor Hales have tried to address the playing an activist role in solving the large desperate need for more transportation issues of the day also need to acknowledge revenue (a partial result of declining federal that this is a lot harder than it sounds. The transportation funds) with various iterations city has an obligation to provide basic of the proposed “Street Fee.” More recently, services that citizens rely on. It somehow the conversation around the “Ban the Box” has to balance the need to take care of the campaign is Portland’s attempt to do what it basics with solving the larger problems. can to solve the nation’s embarrassing and This is incredibly difficult and requires . broken criminal justice system that, disciplined leadership, a vision, voter buy-in according to author Michelle Alexander in and a disregard of the fear of failure. And her erudite work, “The those who see the New Jim Crow,” has role of local created an entire W ith the federal gwerasaeat subclass of young men of government only as abdleatlag Its responsibility to color destined to lives of that o.f providing grinding poverty and low s o lw these issaes, the gaestloa basic services need wages due to nonviolent remains^ 11 aot local govera- to answer the meats^ thea who? Bat this Is aa question, if not drug convictions. All of this begs the incredibly d iffle a lt and local governments, fundamental question: aaaaced debate« then who? Are they What is the role of local content to trust government? that someday Traditionally, the role of Congress wakes up and starts solving the local government was to -provide for basic big problems before it’s too late? If so, how services like maintaining roads, streets and loiig can we all afford to wait before parks. The thornier, more esoteric problems like climate change and affordable questions of the day such as immigration bousing become too big to solve? Clearly, reform, wealth disparity and skyrocketing there are no easy answers, but there is a cost of higher education were issues that fundamental need for the city of Portland to were left to the federal government. But with the federal government abdicating its have this debate arid determine what the responsibility to solve these, issues, the role of local government ought to be. question remains:, If not local governments, The larger societal issues such as climate then who? But this is an incredibly difficult change, wealth inequality and infrastructure and nuanced debate. investment (just to name a few) can’t wait. Those advocating that local government They need to be solved now. The ought to focus on basic services are correct; overarching question of the 2016 race for if City Hall isn’t focused on our water and City Hall ought to be what Portland’s role is sewer rates, paving streets and maintaining in solving these problems of the day. For if parks, surely no one else will. But those our elected officials believe that Portland advocating for a basic-services approach has a role to play, then it is imperative that must answer the question, if not local we as a city have a thorough and robust governments, who will solve the deep and debate about the city’s role. And may that fundamental issues facing society today? thorough and robust debate ere ate a Cities all over the country are grasping mandate for candidates to act on the with what the role of local government ought to be. Former Minneapolis Mayor change, the promise, and help them solve R.T. Rybak grew tired of waiting for the large issues of the day that the federal Congress to solve the problem of government seems either unwilling or skyrocketing tuition and crushing student incapable of solving on its own. debt that weighed on the hearts and minds The time of year is familiar, with warmer of all of Minneapolis’ best and brightest weather, blossoms and budgets, but the students. So he decided that the city could conversation has never been more serious. solve the problem by creating the Portlanders need to decide what kind of a “Minneapolis Promise,” which raised an local government they want — one that : endowment for all students above a certain focuses solely on basic services, or one that GPA requirement to go to community acknowledges that although we may not be cdllege for free. Minneapolis has done its part in solving the larger societal problem of able to solve all of the national problems, we have an obligation to at least try; because if the high cost of higher education by making we don’t, who will? it affordable for their Students. Street Roots is proud to be a member of the global street paper movement and honored to serve the readers of Portland and Multnomah County.
