opinion
Saltzman: Why Single Out Equity?
“Challenging people to Shape
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R
I
e: Saltzman Has Stern
Words for New Equity
Office: ‘I'll Be Watching
Very Closely.’
’m pleased, in fact, excited
really, that our long-serving
City Commissioner Saltzman,
has now declared that he’s going
to ‘watch very closely’ the expen-
ditures from city coffers. It’s about
time, and too bad, only occurred
on Sept. 21, at the Portland City
Council’s historic vote on equity.
I direct a social justice founda-
tion that has been watching and
supporting Oregonians working at
the grassroots level, that move
community justice issues to the
forefront, that develop and
enhance the youth
and adult leadership
in communities of
color; that work for
racial and economic
justice, promoting
environmental
health, and seeking
peace, not war. As a
result,
MRG
Foundation
has
awarded $12 million
in funding over 35
years, so we know a
lot about watching
and listening; that’s
how we all learn from the people
and communities that are speak-
ing. So, my concern when I heard
Commissioner Saltzman suddenly
remind us that he’s watching was,
what had he been doing the other
times?
My problem wasn’t as much
with his stern facade and state-
ments, although I, too, found it
interestingly-timed, and conde-
scending. No, I was struck by the
fact that he’d apparently just
arrived at this position of watch-
fulness. If watching closely and
g uESt C olumN
Sharon Gary-Smith
expecting results is his mantra,
what happened to that attention,
while listening to the request for
tens of millions of dollars for a
new, world class Sustainability
Center? That’s the presentation
that proceeded — and ran one-half
hour overtime into the time-cer-
tain OEHR vote.
Perhaps he was lulled because
that presentation - and presenters -
looked so familiar; primarily
European men in suits, including
PSU’s President; and an Intel
I was interested at his
challenging tones, the
rebuke he chose to
center on proponents of
the Office of Equity &
Human Relations
executive, a PCC woman adminis-
trator, among others. They were
big on rhetoric and ‘hopefulness’
about how their proposed
Sustainability Center would pro-
mote ‘social equity’ and ‘accessi-
bility.’ They had aspirations of
higher diversity numbers among
vendors and contractors than have
been achieved; they were not so
clear when pressed to explain how
the city’s 50 percent contribution
would only yield 25 percent own-
ership.
They were not so surprising in
their lack of specifics about that;
or when they offered only poten-
tial scenarios about how those
high square footage costs would
attract diverse ‘space owners’ or
increased City ownership over 30
years. Hmm, Commissioner, now
developers, and to professional
sports, would be called to consider
all of us. Maybe Saltzman wasn’t
aware that a city that’s repeatedly
overspent on expensive private
ventures -- including an expensive
What happened to that attention
while listening to the request for tens
of millions of dollars for a new, world
class Sustainability Center?
that appears to be a place for
watchfulness. Even when his col-
league, Commissioner Nick Fish,
raised questions about the projects
potential for intergenerational debt
and the possibility of 30 years of
not knowing whether the payoff
would be as sweet as the sell,
Saltzman merely smiled in his
familiar way.
So, I was interested at his chal-
lenging tones, the rebuke he chose
to center on proponents of the
Office of Equity & Human
Relations, including his colleagues
on the Council. Perhaps he hadn’t
imagined that many Portlanders
believed it was time that a city that
has repeatedly danced to private
‘train’ from OHSU’s South
Waterfront up to Pill Hill -- could
be challenged to put $1 million
dollars (only one year guaranteed)
toward ensuring equity in all serv-
ices and departments.
Maybe he didn’t imagine there
was a real need to centralize
processes, procedures and prac-
tices, and pay attention to ensuring
the development, management,
monitoring and measurement of
openness, accessibility, equity and
opportunity for all, not just the tra-
ditional beneficiaries. My momma
used to remind us that ‘when you
point a finger at others, you’re
pointing three at yourself.’ We’re
all watching, Commissioner.
What do you think?
post your comment on articles in The
Skanner News at www.theskanner.com
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page 4 The Portland Skanner September 28, 2011