News
Sin state: How bad habits become big revenue for Oregon
As Oregon adds marijuana to its list of taxable sins, Street Roots examines the financial impact of the state’s excise taxes, also known as “sin taxes.” How much revenue do sin taxes generate for the state and what do the taxed sins ultimately cost residents? While sin taxes are, in part, used to fund programs…
2,000 feet below the surface
The San Jose copper mine in the Atacama Desert of central Chile was founded in 1889. It is a testament to owner neglect. The 121 years of mining have left the mountain honeycombed. The unusually high pay induces miners to travel up to 36 hours to get to their seven-day shift. Deep underground they endure…
Washington, D.C. makes space for the Portland Loo
Dirty. Creepy. Hard to find when you need them. That’s how Jennifer McLaughlin describes some of the public bathrooms she’s used over the years. McLaughlin, a member of the People For Fairness Coalition (PFFC) in Washington, D.C., sits with a small band of advocates in a public cafeteria each week, discussing accomplishments and steps needed…
Melissa Lowery on the impact of her movie, “Black Girl in Suburbia”
In 2010, Melissa Lowery set out to create a film — her first feature-length film — that could serve as a guidebook for her two daughters. Her documentary, “Black Girl in Suburbia,” shares the experiences of race and identity of black girls growing up in mostly white communities. Oregon, it seemed, was the ideal place…
Lessons in meritocracy: Civil rights attorney Lani Guinier on the failure of higher education
Americans are a competitive lot, and that can have its advantages, but not necessarily when it comes to educating a generation that will need to collaborate in order to solve our intractable problems. That’s the perspective of civil rights attorney and Harvard professor Lani Guinier, whose new book takes issue with the higher education system’s…
Opinion
Facing a new opportunity for affordable housing
Those who envision an Oregon where every person has opportunity that comes with a safe, decent, affordable home are fortunate to live in 2015. The moment is pregnant with opportunity. Every day, more and more conversations are popping up about homelessness and affordable homes. There’s an energy you can feel waiting to be directed. It…
What will it take to end homelessness?
Portland, like many cities throughout the United States, finds itself at a crossroads. How do we collectively tackle the housing crisis and begin to really put the resources needed into ending homelessness? Anna Griffin’s series on homelessness in The Oregonian has provided the region with a broader perspective on the issue. People around the city,…
Vendor Profiles
Vendor profile: Charles and Aileen
Chances are, if you’ve been out to St. Johns on the weekends, you’ve run into Aileen or Charles at their selling spots two blocks apart on North Lombard. Whether it’s a soggy Saturday farmers’ market or a lazy, sunny Sunday, you’ll be greeted by the warmth and positivity of these two vendors. And of course…
