Opinion
State should support innovative programs to house students
There were nearly 3,200 unaccompanied minor students in Oregon schools in the 2012-13 school year, according to the Department of Education. But those numbers only represent the children reported to the department by their school district’s homeless liaison. And like most figures associated with a population encouraged to hide, the actual number is expected to…
Let’s be real about the sacrifices, necessity in ending displacement
The recent announcement by the Portland Development Commission that Natural Grocers will be the new anchor tenant of the much-maligned and long vacant city-owned lot in Northeast Portland at the corner of Alberta Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard marks an important milestone in the city’s continued development of north and northeast Portland. This…
‘Why do women stay?’ is the wrong question to ask
As regular readers of our column know, Partnership for Safety and Justice works with survivors of crime, and others impacted by the criminal justice system, to advocate for policies that make Oregon’s public safety structure more effective and more just. To that end, one of our ongoing priorities has been to educate the public about…
Homeless plans come and go, but progress needs sustainability
The story of ending people’s homelessness in our community and around the country over the past 30 years is so dysfunctional it’s hard to explain to the general public what’s worked and what hasn’t worked. A little history might help. Between the years of 1979 and 1983 more $54 billion were cut from federal affordable…
Warrant Day? Perhaps the avalanche of reality the system needs
Everyone with a warrant or who thinks they might have a warrant should turn themselves in on Jan. 1. What would happen if everybody with a warrant turned themselves in on the same day? In one jurisdiction, if only 25, 50 or 100 people were willing to do it, the cracks in the system would…
News
Home Work: How some schools are creating innovative solutions for unaccompanied homeless students
Every day, the small boy wakes up behind the Safeway grocery store. He packs all of his belongings in a backpack, cleans up at a gym and heads off to school. His mother and her new boyfriend live in a van parked in front of the store. She doesn’t want her son in the van.…
Jensine Larsen and the heart of a universal pulse
Jensine Larsen, CEO and founder of World Pulse, will tell you that she is innately shy. And to listen to the soft timbre of her voice when she speaks, you might believe her. But listen for a minute. There is nothing shy about Jensine Larsen. In fact, she is a river of inspiration and information…
For the Record: Sept 26-Oct 9, 2014
-Number of Oregonians annually diagnosed with HIV: 280 -Percentage of Oregonians living with HIV/AIDS living in Multnomah County: 55 -Total number of weekly boarding passes for TriMet Buses and MAX in July 2014: 1,955,000 -Complaints against public officials filed with the Oregon Ethics Commission in 2014 to date: 75 -Number of registered lobbyists in Oregon:…
Coming soon to a uniform near you: body cameras
Law enforcement and police accountability advocates alike are warming to the idea of requiring officers to film their encounters with citizens – a trend that promises to profoundly change law enforcement. Proponents of the idea expect that equipping officers with cameras could bring an unprecedented level of transparency, fairness and accountability to police work. However,…
Finding hope in the youth of El Salvador: José Gomez’s vision of a better world
José Gomez was a teenager when the bloody Salvadoran civil war started in 1979 — a war that would last for 13 years, perpetuated by funds and weapons supplied by the U.S. government. Next month, Gomez will his own experiences to Portland where he will speak on immigration, politics and solidarity with El Salvador. Gomez…
