Pa£e2_______________________ ^.lortlanh (©bseruer____________________
fu n d in g fo r lib ra rie s in to th e fu
tu re, re sto re re c e n t cu ts in lib rary
h o u rs, an d p ro te c t an d re s to re
p ro g ram s fo r c h ild re n , stu d e n ts,
sen io rs an d jo b s e e k e rs .
T h o se a g a in st the new tax a r
gue th at M u ltn o m a h C o u n ty has
h is to ric a lly b een very g e n ero u s
to the lib rary . O n a p e r re sid e n t
b a s is ,'th e o p p o n e n ts arg u e that
the local lib rary sy ste m c o sts ta x
p a y ers tw ic e as m uch as lib rary
sy ste m s a c ro ss the c o u n try . A n
o th e r a rg u m e n t a g a in st a lib rary
d is tric t is th a t it w ill g iv e p e rm a
n ent ta x in g a u th o rity to a g ro u p o f
u n e lec te d g o v e rn m e n t e m p lo y e e s
w ho w ill no lo n g e r h av e to a n sw e r
to vo ters.
If v o te rs say y es to the P o rt
land P u b lic S c h o o ls m e a su re , it
w ill au th o rize $482 m illion o f g e n
eral o b lig a tio n b o n d s to u p g rad e
s c h o o ls . F r a n k lin , G ra n t a n d
R o o se v e lt H igh S c h o o ls, alo n g
w ith F au b io n p reK -8 sch o o l in
n o rth e a s t P o rtla n d , w o u ld g e t
c o m p lete rem o d els. O th e r sch o o ls
w o u ld b e n e fit fro m u p g ra d e s to
le a k i n g r o o f s , s t r e n g t h e n e d
a g a in st e a rth q u a k e s, and p ro v id e
for in creased d isab ility access. All
m id d le school scie n c e c la ssro o m s
w o u ld be u p g ra d e d , an d the d is
tric t c o u ld rep ay p re v io u s c a p ita l
c o st lo an s.
T h e e ig h t-y e a r s c h o o l b o n d
w o u ld c h a rg e p ro p e rty o w n e rs
$ 1 .1 0 p er $ 1,000 in a ssessed p ro p
e rty v alu e. F o r th e o w n e r o f a
h o m e w ith $ 1 5 0 ,0 0 0 in a sse sse d
v a lu e, th at c o m es to a b o u t $ 165 a
y e a r fo r e ig h t y e ars.
P o rtla n d P u b lic S ch o o ls is the
la rg e st sch o o l d istric t in O re g o n
w ith 78 sch o o ls and 4 7 ,0 0 0 s tu
d e n ts . M o re th a n h a lf o f th e
sch o o ls w ere b u ilt b efo re 1940 and
o n ly tw o h av e b een b u ilt w ith in
th e last 30 y e ars.
T h o se in fa v o r o f the sch o o l
b o n d a rg u e th a t i t ’s tim e to r e
in v e st in o u r c ity ’s sch o o ls. B a c k
in g th e b o n d ’s s u g g e s te d im
p ro v e m e n ts, a d v o c a te s say le a rn
ing im p ro v es w ith b e tte r le arn in g
e n v iro n m e n ts. T h o se a g a in st a r
g u e th at new b u ild in g s are no
g u a ra n te e to stu d en t su cc e ss.
T h e c u rre n t a v e ra g e g ra d u a
tio n rate fo r PPS sch o o ls is 62
p e rc e n t an d n e arly h a lf o f g ra d u
ates fall b e lo w s ta n d a rd iz e d m ath
an d re a d in g sk ills. C ritic s say th e
sch o o l d istric t sh o u ld c lo se and
c o n s o lid a te lo w -e n ro llm e n t
s c h o o ls , so re m a in in g s c h o o ls
b e co m e stro n g e r.
level. Estim ated to raise annual funds
o f $ 12 m illion, the new tax will pay to
hire m ore arts and m usic teachers
fo r kindergarten through 5 th grade
in the Portland, C entennial, D avid
D ouglas, R eynolds and R iverdale
school districts. T he tax m onies
w ould be adm inistered by the R e
gional A rts and C ultural C ouncil.
S u p p o rters p o in t to the steep
decline in arts and m usic program s
in P ortland Public Schools. In ju st
tw o years, PPS d ropped all arts in
struction in 22 schools. A dvocates
say th is m e asu re e n su res every
The A rt Incom e T ax w ould levy a
P o rtlan d e lem en ta ry stu d en t re
$35 tax p er y ear on all city residents
ceiv es an arts education, w hich has
w ith exceptions o f those individu
proven to help children reach their
als living below the federal poverty
fu ll p o te n tia l, ra ise test sco res,
g raduation rates and
co lleg e adm ittance.
O nly 18 percent o f
P o rtla n d elem en ta ry
schools provide art in
struction com pared to
83 percent nationally,
and 58 p ercent o f PPS
schools provide m u
sic e d u c a tio n c o m
p ared to 94 percent
nationally.
T h o se against the
A rt Incom e T ax see it
u n f a ir ly im p a c tin g
p eople w ho are finan
cially struggling, stay-
at-hom e-spouses and
co lleg e students. C ity
C o m m is s io n e r-e le c t
S te v e N o v ic k h a s
called the proposed tax
reg ressiv e.
O verall, com bining
PHOTO BY CARI H a CHMANN/T h E PORTLAND OBSERVER
the tax m easures for
Courtney Dixon and her three daughters check out books and do homework
schools, libraries and
at the Multnomah County Library at North Killingsworth Street and Commer
the arts represent an 8
cial Avenue. Dixon said most nights they have to hustle or they wouldn't
to 9 percent increase
make the library's reduced closing time of 5 p.m. Before budget cuts, the
o v er last y e a r’s av er
library closed at 8 p.m. If voters pass the Permanent Library District Tax in
age property tax bill,
November, Multnomah County libraries will return to their extended hours.
officials said.
Shared Priorities
c o n t i n u e d f r o m front
October io. 2012
Come Out for Our Families!
We believe all our families have so much in common: we struggle to access healthy
food, quality education, affordable healthcare, and housing. Our families also face
discrimination that prevents us from thriving in our workplaces and our neighbor
hoods. As families of color, we experience unique challenges as we work to keep our
homes, our jobs, and our health.
These struggles affect Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) families of
color in very unique ways. LGBT families of color are part of the fabric of our com
munity and members of our own families.
Alliance of Minority Chambers
Causa Oregon
Farmworker Housing Development Corporation
Latino Network
Lewis & Clark Law School
Native American Youth and Family Center
Northwest Health Foundation
Oregon Action
Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste
(PCUN) Oregon's Farmworker Union
Unfortunately, some of our LGBT family members do not feel our community's full
support. So, in honor of National Coming Out Day, we are coming out as friends, fam
ily and public allies of LGBT families of color. We believe our communities are stron
gest when all families - extended families, multi-generational families, single-parent
families and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families - have the resources, re
spect and love they need to thrive.
We believe it's time to come out in support of all our families. Join us!
Mariotta Gary-Smith, Health Educator,
Multnomah County Health Department
Lorena Manzo
Lead Organizer, Causa Oregon
Larry Roper, Vice Provost for Student Affairs,
Oregon State University
Sharon J. Gary-Smith, Executive Director,
McKenzie River Gathering Foundation
Nichole J. M aher
Northwest Health Foundation
Carmen Rubio
Executive Director, Latino Network
Avel Louise Gordly
Jason M ak
Diana Ruiz
Lisa Reed Guarnero
Donna M axey
Commissioner, City of Portland Human Rights
Roy Hunter Sampsel, Executive Director,
Institute for Tribal Government, PSU
Joe McFerrin II, President/CEO, Portland
Opportunities Industrialization Center (POIC)
June Arim a Schumann, Board co-ehair, Asian
Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO)
Jilma Meneses, Chief Diversity Officer,
Portland State University
Ty Schwoefferman, Health Equity Organizer,
Urban League of Portland
Sho Shigeoka
Emi Hanaw a
School Psychologist, Portland Public Schools
Levi Herrera-Lopez, Executive Director,
Mono a Mono Family Center
Portland African American Leadership Forum
Linda Hornbuckle, Community Health Special
ist, Multnomah County Health Department
Portland Japanese American Citizens League
Miki Hunnicut
Captain Kevin Modica
Portland Police Bureau, Youth Services Division
Portland State University
Rich Iwasaki
Portland Japanese American Citizens League
Alberto Moreno, Executive Director,
Oregon Latino Health Coalition-
Kay se Jama, Executive Director,
Center for Intercultural Organizing
M att Morton, Executive Director,
Native American Youth and Family Center
Dante James, Director, City of Portland Office
of Equity and Human Rights
Thaeh Nguyen, Asian Pocific American Net
work of Oregon (APANO)
Annabelle Jaramillo
Commissioner, Benton County
Melissa “ M im i” Nolledo
Chairperson, Eugene/Springfield Asian Council
Roy Jay, Executive Director,
Alliance of Minority Chambers
Pam Phan, Member, Asian Pacific American
Network of Oregon (APANO)
Roberto Jimenez, Executive Director,
Formworker Housing Development Corporation
Lolenzo T. Poe, Jr. Chief Equity and Diversity
Officer, Portland Public Schools
J.B. Kim, Assistant Dean, Diversity and
Academic Resources, Lewis & Clark Law School
Vera Poole
Multnomah County Sherrlff
Larry Kleinman, Secretary-Treasurer,
Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste
(PCUN) Oregon’s Farmworker Union
Midge Purcell, Director of Advocacy and
Public Policy, Urban League of Portlond
Urban League of Portland
(All other organizations listed for affiliation
purposes only.)
Donny Adair, President,
Donny Adair Consulting
Tina Adair, Membership Services
Representative, Kaiser Permanente
David Barrios
Native Community Member
Andrae I. Brown
Associate Professor, Lewis & Clark College
Cyreena Boston Ashby
Portland African American Leadership Forum
Jo Ann (Bowman) Hardesty
Karol Collymore
Gerald Deloney
Se-ah-dom Edmo, Tribal & Diversity Outreach,
Lewis & Clark College
Paul Knauls
Community Leader
Susan Leedham, Co-president, Portland
Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
Antoinette Edwards, Director, City of
Portland’s Office of Youth Violence Prevention,
Co-Founder of PFLAG Portland Black Chapter
Thomas Le Ngo, Asian Pocific American
Network of Oregon (APANO)
Keith Edwards
International Business Representative, IBEW
Francisco Lopez
Executive Director, Causa Oregon
www.basicrights.org/ourfamilies
Guadalupe Quinn, Program Coordinator,
Immigrant Rights Advocacy Program (Amigos)
Rev. W illiam Sinkford
Senior Minister, First Unitarian Church
Commissioner Loretta Smith
District 2, Multnomah County
Channbunmorl (Chom) Sou, Asian Pacific
American Network of Oregon (APANO)
Lamar Tillman, Outreach Coordinator,
Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette
Tricia Tillman, Administrator,
Office of Equity and Inclusion
Sheila Warren, President,
Portland Parent Union
Myrna-Yvonne Williams, Afrlcan American
AIDS Awareness Action Alliance (A6)
Ron Williams, Executive Director,
Oregon Action
Jean Yamamote, Co-president,
Portland Japanese American Citizens League
Anita Yap
Gauri Rajbaidya
Ramon Ramirez
Presidente, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del
Noroeste (PCUN) Oregon's Farmworker Union
Liani Reeves
General Counsel, Office of the Governor
Suk Rhee, Vice President, Planning &
Operations, Northwest Health Foundation
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Official latino & LGBfQ publications for BRO
O U r FAMILIES
A project of Basic Rights Oregon