June 1, 2016 The Skanner Page 3
News
cont’d from pg 1
“
This opportunity is part
of an approach that many
Portlanders have cried for,
marched for, prayed for and
demanded
Bureau. This opportuni-
ty for the general public
to have input has not
been there in this way
before. Time for folks to
put their cynicism aside
and get involved so that
the same old voices aren’t
informing policies that
afect communities they
don’t represent,” Saadat
said in a written state-
ment to The Skanner
News.
“This opportunity is
part of an approach that
many Portlanders have
cried for, marched for,
prayed for and demand-
ed. Now that the oppor-
tunity is here, time to use
it.”
She submitted the fol-
lowing message as a PDF
attached to a list of undis-
closed recipients Tues-
day morning.
“May 31, 2016
“Colleagues
“Efective June 24, 2016,
Protest
the Portland COAB to go
forward and reach the
highest of heights and be
the most amazingly won-
derful COAB there could
possibly be, because you
are the best and because,
as Senator Gordly said
last week, “the City needs
us”.
“The City will always
need thoughtful, com-
mitted, tenacious and
inspired folks to help it
grow into its ever expand-
ing potential. I believe in
the power of people and
I believe in the Portland
COAB’s ability to help
shape the future of polic-
ing in the City of Portland.
Thank you for the things
you do to make our City
better and for the past
year of working together.
“KEEP ON KEEPING ON
“Sincerely
“[handwritten
signa-
ture]”
cont’d from pg 3
addressed the crowd,
speaking of a Portland
that is slipping away —
a former working- and
creative-class city being
devoured by moneyed
interests.
Rose said the landlord
lobby has been actively
encouraging the crisis
and increasing their
proits.
Portland Tenants Unit-
“
I am stepping down as
Community Liaison and
Chair of the Communi-
ty Oversight Advisory
Board. This has been a
truly worthwhile time
for me. I know a lot more
about the world than I did
when I came into this po-
sition. Thank you for be-
ing my teachers.
“I of course want you,
how the housing disaster
is in their best interests,”
Rose said, referring to
the video. “The landlords
don’t want this problem
to go away, our pain is
their gain.”
To respond the MFNW
ACE event, where the
organization
awards
categories such as the
“Property Manager of
the Year” and the best
Bulldog Drumline Expo
The Garield High School Drumline does an exhibition performance during the 8th Bulldog Drumline Expo May 28 at Garield High School.
About 700 people attended the event to watch 11 middle school and high school Drumlines compete and 3 exhibition performances
at the largest drumline competition in the State. Glacier Peak High School took irst followed by Life Christian High School in 2nd and
Lincoln High School placing 3rd. Washington Middle School took irst in the middle school competition.
TriMet
cont’d from pg 1
ing to analyze how much it would
cost to provide reduced fares for
households at certain income lev-
els, and the potential costs of sub-
sidies ranging from a 25 percent
discount to a free fare.
Lopez told The Skanner News the
organization has been consider-
ing proposing a low-income fare
“
The organization has been consider-
ing proposing a low-income fare since
last year
since last year, but didn’t launch
a public campaign until early
2016. He also noted OPAL plans
to perform its own analysis of the
potential impact of a low-income
fare to present to TriMet’s board
by July.
Transit systems in both Seattle
and San Francisco already ofer
reduced fares for low-income
riders. According to Lopez, the
ORCA Lit program — which King
County Metro Transit instituted
last year — was initially estimat-
card to tell the crowd
when to give their “big-
gest fat-cat landlord
laugh” and the group
obliged.
The housing disaster is in their best inter-
ests. The landlords don’t want this prob-
lem to go away, our pain is their gain
ed had been circulating
a video from a Multifam-
ily NW breakfast event
in 2012. MFNW mem-
ber Maureen MacNabb
gave a 16-minute speech
where she joked about
the homeless and re-
ferred to tenants as chil-
dren she has to manage.
“One of the representa-
tives from Multifamily
Northwest … talks about
“Property of the Year,”
the PTU held their own
mock awards.
The
tenant
group
gave out awards for the
“Biggest Rent Increase,”
“Most Dramatic No-
Cause Eviction” and “Cri-
sis Proiteer of the Year.”
The tone of the mock
event was pointed and
satirical.
Black held up a cue
ed to cost $20 million in lost rev-
enue but has so far actual costs
have been under budget. ORCA
Lit riders pay $1.50 per ride,
where regular adult passengers
pay anywhere from $2.25 to $3
depending on the time they ride
and number of zones they visit.
To qualify, a rider in a one-person
The laughs stopped
when they presented the
award for the most dra-
matic no-cause eviction.
That award was giv-
en to the Oswego Pointe
apartments.
In late April, tenant
Gregory Zagel was facing
a no-cause eviction from
the apartment complex
where he had lived for
the last 14 years. When
household must make $23,760 or
less.
TriMet currently ofers fare as-
sistance and fare relief programs
to qualifying non-proit organi-
zations that serve low-income
people. Seniors and people with
disabilities – who are dispropor-
tionately likely to live in poverty,
whether they work or not -- can
also qualify for reduced fares
through TriMet’s honored citi-
zens program. The agency was
not able to provide the number
the Lake Oswego police
arrived to arrest Zagel,
he barricaded himself in
his apartment and com-
mitted suicide.
The
demonstration
then moved to confront
the MFNW gala.
They walked back and
forth in front of the par-
ty, shouting slogans such
as “We are unstoppable,
rent control is possible”
and “Multifamily, you
can’t hide. We can see
your greedy side.”
Tensions lared as
the guests tried to push
through the throngs of
demonstrators.
Security guards held
the line between the two
parties.
Some protestors were
content to shout slogans
of people served by its fare assis-
tance programs, or the estimated
number of regular passengers
who live on lower incomes, in
time for The Skanner’s deadline.
Lopez said Portland’s housing
crisis — which is pushing low-
er-income residents, including
transit-dependent residents —
further and further from their
workplaces was a major catalyst
for the low-income fare cam-
paign. Increases in housing costs
across the metro area have im-
pacted poorer residents’ ability to
manage other expenses.
“We have folks who are spend-
ing $5 per day because they can’t
aford to buy a monthly pass up-
front, so they oten spend more
than $100 per month [the cost of
a monthly TriMet pass] on public
transit,” Lopez said. “Oten they
are transit dependent.”
Bus Riders United will also hold
a community forum from 6 to 8
p.m. this Friday at the JAM’s APA-
NO Space 8114 SE Division St. to
discuss the fare.
PHOTO BY ARASHI YOUNG
the COCL team, though
there are other support
staf based in Portland.
“The existence of this
Board provides Portland
residents an opportunity
to help shape reform of
the PPB by sharing with
the COAB ideas on im-
proving the relationship
between the community
and the Portland Police
PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED
Saadat
Portland Tenants United demonstrators held their own mock “award
ceremony” last week outside an awards ceremony for property
managers.
while walking up and
down the block.
Other protestors yelled
at the partygoers.
Assistant
Attorney
General for the Oregon
Department of Justice
(and former mayoral
candidate) David Schor
was among the demon-
strators marching.
Read the rest of this story at
TheSkanner.com
