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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 19, 2020)
August 19, 2020 Page 9 Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com. O PINION C LASSIFIEDS /B IDS REQUEST FOR BIDS 2020-06 Invitation to Bid for Engine Related Parts for Cummins Engines (Readvertisement) Clark County Public Transportation Benefit Area (dba C-TRAN) has issued an Invitation to Bid (ITB) for Engine Related Parts for Cummins Engines. This ITB may be found at https://www.c-tran. com/about-c-tran/business/procurement/bid-and-proposal- opportunities. Bids will be accepted until 11:00 a.m. on August 31, 2020. REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS One-Stop Operator Worksystems is seeking qualified and experienced organizations or individuals to serve as the Operator for the WorkSource Portland Metro one-stop system. The RFP will be posted on Worksystems’ website at www.worksystems.org. Proposals are due no later than noon, September 18, 2020. Worksystems is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. To place a free relay call in Oregon dial 711. I Was Tear Gassed and Not Just By Feds Police departments over-militarized at local level, too r obert P. a lVarez The smell of tear gas is hard to describe, but it’s horrifying. It pinched my nose from the inside, burning deep in my nasal cavity. My throat slammed shut as my body tried to block out the fumes. My eyes burned, oozed tears, and clamped closed. “I can’t see,” my fian- cé screamed in panic. “I can’t breathe,” I yelled back. Men with weapons and armor charged for- ward, protected by qualified im- munity and licensed to kill us on a whim. It was my birthday, July 21, and we were participating in a nonvi- olent Black Lives Matter protest in Portland. Just as the nation had begun to grapple with what should be done about police vi- olence, President Donald Trump unleashed federal agents on the place I call home. The agents, summoned from special Customs and Border Pro- tection units, the U.S. Marshall Service, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, have been snatching protesters off the streets and throwing them into unmarked vehicles without any charges. by And when they’re not tear gassing our moms, they’re cracking our skulls with so-called “less-lethal” munitions. Federal overreach is definitely part of this sto- ry — rest assured, I want those camouflaged troops out of Portland and every other city. But the truth is, local Portland police were brutalizing and tear gassing people long before the first federal boot hit the pavement. It’s been the same story across the country, as police at all levels have responded to protests against police brutality with alarming vio- lence. Now, more cities are brac- ing themselves for an influx of federal agents eager to coordinate with local police. This epidemic of violence is why activists have been chanting to “defund” and “demilitarize” the police. What might that mean? For starters, the Poor People’s Campaign and other movements have put forth a demand for city governments and state legislatures to ban participation in the infa- mous 1033 program, which allows the Department of Defense to give excess military-grade equipment to local authorities for free. If you give police high-caliber guns, armored vehicles, flash bang grenades, bullet-proof vests, and other equipment designed for war- fare, you shouldn’t be surprised when they treat those they are sup- posed to protect like enemy com- batants, and recreate warzones from abroad right here on American soil. If it wasn’t apparent before, there is no denying it now: Weap- ons of war should not be available to local police departments. Ending the 1033 program isn’t a catchall for addressing police brutality and excessive use of force. Many other communities are pushing broader funding cuts to police departments, reinvesting in human needs, and in some cases questioning the need for modern policing altogether. Nevertheless, ending 1033 would be a colossal step in the right direction, and would indis- putably save lives. All unwarrant- ed equipment provided to police departments through the 1033 program should be returned to the Department of Defense, and the program must come to an end. Robert P. Alvarez is a media relations associate at the Insti- tute for Policy Studies. He lives in Portland. Lead Loan Coordinator (Housing Program Coordinator) Job Title: 2020-00424 Job Placement Ad Lead Loan Coordinator (Housing Program Coordinator) Closing Date/Time: Monday 9/7/20 11:59 PM Salary: $35.77 - $47.42 Hourly Job Type: Regular Location: 421 SW 6th Ave Suite 500, Portland, Oregon Bureau: Portland Housing The City of Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) is seeking a Program Coordinator/Lead Loan Coordinator (LLC). Since 2009, the Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) has worked toward a vision that “all Portlanders can find affordable homes...and have equitable access to housing.” The Lead Loan Coordinator (LLC) is part of PHB’s Housing Investment and Portfolio Preservation (HIPP) team, which encompasses homeownership and rental housing, to achieve the goal of increasing and preserving the number of housing units affordable to low and moderate-income households. The HIPP team implements the City’s affordable, multifamily housing strategy and the deployment of its resources by providing financing and development support to developers through public-private partnerships. For more information, please visit our website: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/phb/26428 Capital Project Manager II Job Title: 2020-00408 Job Placement Ad Capital Project Manager II - Housing Closing Date/Time: Monday 8/24/20 11:59 PM Salary: $65,811 - $109,491 Annually Job Type: Regular Location: 421 SW 6th Ave Suite 500, Portland, Oregon Bureau: Portland Housing The City of Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) is seeking a Capital Project Manager II (CPM). Since 2009, the Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) has worked toward a vision that “all Portlanders can find affordable homes...and have equitable access to housing.” The Capital Projects Manager (CPM) is part of PHB’s Housing Investment and Portfolio Preservation (HIPP) team, which encompasses PHB-owned real estate assets, homeownership and rental housing, to achieve the goal of increasing and preserving the number of housing units affordable to low and moderate- income households. For more information or to apply for the job, please visit our website: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/portlandor/ jobs/2828362/capital-project-manager-ii-housing