JUNE 1, 2016
Portland and Seattle Volume XXXVIII No. 35
News ............................... 3, 6-8
Opinion ...................................2
Calendars ...............................4
A & E ........................................5
CHALLENGING PEOPLE TO SHAPE A BETTER FUTURE NOW
25
CENTS
INSIDE:
CAREERS
EDITION 2016
PHOTO BY MOBILUS IN MOBILI (CC BY 2.0) VIA FLICKR
TENANTS PROTEST
TriMet has hired a consulting irm to investigate the
cost and feasibility of charging a lower fare to low-
income riders.
By Christen McCurdy
Of The Skanner News
E
arlier this year Bus Riders Unite —
an advocacy group for transit-de-
pendent people linked with OPAL
Environmental Justice Oregon —
asked TriMet to consider adopting a
separate fare for low-income riders.
Now the agency has hired a consult-
ing irm to look into the feasibility and
cost efectiveness of charging some
riders less, if they meet certain income
criteria.
In May the Oregonian reported that
TriMet has hired Four Nines Consult-
See TRIMET on page 3
RushCard
Holders
Repaid
Russell Simmons takes
‘full responsibility’
page 7
Veterinarian Jasmine
Streeter Ofers Flea Tips
page 6
Portland Tenants United demonstrated last week outside an awards ceremony for Multifamily NW, at an event attended by property managers, landlords
and lobbyists.
Tenants’ Group Protests Award Ceremony
Housing activists hold satiric mock ‘award ceremony’ outside gala event
By Arashi Young
of The Skanner News
Two worlds collided
outside the Portland Art
Museum last Thursday
evening. On one side of a
golden velvet rope were
property managers, land-
lords and their lobbyists.
On the other side was Port-
land Tenants United.
The property managers
dressed in formal wear to
attend an exclusive, pri-
vate event — the Multifam-
ily NW ACE Awards.
The tenants’ union staged
a protest of the event and
hosted its own awards cer-
emony to bring attention
to Portland’s worsening
housing crisis.
Margot Black, the orga-
nizer behind the protest,
told The Skanner News the
demonstration was meant
to bring attention to those
who proit from high rents
and housing instability.
Multifamily NW was cho-
sen because they lobby
to ight bans on no-cause
evictions,
inclusionary
zoning and other regula-
tions intended to stabilize
Portland housing.
“This is a group who has
never had the spotlight
shined on them in terms
of their contribution to
the housing crisis — their
celebration of the housing
crisis,” Black said. “I think
it’s time that people know
who’s paying our lawmak-
ers and that they know
we’re watching.”
Since October of 2008,
the Multifamily NW Po-
litical Action Committee
and the Metro Multifam-
ily Housing Association
Political Action Commit-
tee have spent more than
$100,000 in political contri-
butions, according to the
Oregon Secretary of State
OreStar report.
The majority of these do-
nations are to Oregon state
legislators. House Speaker
Tina Kotek has received a
combined total of $9,500
from both PACs through
four separate donations.
Portland City Commis-
sioners Steve Novick, Nick
Fish and Dan Saltzman
have all received contribu-
tions from the PACs, as did
mayoral candidate Jules
Bailey and mayor-elect Ted
Wheeler.
The protest began in the
park blocks in front of the
Portland Art Museum.
Music was provided by Da-
vid Rokics, who sang out
the song lyric, “Who gave
you the right to be a land-
lord?” as protestors gath-
ered around the “Theodore
Roosevelt, Rough Rider”
bronze sculpture.
PTU activist Austin Rose
See PROTEST on page 3
Saadat Resigns as COCL/COAB Chair
Letter submitted Monday morning
By The Skanner News Staf
K
athleen Saadat announced
Tuesday that, efective at the
end of June, she is resigning
her position as community li-
aison and chair of the Community
Oversight Advisory Board.
The board is tasked with oversee-
ing police reforms required by the
Department of Justice’s settlement
with the City of Portland ater a DOJ
investigation found a pattern of ex-
cessive force deployed by Portland
police, particularly against people
with mental illness.
Saadat stepped into the role last
summer following the resignation
of retired Oregon chief justice Paul
De Muniz. Like De Muniz, Saadat
was the only key member of the
Compliance Oicer/Community Li-
aison team based in Oregon. Dennis
Rosenbaum and Amy Watson, two
researchers associated with the Uni-
versity of Illinois at Chicago, head up
See SAADAT on page 3
PHOTO BY K. KENDALL (CC BY 2.0) VIA WIKIPEDIA
Agency will investigate
the cost of reduced fares
for low-income people
PHOTO BY ARASHI YOUNG
TriMet
Looks Into
Lower Fare
Kathleen Saadat, pictured at an Occupy rally in
2011, has resigned from the body tasked with
overseeing police reforms mandated by a 2012
settlement with the Department of Justice.