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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (May 6, 2016)
Street Roots • May 6-12, 2016 Budget plans offer a bold step forward ach of the proposed budgets by businesses and goes to support the very Multnomah County and Portland things that groups such as the Portland invest heavily in housing and homeless Business Alliance have been up in arms services, pledging more than $50 million in about — helping solve homelessness and additional support toward the homeless supporting public safety. emergency declared in October. Let’s be honest: A homeless emergency It’s much needed relief for many, but not and massive investments in housing this year nearly enough in scale to solve the problem. probably would have never happened if the Something we already know. mayor hadn’t gone off script Of course, city No smart person can and county leaders, advocates and nonprofits argue that we don’t need would have continued to do the best we could radical housing reform in given the circumstances, but I’m not sure we Oregon coupled with would be looking at the scale of investments multiple, long-term, in our city without someone coming along dedicated revenue and turning the issue on its head. By Israel Bayer sources to build more Maybe it was the mayor’s meeting with affordable housing. the pope, or the fact that he’s not running for There are no easy office again next year that he’s going all in. I answers. There are even really don ’t care. fewer paths to solving the problem. But on It would be easy to argue that the options we do have, it’s maybe we should wait on the essential that we deliver. next mayor and City Council to That’s why I don’t Our city is thriving make big changes to our system understand the controversy and growing. regarding the issue of housing around Mayor Charlie Hales’ proposed 0.3 percent increase Beneath all of the and homelessness. That’s naive. The crisis is bad enough that on the business tax - a move new business, that will create an additional condos and shine unless we aren’t able to act swiftly than we will continue to $8.7 million in revenue. is an entire class fall behind. If we as a community Instead of newspapers, of people aren’t actually treating the politicos and some business straggling to housing crisis as an emergency leaders celebrating smart survive on our than we aren’t going to save our policy, we find ourselves city. playing politics and freaking streets. Think about this. The city just out about a 0.3 percent swept an estimated 450 people business tax. Really? from the Springwater Corridor. The argument against the Four hundred and fifty! If that were 450 tax is that it would hurt small business people displaced in a small town in Kansas owners. However, the expressed intent is to structure the tax to protect small business, from a tornado, everyone from the National as it should. One such option is creating an Guard to the Red Cross would be called in. owner’s compensation deduction that will Instead of being offered food and shelter, allow small business owners to trim then- most people were cast out into the city with taxable profits by up to $125,000. no place go. That doesn’t even take into I get it. Portland could deliver a balanced account the 5,000 other people on our budget without a tax increase. People think streets, many of whom are small children and this mayor isn’t a team player. elders. It’s a hard-knock life. Communication is horrible. Other The truth is there are a lot of people commissioners and stakeholders weren’t getting rich in Portland right now. Business brought along. The mayor never creates a is good. Our city is thriving and growing. consensus. It’s his last year in office. It’s Beneath all of the new business, condos and nothing more than a legacy budget. shine is an entire class of people struggling It’s no secret that some people in Portland to survive on our streets. don’t like the mayor’s style. That’s fine. I’m There’s absolutely no reason that a 0.3 no Charlie Hales apologist. Sometimes I percent increase in the business tax and a don’t like it either. Saying that, it doesn’t healthy budget shouldn’t be passed this year. mean we should take our eyes off the prize. We have to set our ideologies and misgivings What we should all be interested in is helping to the side. We have to act boldly. the people of Portland. We certainly Everyone knows there are no easy shouldn’t be playing politics at a timé of such answers to the problems that lie ahead. The great need. challenges facing Portland will require great We don’t get to have our cake and eat it leadership, political risk by all, and an too. Business leaders and other commissioners enormous lift to address the problem at hand. We have to go the extra mile. We have should be cheering on this policy move. It to seize the moment promises to have little impact on small E »IBECTOR'S BISK Israel Bayer is the executive director of Street Roots. You can reach him at israel@streetroots. org or follow him on Twitter @israelbayer. Page 3 Editorial Write in If you would like to have somethmg Hat you ve written published ■our pages, or would like to get 'evolved as a member of our reporting staff, contact Managing Editor Joanne Zuhl at 503-228-5657, jomne^streetroots.org. ■e ask that all submissions include the author’s name and contact information if available. Street Roots 211 NW Davis St Portland, OR 97209 503-228-5657 « | K % & " ® i Bx: 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 am. Sun. Advertisings InterestedinadvertisinginStreetRoots? Contact Israel Bayer at rsrael@streetroots.org ■taff Executive Director Israel Bayer israet@StfeetfOOtS.OTg Managing Editor joanne@streettoots.org ; Vendor Program Director. ColeMg^^^ : co/e@streetroots.org : Operations Director Sarah Beecroft 5 ■ Development Director Sarah Cloud Program Assistant Scott Jackson, Jesuit fcunteer Development Assistant Ann-Derrick «iltot Reporters Emily Green, Suzanne Zalokac . Ann-Derrick Gaillot, Sarah Hansell, Leonora Ko, Jared Paben, Amanda Waldroupe Photographers Diego Diaz, Joe Glode, jin Brink Editorial Assistant Monica Kwasnik Canvasser Desmond Hardison Board of Directors Chairman Brad Taylor Vice-Chairman Rachel Langford Treasurer Heather Stadick Secretary Amber Bieiman Directors Bruce Anderson, Rich Rodgers, Michael Anderson, Leo Rhodes, Nora Coon, Marcus Swift Volunteers Jan Bayer, John Barker, Stacey Heath, Stephanie Holum, Anjali Rathore, Zoe Klingmann, Haven Herrin, Dan Jones, Rob Shyrock, Dennis Hogan, Tom Wright, Eileen Deerdock, Vince Waldman, Judy Taylor, Karen Allen, Monica McKune, Susan Wolfe, Lucas Hawthorne, Thomas Buell Jr., Jeanie Lunsford, Yasmin Amirsoleymani, Jason Cohen, Tom Ray, Doug Spangle, Susannah Kamala, Jon Raymond, Hilary Smith, Diana Richardson, Cherie Manning If you are interested in volunteering with Street Roots, please submit a volunteer application at streetroots.org/volunteer. Or call our volunteer coordinator for more information at 503-228-5657.
