I just received this email update:
ROSE CDC Executive Director, Nick Sauvie shares the story and says it best:
"At 12:30 pm today [June 19th], prior to entering a meeting with Mayor Adams, I learned that Mr. Paulson had withdrawn his proposal to use urban renewal funds to build a minor league baseball stadium in Lents Park. The reason cited was non-support from the neighborhood. According to OPB, Commissioner [Randy] Leonard has withdrawn his support for MLS soccer in Portland and [Merritt] Paulson is not interested in alternative sites in Lents, [or] less reliance on Lents urban renewal funds. Thanks to everyone who worked so diligently on this campaign including allies at the Oregon Opportunity Network, Community Alliance of Tenants, Coalition for a Livable Future, League of Women Voters and the awesome Friends of Lents Park.
"I know that the many people who supported the stadium in Lents Park sincerely believed that the proposal would have been good for the neighborhood and are disappointed by this result. Hopefully everyone can move ahead from here toward our shared goals of building an even stronger community." And here is the rest of it.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Legislation explained
I can't believe I haven't posted in over a month. I've been busy getting ready to graduate and with planning for the Pride festival (June 13-14!) but this was worth sharing.
I absolutely love it when law-makers actually take the time to explain in detail (but not mired in legalese) the impact of legislation that gets passed. Michael Dembrow is outstanding at this.
From his most recent newsletter:
HB 2578, the predatory towing bill that I sponsored with Rep. Chuck Riley, unanimously passed the Senate today. The bill requires a tower to contact a property owner or tenant before towing and allows the vehicle owner to move their vehicle without fees beyond the initial hookup. The bill also requires that parking rules be clearly posted by a landlord.
Patrol towing generally involves an agreement between a property owner and tower to allow any unauthorized vehicle on the property to be towed without notice. HB 2578 prohibits this practice except for in cases where public safety or access is compromised. The bill would also require a tower to take photographic evidence of a parking infraction before towing a vehicle. There was a minor amendment on the Senate side, so the bill will come back to us in the House for a concurrence vote, and then on to the Governor.
Hearing Revenue Bills
Last week I reported on the Co-Chairs’ proposed budget, involves $2 billion in very difficult cuts. It’s a very daunting prospect, very tough work. But it will be even worse if we cannot find ways to add new revenue to the budget; the budget assumes that we will be able to raise $800 million through increases in individual and corporate taxes. Our office has received emails and letters opposing any increases in the upper tax brackets, but many more in support of asking wealthier Oregonians to help us get through these difficult times.
I want to clarify one thing about the individual income tax. We are currently looking at an increase of just under 2% (above the current 9%) for those with household incomes above $250,000. Some have been misinforming the public and saying that all their taxable income will be taxed at this higher rate. That’s not true. The additional 2% is ONLY on the income above $250,000. So, for a family with a $260,000 income, they would only see their taxes increased on the additional $10,000 in income. And here is the rest of it.
I absolutely love it when law-makers actually take the time to explain in detail (but not mired in legalese) the impact of legislation that gets passed. Michael Dembrow is outstanding at this.
From his most recent newsletter:
HB 2578, the predatory towing bill that I sponsored with Rep. Chuck Riley, unanimously passed the Senate today. The bill requires a tower to contact a property owner or tenant before towing and allows the vehicle owner to move their vehicle without fees beyond the initial hookup. The bill also requires that parking rules be clearly posted by a landlord.
Patrol towing generally involves an agreement between a property owner and tower to allow any unauthorized vehicle on the property to be towed without notice. HB 2578 prohibits this practice except for in cases where public safety or access is compromised. The bill would also require a tower to take photographic evidence of a parking infraction before towing a vehicle. There was a minor amendment on the Senate side, so the bill will come back to us in the House for a concurrence vote, and then on to the Governor.
Hearing Revenue Bills
Last week I reported on the Co-Chairs’ proposed budget, involves $2 billion in very difficult cuts. It’s a very daunting prospect, very tough work. But it will be even worse if we cannot find ways to add new revenue to the budget; the budget assumes that we will be able to raise $800 million through increases in individual and corporate taxes. Our office has received emails and letters opposing any increases in the upper tax brackets, but many more in support of asking wealthier Oregonians to help us get through these difficult times.
I want to clarify one thing about the individual income tax. We are currently looking at an increase of just under 2% (above the current 9%) for those with household incomes above $250,000. Some have been misinforming the public and saying that all their taxable income will be taxed at this higher rate. That’s not true. The additional 2% is ONLY on the income above $250,000. So, for a family with a $260,000 income, they would only see their taxes increased on the additional $10,000 in income. And here is the rest of it.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Connecting Schools to Family and the Community
Message from PCC Cascade's campus president:
Cascade Campus and Portland Public Schools will hold a joint event, Connecting Schools to Family and the Community—A Discussion with Karen Mapp, on May 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., MAHB 104 (lunch will be provided). The first 50 registrants for this event will receive a free copy of one of Dr. Mapp’s books, Beyond the Bake Sale. Dr. Mapp is a lecturer with Harvard School of Graduate Education.
The official flier and RSVP information is linked below.
http://www.pcc.edu/about/locations/cascade/documents/Karen-Mapp-PCC-Flyer.pdf
http://www.pcc.edu/about/locations/cascade/documents/Karen-Mapp-All-Informational.pdf
This is a free event!
Hope you can join us.
Thanks,
Algie… And here is the rest of it.
Cascade Campus and Portland Public Schools will hold a joint event, Connecting Schools to Family and the Community—A Discussion with Karen Mapp, on May 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., MAHB 104 (lunch will be provided). The first 50 registrants for this event will receive a free copy of one of Dr. Mapp’s books, Beyond the Bake Sale. Dr. Mapp is a lecturer with Harvard School of Graduate Education.
The official flier and RSVP information is linked below.
http://www.pcc.edu/about/locations/cascade/documents/Karen-Mapp-PCC-Flyer.pdf
http://www.pcc.edu/about/locations/cascade/documents/Karen-Mapp-All-Informational.pdf
This is a free event!
Hope you can join us.
Thanks,
Algie… And here is the rest of it.
Pride NW Letter to Community
This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. With that in mind, Pride NW wants to give tribute to the past and present accomplishments of our global community in relation to civil rights. Additionally, the past year has been one of highs and lows for the LGBTQ community. Both locally (with the division amongst our community about mayor Sam Adams), and on a National level (with anti-same sex marriage Proposition 8 in California and similar measures in other states) we have seen visible division. These facts, in combination with Pride Northwest's continued efforts to reach out to the many facets of our diverse community by building community partnerships over the last few years with, including but not limited to; Portland Latino Gay Pride, Black Pride (put on by The Unity Project), Basic Rights Oregon, the Portland Area Business Association, the Q Center, SHARE, the Sexual Minorities Youth Resource Center, Our House of Portland, and many others, has led us to choose this year's theme, "United We Stand."
The process for choosing this theme was extensive. Pride Northwest Inc. asked for community input via our website, word-of-mouth, advertising in Just Out magazine, a press release, and lengthy discussion amongst our board members. In addition to this process, Pride Northwest Inc. board members checked in with other west coast Pride celebrations to see what their themes were this year. It seemed that everyone was trying to create a comprehensive message of unity. Pride Northwest Inc. is not exempt from this effort. Especially considering that, in the past, we fully acknowledge that this nonprofit organization has not always been proactively inclusive or successfully built bridges within all areas of our community as is our responsibility. This sad fact has left deep wounds in some facets of our lives and Pride Northwest Inc. is dedicated to doing as good a job as possible in repairing past shortcomings and in new ways to be the best we can be. We serve this community and that is our only function.
We cannot do this alone. We are not perfect. We need community input, direction, guidance, and checks and balances to help us all do our best. We always invite positive new energy on our board and within our organization and constructive criticism from the community whose diversity is our soul. We thank you for caring about the Portland Pride celebration and ask you all to stand united with us to make our world a better place.
For us, Pride Northwest is a work in progress and we are completely committed to working toward that vision of inclusion and representation that the community looks for and expects from us.
This year's festival is the weekend of June 13-14, with the parade on Sunday the 14th. More details at pridenw.org
And here is the rest of it.
The process for choosing this theme was extensive. Pride Northwest Inc. asked for community input via our website, word-of-mouth, advertising in Just Out magazine, a press release, and lengthy discussion amongst our board members. In addition to this process, Pride Northwest Inc. board members checked in with other west coast Pride celebrations to see what their themes were this year. It seemed that everyone was trying to create a comprehensive message of unity. Pride Northwest Inc. is not exempt from this effort. Especially considering that, in the past, we fully acknowledge that this nonprofit organization has not always been proactively inclusive or successfully built bridges within all areas of our community as is our responsibility. This sad fact has left deep wounds in some facets of our lives and Pride Northwest Inc. is dedicated to doing as good a job as possible in repairing past shortcomings and in new ways to be the best we can be. We serve this community and that is our only function.
We cannot do this alone. We are not perfect. We need community input, direction, guidance, and checks and balances to help us all do our best. We always invite positive new energy on our board and within our organization and constructive criticism from the community whose diversity is our soul. We thank you for caring about the Portland Pride celebration and ask you all to stand united with us to make our world a better place.
For us, Pride Northwest is a work in progress and we are completely committed to working toward that vision of inclusion and representation that the community looks for and expects from us.
This year's festival is the weekend of June 13-14, with the parade on Sunday the 14th. More details at pridenw.org
And here is the rest of it.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Tuition Equity in Oregon
This is one of those issues that drives me nuts because of the misinformation and outright untruths that gets spewed from the woodwork.
Very specifically, Tuition Equity (HB 2939) does the following:
Tuition Equity is a policy that would allow students to pay in-state tuition at Oregon University System institutions as long as they fulfill the following requirements:
1.They have attended an Oregon high school for three years prior to graduation
2.They have graduated from an Oregon high school
3.They have been admitted to an Oregon University institution
4.They are working towards residency
*How hard is it for people to understand this? One of the most common arguments I hear against this bill has to do with "they broke the law, (keeping in mind we are talking about children here) make them go the legal route like the rest of us." Well guess what? They ARE going the legal route (see #4 above) which, by the way, can take years (up to 10).
All of this, regardless of documentation status.
What it won’t do:
1. Change eligibility for state-based financial aid
Another argument that I hear that is completely without truth or logic, is that we are giving folks a "discount" and should make them pay the higher price. Well guess what? They aren't paying anything to BEGIN WITH, because they can't AFFORD it. We aren't losing tuition here, we are GAINING it. Any attempt to say otherwise is an untruth, period.
I realize that this is a passionate issue and that I am likely to see an increase in comment traffic. I would ask folks to refer to the few policies I adhere to for comments. If you plan to rant about brown people and the "damage" they allegedly cause, don't bother. Aside from the fact that I won't tolerate it, it just makes you look sad.
And here is the rest of it.
Very specifically, Tuition Equity (HB 2939) does the following:
Tuition Equity is a policy that would allow students to pay in-state tuition at Oregon University System institutions as long as they fulfill the following requirements:
1.They have attended an Oregon high school for three years prior to graduation
2.They have graduated from an Oregon high school
3.They have been admitted to an Oregon University institution
4.They are working towards residency
*How hard is it for people to understand this? One of the most common arguments I hear against this bill has to do with "they broke the law, (keeping in mind we are talking about children here) make them go the legal route like the rest of us." Well guess what? They ARE going the legal route (see #4 above) which, by the way, can take years (up to 10).
All of this, regardless of documentation status.
What it won’t do:
1. Change eligibility for state-based financial aid
Another argument that I hear that is completely without truth or logic, is that we are giving folks a "discount" and should make them pay the higher price. Well guess what? They aren't paying anything to BEGIN WITH, because they can't AFFORD it. We aren't losing tuition here, we are GAINING it. Any attempt to say otherwise is an untruth, period.
I realize that this is a passionate issue and that I am likely to see an increase in comment traffic. I would ask folks to refer to the few policies I adhere to for comments. If you plan to rant about brown people and the "damage" they allegedly cause, don't bother. Aside from the fact that I won't tolerate it, it just makes you look sad.
And here is the rest of it.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Paid Family Leave in Oregon, SB 966
This seems like a no-brainer to me. We consistently complain about lack of family structure and investment in our children and yet we don't take steps to provide even the most basic and crucial time for care of those families. You can't have it both ways. How many reports need to be done and how many personal stories need to be heard and how many scenes of desperation do we need to witness before we actually GET that Paid Family Leave is in all of our best interests as a society? Now I know that people think this is "coddling" workers who should be glad to have the scraps thrown at them as it is. But you know what? Every single one of us is going to face the need for time off at some point in our lives, whether through having children or to give back some time to that parent that gave so much to us to begin with. And for anyone to label that coddling or over the top or unnecessary? Those who do that have forgotten or are ignoring the sacrifices and effort that has gone before them, getting them to where they are. They have forgotten or are ignoring the fact that we don't live in, nor do we want (unless you have decided to denounce that you are human to begin with), an "everyone for themselves" society. They have forgotten the United We Stand implicit in the E Pluribus Unum part of this country's creed and motto. And here is the rest of it.
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