News
Shock waves: Naomi Klein’s “This Changes Everything,” gets at the root of climate change politics
Earlier this year the CEO of the world’s largest oil and gas company joined an anti-fracking lawsuit because of plans to erect a 160-foot water tower near his Texas home. Rex Tillerson of Exxon complained that the value of his property would be harmed. This is the sort of exquisitely painful ironic detail to be…
Scars of war: Canadian rocker Bryan Adams and his new book, “Wounded: The Legacy of War”
I was driven to do this as I was firmly against the war in Iraq and didn’t see the point in kicking the hornets’ nest. When I started to see people coming back without their limbs, I felt compelled to say something. It wasn’t enough just to march in protest. The politicians weren’t listening to…
Pressing the issue: Art Hazelwood’s imagery and action on the homeless front
For decades, Art Hazelwood has used his sinister style of art as a means of educating society about complex social issues by way of posters and books. His often dark and nefarious-looking images frequently attack powerful figures that he believes are directly contributing to poverty. The 52-year-old San Franciscan creates the majority of his screen…
Governor Kitzhaber proposes $100 million for affordable housing in new budget
Governor John Kitzhaber’s newly proposed budget includes an unprecedented investment of $100 million to increase housing for homeless families with children – a hefty investment when compared with a similarly funded investment of only $7.5 million during the last budget cycle. “Oregon cannot meet any of its long-term health or education goals when children are…
Veterans for Peace viewing marks Christmas Truce centenary
This holiday season marks the 100-year anniversary of one of the most remarkable moments in history: The 1914 Christmas Truce – when World War I soldiers battling on the Western Front laid down arms during the days leading up to Christmas. Gifts and cigarettes were exchanged across enemy lines, friendly soccer matches were played, and…
Opinion
Walking beat a positive impact on the streets
In a time when many urban environments are becoming more draconian in their approach to banning people experiencing homelessness from public spaces, Portland may be on the verge of bucking that trend. This summer, the Portland Police Bureau put 10 police officers on the streets in downtown Portland and along Hawthorne Boulevard with the idea…
Can 31 cents per hour change the world?
There has been a lot of discussion about income inequality in our country lately — we are living in a time when wealth is concentrated among the richest Americans, and the gap between the richest and everyone else is the widest it’s been since the 1920’s. People work hard, often at multiple jobs, and still…
Don’t be helpless. Exercise your free speech and give
Autumn has always affected me the same way. This time of year and its fading light draw me into a reflective mood — let’s say an even more reflective mood. I think quite a lot about my family, my friends, what has been good in the year and what I could have wished different. I…
Portland needs a centralized storage facility for camp sweeps
For nearly a year, Street Roots has been advocating for a more centralized location for homeless campers who have their possessions confiscated during camp sweeps. A recent article in the Portland Mercury outlines just how ridiculous the entire situation has actually become. Not only is the facility located in outer Southwest, away from the city’s…
Vendor Profiles
Best friends, through thick and thin
Danielle Johnstone and Charles Mitchell sell Street Roots the same way they do everything else in their lives — together. “I wanted her to be able to do it with me,” Charles said. “I wanted for us to do it together.” The couple have been together since they met four years ago, and have gone…
