Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, August 19, 2020, Page 9, Image 9

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    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