The Weekly Way (4/30/21)
The big issues: homelessness. diversity. economic recovery.
Editor’s Note:
This Weekly Way is dedicated to Ed Whitelaw, a professor to thousands, friend to hundreds, and singularly remarkable family man and Oregonian.
Please read John Tapogna’s tribute to Ed, who recently passed away.
Love you, Ed.
Kevin
To do:
Tell three friends about The Oregon Way.
More than 700 Oregonians are a part of this community — let’s welcome even more!
Nominate a contributor.
Send their name and why you’d like them to join The Oregon Way team to Kevin (kfraz@berkeley.edu).
Donate $20 today to Sustain the Way.
30 Oregonians have already contributed more than $1,210 total — join them!
To ponder: Most Oregonians Identify as “Middle Class”
To read:
A guilty verdict in the Chauvin trial is insufficient when it comes to making sure all Oregonians and Americans feel safe and welcomed in their community. Read more from Rukaiyah Adams.
Over time I hope to comprehend the growth and transformation that flowed from a global outpouring of love and grief for George Floyd. I hope to understand the unresolved shame and rage we have always carried—even though some are just now publicly acknowledging it. Perhaps then, I can find a way to compose an optimistic, insightful essay.
For now, though, as I ponder the path forward, the best that I can do is to be honest. To be open. To know that these platforms are for meaningful exchange between Oregonians—for real emotion, not just sanitized policy ideas. To reveal that I am gutted. But, to nonetheless believe that we are in it together. To be willing to give this American experiment another try. Again. And then again. Until we get it right.
As wildfire season looms, Silverton Mayor Kyle Palmer reflects on the obligation of each Oregonian to ready themselves and their community for the tough times ahead.
Governments at all levels and all sizes have a maximum possible response, and when a true disaster arrives, we have to acknowledge that it won’t be enough. That’s not a criticism—I couldn’t have been prouder of the way our city met both of our recent environmental challenges head on, but there’s just no possible way any size staff, budget, or infrastructure can cover all of the needs.
A collaborative approach that merges public resources with private volunteers and organizations is more capable of rising to the occasion. For example, in Silverton, I watched as citizen groups joined police in making daily welfare checks to areas heavy in senior living and to homes with citizens known to be at risk. Our largest community assistance agency opened its food bank to people in need far beyond their normal clients. Our homeless assistance organization coordinated generator distribution and hosted many housed residents at their own generator-warmed space.
Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam explores the importance of addressing homelessness as more and more Oregonians lack a stable place to call home.
Today, homelessness is a crisis that plagues every corner of our state. From my community of Sandy to Ontario to Coos Bay, from Portland to Ashland, just about every community in our state has a homeless problem. Ten years ago, 40 percent of the homeless lived downtown. Today, it’s only 20 percent. Many homeless individuals have left the downtowns for the outskirts, residential areas, and parks and natural areas.
The spread of homeless camps throughout the state has taken a toll on many of the natural wonders that Oregonians treasure. Earlier this month, I visited Sandy River Delta Park with Troutdale mayor Randy Lauer and Eric Fruits from Cascade Policy Institute. We were shocked at the devastation after only a few minutes of walking the trails of Thousand Acres.
Now’s the time to give one another grace and forgiveness. Read more about Ginger L. Savage’s COVID experience here.
I think we ought to be saying I am sorry more as Oregonians. There are a lot of mean-spirited words, deeds, and actions throughout everything in Oregon. Right now it just adds more pressure when none is needed. We are not our best selves right now and it shows. Take a good hard look in the mirror—did you yell at the checker or clerk? Have you been unkind or hurtful?
So for us to heal as a state and country, we need to start asking for forgiveness for unkind words and deeds. First step, recognize the times during the last year that we were rude or unkind. Second step, go apologize. Simple but meaningful. With this simple act of forgiveness we can forge a path to gratitude and healing of our communities.
Glendora Claybrooks challenges the lack of diversity in Oregon’s leadership class. Don’t miss her piece on why we need to work hard to make more Oregonians feel represented by those making key decisions.
Every Oregonian needs and deserves to see leaders that look like them. That goal is far from a reality today. We can and must do a better job of making the state’s leaders reflect the state’s people.
House Speaker Kotek and Senate President Courtney have a novel idea for distributing American Rescue Plan funds—empower each legislator to invest a share in their community. Kevin Frazier has some recommendations for that process:
When deciding how to select investments in their districts, legislators should lean on participatory budgeting—basically Shark Tank for community investments.
This isn’t a new idea. Several cities, such as San Francisco, have experimented with participatory budgeting. The Participatory Budgeting Project (PBP) defines this process as “a democratic process in which community members decide how to spend part of a public budget. It gives people real power over real money.” Oregon legislators should use this strategy to invest their allotment of the American Rescue Plan.
To watch:
Did you miss Civic Saturday? That’s OK - watch Cyreena Boston Ashby, Alexandria Goddard, and Kevin Frazier here:
To quote:
Through all this, did Oregonians raise their hands in surrender? Did we pitifully whine about our fate? Did we raise an incessant incantation of “It can't be done?” Did we watse our time looking for someone to blame? We did not. We faced our problems head on. We rolled up our sleeves. And, together, we went to work to make things better for our people and our state.
Gov. Vic Atiyeh, State of the State, 1987