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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 25, 2016)
Street Roots • Nov. 25-Dec. 1,2016 Mayor Hales and a legacy to build upon è are only weeks away from Donald have adequate ongoing revenue to support Trump taking over as the new leader of housing and homelessness? the free world. People are both scared You throw the playbook out and create a and angry. We see the dark clouds gathering on homeless emergency is what you do. You work the horizon. We know a storm is coming. Still, to immediately create policies that should have we must remain steadfast in the work we all been in place 20 years ago. You work to help collectively do for the create the city’s first affordable housing ballot common good. We must measure. You create local taxes, like a short continue marching toward term rental tax to secure ongoing revenue. You the light. throw out two decades of failed criminalization efforts against the homeless and turn the city on Locally, mayor-elect Ted Wheeler will take its head. You stand up to powerful interests in order to deliver something bigger than the next over Portland in both By Israel Bayer election. You buck the trends. And that’s exactly _______ prosperous and turbulent times. The tale of two what Hales has done in his time in office. cities has never been It’s easy for the homeless emergency to get more apparent. For some, Portland is the lost in the many things that plague our “Garden of Eden, a paradise for those to live community and world. The reality on the streets and see,” to quote the late Woody Guthrie. For is that the actions of the current mayor helped others, it’s hard times in the city. save lives - period. It created a political climate The new mayor, his team and commissioners coupled with market realities that made it have their work cut out for them. possible to call all hands on deck to Working to navigate new federal respond to our housing crisis. Would realities, a looming state deficit and it solve the problem? Absolutely not,- Could he have but doing nothing wasn’t an option. a growing housing crisis will not be easy. It will take great leadership to Without the housing emergency I gone further weather the storm. have no doubt that even more people with housing That brings me to outgoing would be sleeping on our streets this policies? Mayor Charlie Hales, a man that winter. Possibly. But he The thing about being a leader is has faced many critics, myself stood up to some that you have to do your best given included. There are many things of the most the experience you have and the that I would have done differently, but hindsight is 20/20. It’s easy to p o w e rfu l p la y e r s realities laid out before you. Everyone W JU Israel Bayer is the executive director o f Street Roots. You can reach him at israel@streetroots. org or follow h im on Twitter @israelbayer. OIRECTOlt'S BISK b e a critic hid ing b eh in d a p en . It’s In th e c it y to g iv e p e o p le th e o p p o r tu n ity to w ill critiqu e you . E v er y o n e co u ld Eave done it better or differently. It’s a slog at times. When it’s good, it’s good, and when it’s bad, it’s not so good. I have taken flack from both the have a good Hales experienced both in trying to left and the establishment over my respond to the housing crisis. Could night's sleep criticism or praise of the Hales he have gone further with housing administration. This column will and the policies? Possibly. But he stood up to probably be no different. possibility of a some of the most powerful players in I can think of no other mayor in safe place to the city to give people the my tenure that has done more for call home. opportunity to have a good night’s the homeless than Hales. You sleep and the possibility of a safe might say, what are you talking place to call home. about, Israel? The same mayor that It’s easy to simply look at what’s in ordered sweeps of the Springwater front of you and judge a book by its Corridor or has at times battled the cover. In the case of Mayor Hales, from day one, business community of homeless policies? Fair he stood up against the idea of criminalizing enough. people on the streets through sidewalk Here’s the thing. What happens when even ordinances, panhandling laws and aggressive the smartest minds in our city aren’t exactly enforcement of camping policies. clear on how to climb out of years of failed Let’s hope that all of Portland’s future mayors policies on homelessness? We know that after have the same kind of courage. That at the end 40 years of federal disinvestment in homeless of their tenure, we can proudly say we worked and housing services that our local community our hardest to find solutions in an impossible will never be able to scale up to actually solve situation and tried to be a friend of the poor. It’s the problem. It’s too big. more courage than most. So, what does a mayor do much harder to be a leader in times o f g rea t uncertainty. when they inherit a city that doesn’t Page 3 E d ito ria l If you would like to have something that you’ve written published in our pages, or would like to get involved as a member of our reporting staff, contact Managing Editor Joanne Zuhiat 503*228-5657, joanne@streetroots.org. We ask that all submissions include the author’s name and contact information, if available Street Roots 211 NW Davis $ t Portland, OR 97209 503-228-5657 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. Advertising Interested in advertising in Street Roots? Contact Israel Bayer at israel@streetroots.org Staff Executive Director Israel Bayer israetoeetroots.org Managing Editor Joanne 2uht joanne@streetfoots.org . Vendor P ro gram Stre e te r Ctite W fk e t . cole@streetroots.org Operations Director Sarah Beecroft Development Director Sarah Cloud Program Assistant Meghann Van Pelt, Jesuit Volunteer Development Assistant Patricia Romero Reporters Emily Green, Suzanne Zalokar, Sarah Hansell, Leonora Ko, Jared Paben, Amanda Waldroupe, Stephen Quirke Photographers Diego Diaz, Joe Glode Editorial Assistant Monica Kwasnik Canvasser Desmond Hardison Board of Directors Chairman Brad Taylor Vice-Chairman Rachel Langford Treasurer Heather Stadick Secretary Dan Jones Directors Rich Rodgers, Michael Anderson, Leo Rhodes, Sandra Hahn, John Brown, Marcus Swift Volunteers Jan Bayer, John Barker, Stacey Heath, Anjali Rathore, Zoe Klingmann, Haven Herrin, Dan Jones, Dennis Hogan, Tom Wright, 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, Paul and Madeline Gefroh, Mary Anne Joyce and Faye Powell. 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