The Weekly Way (4/9/21)
Changes to how we govern, respond to change and homelessness, and think about transportation.
To do:
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To watch:
Did you miss Civic Saturday? That’s OK - watch Cyreena Boston Ashby, Alexandria Goddard, and Kevin Frazier here:
To ponder: Democracy on a downturn?
To read:
Jessica Gomez reflects on her own experience with homelessness and offers a new model to address this pressing problem. Read more here.
Our solutions need to also consider the differences in these communities and among their members. Not all people struggling with chronic homelessness have the same challenges. Some are suffering from co-occurring disorders—where substance abuse combined with a mental health condition drives them to carry out property crimes or exhibit unpredictable behavior. Others may be stable enough to hold a job but need support to rebuild family relationships and work through childhood trauma before they are ready think about skill building and self-sufficiency. And then there are those who just need a stable place to live, while they get their driver’s license, social security card, and put together a resume.
Communities across the nation are struggling to find a solution that truly addresses homelessness. We need a new model. In fact, if we think just slightly out of the box, it is not hard to see that we already have a model that could be easily adapted for this purpose.
Jim Moore presses voters to realize their potential to stop gridlock.
Republicans and Democrats vote at much higher rates than any other voters. In 2020, 91.3% of Republicans and 90.9% of Democrats voted.
Of the six minor parties, turnouts ranged from 84.3% (Independents) to 59.1% (Working Families).
Unaffiliated voters came in at 64.8%.
What does all this suggest? To have the best democracy, we need all voters to register and cast ballots.
Charles Gallia reminds us that the participation of the people has fueled innovation in Oregon. He calls on current officials to keep that in mind when it comes to health care reform.
An ideologically-frozen media landscape is part of what is frustrating our state’s ability to tackle big issues. Oregon’s policy innovation has been in existence for over 100 years, going at least as far back as William U’Ren’s Oregon System, which fostered tremendous democratic participation via the initiative and referendum. But in recent years, I think our engine of innovation has stalled out.
For example, we had the potential to continue some significant healthcare reform, but the reality is we are stuck. I helped craft SB 770, which created the Task Force on Universal Health Care, and managed to pass in 2019, even with the walkouts of Senate Republicans. My hope was that it would re-open the doors to innovation. But unfortunately it was doomed from the beginning.
“Don’t Bend Baker” is a catchy slogan, but Loran Joseph thinks Baker City residents should focus more on what they want their community to become than what they want to avoid. Read more here.
I see the parallels between Baker and Bend; we have a ski resort and a brewery, a historic and charming downtown, and are surrounded by natural beauty. And I see the results that turn so many people off of following that path: congestion, an influx of outsiders, unaffordable home prices, and roundabouts. I don’t think there is anything that worries Baker City residents more than the thought of having a roundabout appear in their commute.
Is it time for a bullet train to connect Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, B.C.? Kevin Frazier makes the case for a big investment in this infrastructure.
Why, then, should we push for a bullet train in the Northwest?
First, there’s support from public and private stakeholders. At the federal level, the Biden Administration has made clear that a massive infrastructure package will be one of his main priorities.
At the state/province level, leaders of each jurisdiction have been receptive to the idea. The Premier of British Columbia John Horgan signaled support for the project—stating that "[i]mproving connectivity in the Pacific Northwest region through ultra high-speed rail presents enormous potential for job and economic growth on both sides of the border." Washington Governor Jay Inslee echoed those sentiments—asking us all to "[i]magine fast, frequent, and reliable travel with the potential for zero emissions and the opportunity to better compete in a global economy." Our own Governor Brown pointed out that "[t]his type of bold investment would help position our region for the future."
To quote:
I do not come bearing a party label on my sleeve - or a quick fix in my back pocket. I do not come with a rigid ideology in my heart - or a soul that tells me to go it alone. I do not come to uproot tradition - or to be imprisoned by it. But I do come with this promise: As long as the sun rises over Ontario and sets over the Pacific, I will dedicate myself to bringing the people of Oregon what they want and need the most - an era of hope, change, and economic renewal.
Governor Ted Kulongoski, 2003