Blogtown, PDX

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Politics The Interstate Solution

Posted by Amy J. Ruiz on Tue, Oct 9 at 4:25 PM

As we reported last week, Randy Leonard had gathered support from Sam Adams and Erik Sten to back things up and start the Interstate rename process over—yes, a street would be renamed for César E. Chávez, but there needed to be an open public process to determine which street.

I’m waiting for calls back from both Sten and Leonard, but I’m hearing via Sten’s staff that he met with the committee this morning—and isn’t necessarily willing to tell the committee it’s Leonard’s way or the highway.

“Randy is excited and a man of action, and he thought he had a green light,” says Sten’s chief of staff, Jim Middaugh.

At Sten’s meeting with the committee this morning, he pitched the idea of finding a solution that would result in an eventual 5-0 vote on the council. What’s that solution? Anybody’s guess, and Sten wants a week to think it over. Some possibilities I can think of: Starting the process over and finding a new street, rethinking how they’re pitching it to North Portland neighbors (i.e., reframe the message in the hopes of gaining more support), or forming a blue ribbon committee to take over the issue.

“I think they were willing to consider it,” says Middaugh. “Our office today is talking with Sam and talking with Randy and the mayor to come up with something.”

That something, however, could be a straight up vote on renaming Interstate… and Sten might be the swing vote if it came to that.

***

Update! I just spoke with Sten, and checked back in with Leonard. The sky isn’t falling at city hall… here’s some clarification:

“I had told Randy last week that I’m definitely interested and open to starting the process over, but I wanted to meet with the committee first,” Sten says. “I’m searching for a middle ground.” That means he’s going to work with Leonard and Adams to craft a proposal to bring to the committee. If it’s a proposal they’re into, then voila!—solution. If not… then perhaps the mayor will bring the Interstate rename to a vote, and we’ll see what happens.

“I told the committee I think it would be in their and the city’s best interest to have a little more process,” Sten explains, adding that he asked them to “work with me and keep an open mind and look at it, and see whether we could come up with something that—if not what they wanted—is acceptable to them. As opposed to we’re just going to take a vote, or we’re starting over.”

Overall, however, Sten stresses that any additional process “should either affirm Interstate as the best street, or it should come up with a better one.”

Permalink

Comments

When is somebody going to tot up the hours of city hall staff time that's been spent on this, as a result of Potter providing inadequate support to the committee in the first place?

Posted by Matt Davis | October 9, 2007 3:34 PM

One aspect that both the Chavez committee and the City Council should consider is the huge negative fall out that will occur if Interstae Avenue is indeed renamed. Rather than bringing the various groups together, going ahead with renaming Interstate will result in permanent (OK, at least for a looooonnnnng time) backlash against the Latino community in North Portland. Every time a long-time resident drives down Chavez Blvd and sees the new street signs, they are going to think "I will never again offer assistance to the Latino community, who has rammed this change down our throats"

Posted by Concord Cat | October 9, 2007 9:12 PM

Posted by Concord Cat | October 9, 2007 9:13 PM

Rather than renaming existing streets, why not name new buildings, streets for all the unsung heros that are cropping up like lately. Why not create history, add meaning, rather than negating the history of a place that clearly holds meaning to the larger community.

Austin Texas just unveiled a statue of Ceasar Chavez. Which begs the question: Just how much money does the City of Portland spend to change all the street signs, etc? Betit tops out at several hundred thousand dollars.

For that amount of money - not to mention the cost to private businesses that will have to change their legal addresses - the city could commission a piece of artwork that would really honor the guy.

At the very least, the city needs to review the policy of naming public places, and update it accordingly. This issue seems to be comming up over and again. Does a process currently exist? Does it need review?

Hey commissioners: think outside the box and put your listening ears on!

Posted by twocents | October 10, 2007 9:54 AM

excellent arguement.
http://blogoliticalsean.blogspot.com/2007/10/word-on-cesar-chavez-renaming.html

Posted by ozzy rules | October 10, 2007 11:19 AM

excellent arguement.
http://blogoliticalsean.blogspot.com/2007/10/word-on-cesar-chavez-renaming.html

Posted by ozzy rules | October 10, 2007 11:19 AM

I'm now a racist ?

I've only lived in N.PDX for 5 yrs, Portland for about 14 yrs, Oregon for 30.

When I decided to buy a home, I looked along the existing MAX lines and the yet to be built Interstate line. At the time I could have financially buy a house just about anywhere in PDX,.. the keep this short I picked N.PDX, a top decider is its mixed culture, and now live a few hundred feet from Interstate.

If I was a racist I really screwed up in picking the part of N.PDX I did.

Now that I've been to 3 of these meetings, and especially after last nights, I will do any thing I can to defeat renaming Interstate.

For someone either an individual or group to call me a racist, that person or group has lost any and all support or consideration, period.

Posted by New2N.PDX | October 10, 2007 11:57 AM

Oh, come on. I'm a big proponent of going showly on this name change thing to let everyone get their say, and I don't think the term 'racist' should be thrown around lightly, but let's not get carried away. There are a lot worse things to be called than a racist, unless you're white. If you're white, I guess that probably is about the worst thing someone could call you. Remember that when you're so busy getting defensive about being called a racist.

I have disagreed with Matt for the most part in terms of his style of inflaming debate, but where I do agree is in saying, let's take a strong stance against racist behavior when we see it and not halfheartedly defend it. Personally, the more I hear about a racist backlash against the "Latino" community the more I start thinking maybe it is a good idea to change Interstate to Chavez. I moved to North Portland four years ago and love living in this part of town because of its diversity, but I'm not going to get all self righteous about it. It doesn't make me any more open minded or noble because I came to live where the minorities live. I want to be very respectful of the people who have lived here longer than I have, and aware of the larger group I represent -- whether I like it or not, whether I think it's accurate or not -- which is priveleged white kids. That means I'm responsible for getting to know my neighbors and understanding the race and class dynamics that are at play around me. And which I contribute to.

What that means is that if someone calls you a racist, instead of getting defensive, you might want to take a step back and see what you're doing that makes them feel that way.

We can have a debate and you can have your point of view about the damn street name change but also be careful about what you're saying and take other people's point of view to heart. Saying "I wasn't racist until those damn Mexicans tried to change Interstate!" doesn't exactly support the argument that this is not about race.

Posted by la foi | October 10, 2007 3:13 PM

Comments Closed

In order to combat spam, we are no longer accepting comments on this post (or any post more than 45 days old).