April 24, 2019
Page 3
INSIDE L O C A L N E W S
The
Week in Review
C ALENDAR
page 2
page 6
page 9
M ETRO
Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty signs a ‘No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge.’
Earth Day Pledge
Commissioner
challenges fossil
fuel industry
One day after protesters in
Portland planted a “Victory Gar-
den” along Northwest Front Ave-
nue and partially blocked a train
track to protest Alberta tar sands
oil shipments to Portland’s Zenith
Energy terminal, Portland City
Commissioner Jo Ann Hardes-
ty issued a challenge to advance
the environmental concerns about
pages 8-11
Arts &
ENTERTAINMENT
pollution from fossil fuels.
Hardesy says she will not
knowingly accept any future cam-
paign contribution of over $200
from Political Action Committees
or front groups of fossil fuel com-
panies amidst the climate protests
and calls for action locally and in-
ternationally. In addition, she says
she will not take any money from
these groups, according to her
statement, issued on Earth Day.
“We need a city where every
voice matters. Where our democ-
racy works for everyone and our
government listens to all of us.
Fossil fuel money corrupts that
and elevates the voices of dirty
energy at the expense of people’s
health, the climate, and our de-
mocracy, something I will always
reject,” Hardesty said.
Hardesty previously champi-
oned the Portland Clean Energy
Fund, a city ballot measure that
voters passed last fall that is an-
ticipated to bring in $54 million
to $71 million in new revenue
aimed at generating green jobs
and environmental home im-
provements.
She also spoke with youth at
the Youth Climate Protest in front
of City Hall last month and more
recently supported earlier protests
at the Zenith Oil terminal.
Worker Wins Discrimination Case
O PINION
C LASSIFIEDS
pages 12-13
pages 14
Multnomah County is set to
pay $100,000 to a former black
employee who filed suit against
the county, alleging a work place
that failed to foster a racially sen-
sitive environment.
Karimah Guion-Pledguir said
she suffered health problems and
debilitating stress after a co-work-
er pinned up a “Blue Lives Mat-
ter” flag on the wall of the parole
and probation office, a move she
claimed was to “demean and den-
igrate” the Black Lives Matter
movement. County officials retal-
iated against her when she spoke
up about it, she said.
Though Karimah Guion-Pled-
gure and other black co-workers
complained about the flag, super-
visors did not require it to be re-
moved, the suit said. Supervisors
later told Guion-Pledgue to take
down an “equity wall” she put
up more than six months later,
which displayed photos of people
of color killed by officers, the suit
said.
“Thanks a lot” and “bitch” read
two sticky notes that were found
placed on her equity wall, among
other forms of harassment from
coworkers, the lawsuit said.
As part of the terms of the set-
tlement, Guion-Pledgure resigned
from her position last week as a
Department of Community Justice
corrections technician, a position
she held since 2011. She will be
allowed to re-apply for a job with
the county, however, under terms
of the agreement approved Thurs-
day by Multnomah County Com-
missioners.
Guion-Pledgure
originally
asked for $420,000 in the lawsuit
filed in Multnomah County Cir-
cuit Court in January.