Matt Davis quotes an unnamed staffer who quotes an unnamed elderly man. I can't tell if this is a simple game of Operator or the beginnings of a beautiful Ouroboros.

Why quote from any other callers (you know, from the phones ringing off the hook?) when this one surely must sum up the width and breadth of the discussion?

Matt's paragraph quoting an unnamed quoting an unnamed doesn't even make sense.

Just another person trying to make all of us who opposse the renaming of Interstate looks like racists that deserve to have a Cesar E. Chavez Blvd shoved down our throats.

"It’s time City Council stops pandering to racism, and to those who incite it, and takes a clear lead on this issue that says, “enough.”

A good start would be to gather 2500 signatures and begin the official renaming process.

Dear Matt S#1+ stirrer - After the VOLUMES of info and debate on this topic, and even unsubstantiated hearsay, I have yet to hear what exact connection Mr. Chavez has to Portland - and more specifically - to the street in question.
Should that not settle the question for those who can reason logically?

And secondly - ' I would tell the Historic Interstate Avenue Businesses: 'Suck it up, we’re changing the damn name, and if you ... blahblahblah'

That is the definition of totalitarianism.

Ah, so now the real fuckers are coming out of the woodwork!

Matt, if you want to talk to Bill Mildenberger Jr., the guy heading up the businesses' opposition, about whether he's "incite[ing] people to spew any more racist filth," I'd be happy to hook you guys up. Because you really should talk to him before accusing him of such a thing.

Okay. Thanks. Sorry Bill.

By the way, what DO people think of the racist filth that's been spewed to city staffers as a result of this advertisement? Nobody seems to have addressed that, yet.

Davis,

You are perfectly articulating the argument that conservatives make against PC marching liberals. Well done. You are the reason we have George Bush for president. You couldn’t be more of a turn off.

Matt,
The more you post the more it becomes clear that you couldn't care less about Ceaser Chavez. What you really want to see is a lesson being taught to all us "racists" up in Nopo.
Every single time YOU have to bring up the race card. Example:

Business: It's going to cost us a lot of money!
You: Racist! You are so racist! Don't lie! We all know you're opposed because you're a racist!

Really, who is the one bringing up race every single time in this debate? I'm not going to lie, there are racists who oppose the name change, but it might suprise you that not everyone is. STOP PANDERING TO RACISM! Let's have a debate about the actual issue at hand--the changing of a street name hmm?

I'm imagining that the unnamed staffer was Mr. Davis' new favorite city employee, profiled earlier.

All the other issues to one side, are we really going to have to put up with another piece by Matt in which he whines about being called a shit stirrer?

I mean, either be what you are and own it, or...Perhaps find some other way to behave. I'm joining the rest of the above commenters in saying that I don't think that you actually want anything resembling ethnic justice. You want, as always, to fuck with those damn sanctimonious Portlanders, hypocrites that they are.

This is a non-issue that has become the mess that it is due in no small part to you, and again, not due to some strongly held ideological position, but simply because you can't not stir the turd. And you do thaaat because it makes you feel smarter than other people.

That's pop psych 101, but shit, what else is there to be said about you?

The easy answer to this is to come to a compromise. Sure there are racists out there. There always are. There are also those of us who would like to honor Chavez without having to have the city council screw public opinion whnen making a decision. To be honest I think public opinion would have been all for this if the Chavez committee had gone through the process to rename the street. Instead we're left with a giant clusterfuc* of biblical proportions because some people don't like to play by the rules. I'm no racist but I'll fight tooth and nail to not rename the street. I don't think Chavez would have been fond of ramrodding something down citizens throats without even asking their opinion. The Chavez committee is just active like a bunch of juvenile pricks unwilling to compromise to honor a great man. What if someone else wanted to rename it Lincoln or Roosevelt. As much as I love Chavez I think those two did far more for our country. I'd love to name a street after them. I'd follow the process to do it if I wanted to. The Chavez renameres are just being jerks. Grow up and realize it Matt.

Ok, I just don't get this. So the city wants to change the name of a street. So the fuck what. They aren't going to force residents and business owners to get tattoos of Cesar Chavez' name or image are they? No they aren't. I can see only two reasons for all the resistance; 1) Portlanders have way too much motherfucking time on their hands, or 2) this issue really is bringing peoples latent prejudices to the light. I dunno, maybe Toby Keith could explain it through song in a way I could understand.

1)Perhaps the name Interstate means nothing to you, but to many others, it is a significant identifier for our neighborhood.
2) There is a process; it was purposely circumvented because the Chavez committee does not care about the feelings of the local residents who will be affected.

I bike/drive down the street everyday. Christ, the best thing about Interstate is a taco truck that is on the corner of Killingsworth. I guess The Alibi is pretty cool if you're into high camp. Other than it's some pretty crappy motels, a New Seasons, and Kaiser Permanente.

I can't believe this inspires such vitriol on either side. I think if they changed the name of the Rose Garden to "Goebbels Arena" it would inspire more ennui.

I'm indifferent on the name change issue, so the most newsworthy aspect of all the bickering on this site for me is the lack of professionalism and journalism skills on display from Davis lately. Jesus H, dude, ditch the barrel bottom tactics and get back to some real chops (you've done good work in the past) before the Merc pulls the plug.

By the way, what DO people think of the racist filth that's been spewed to city staffers as a result of this advertisement? Nobody seems to have addressed that, yet.

It's deplorable. I have no doubt that some % of the people who are against the name change just flat out hate Mexican people. No doubt about it. But I suspect it's a small %. Face it, a small % of people who support/oppose EVERY issue do so because of some really horrible reason. And, having worked for a number of elected officials, I also know that the people who call politicians' offices tend to be people on the extreme end of things. You have to look past those people to the true community sentiment.

These staffers who go whining to the media about the occasional racist who calls their office need to grow up. It happens to EVERY political office. Get a clue.

I think what I most object to in this debate is that as a thinking person, I also have a memory long enough to know better than this.

Portland has a RICH history of bigotry, it is in no way ameliorated by slapping a new street sign up over a north portland street. No matter how many times it might be tried.

The waves and waves of transplanted newcomers, who may indeed have the very best of intentions, seem to have no qualms about trampling over the spotty but authentic history of the town they now claim as their home.

It is misguided to assume that the hesitance of longtime Portlanders to surrender the timbre and resonance attached to the names of the places they love can be attributed to only one cause. Virtually nothing can be , and it is short sighted and cowardly to toss around incendiary terms like racist and bigot when a multitude of other motivations likely exist.

And this isn't to begin to address an utterly justifiable objection to the total disregard for due process. Any honorarium hoping to have any legitimacy must be generated by the feeling and conviction of the community at large and not a small group of well-meaning but misguided council members.

Willamette Week elderly slams! Broad accusations of racism! Cherry-picked evidence! Congratulations, Matt -- it's a Blogtown hat trick!

Oh, and just look at all the comments your unassailable logic has engendered! Quelle surprise! Why, I'm so excited by the high level of everyone's discourse here, I can't stop using exclamation marks!

Trollbane: Racism is bad. Cesar Chavez seems like he was a good guy. I personally don't mind if they change the street name, but I don't live nearby, either.

PS: Does this mean you take responsibility for all the moron speech that resulted from your duct tape crusade? Just wondering.

Diplopia is right. Especially when the name Interstate Ave. is kind of historical (a remnant of pre-freeway times when it connected OR and WA)
I think there should be a street named for Cesar Chavez that has a clear connection to Latinos or labor rights or both. Don't know if Interstate really fits that. Renaming Union as MLK was easy: it ran through a black neighborhood, which could be thought either respectful or racist, but at the time frankly seemed mostly the former.
But really what's the big deal? I hope they pick some street to rename for HUGO Chavez.

I have this image in my head of the people that are in favor of the name change resembling the same mobs from episodes of South Park and the Simpsons. So who's playing the role of Diamond Joe Quimby?

Hear hear, Diplopia.

Yes, racism is deplorable, and Portland's history of it should be better known - a couple of street signs doesn't begin to address it. Yes, the city should follow due process. Yes Chavez deserves recognition, and while we're at it, it would be nice to recognize that we have longstanding Hispanic communities in Portland when we're not talking about a) farmworkers or b) this damn name change controversy.

I'd like to thank Amy Ruiz for her thoughtful reporting on this subject. And I'd like Matt Davis to take a step back here. Amy's careful reporting has done a lot to to unearth the multiple issues in play here, to encourage reasonable debate, and to provide an inroad for people on opposing sides to understand each others' arguments--all without sugar coating the racism or the hubris. Matt, I've liked some of your other work, so I'd encourage you to do a little reflecting on your style here. It is getting in the way of the substance of your opinion.

MONORAIL.... MONORAIL...MONORAIL!!!

What I want to know is when the tram's getting its own theme song....

I for one am heartened that the Mayor's office has finally found an uncritical reporting outlet willing to get its message out there and support its agenda. Those North Portland neighborhoods have just been running rampant, wielding their considerable power over the rest of the city, for far too long.

Everyone knows that accusations of racism in this case should be made by unnamed whistleblowers, or else the folks in Arbor Lodge might fire everyone on the mayor's staff! Matt Davis is a new Seymour Hersh!

hey matt, its probably a good thing you're not a city commissioner if that's what you would say. heresay from an unnamed source is pretty weak reporting. Amy's doing a great job, though!

I have to agree, a good way to move past this would be to actually collect 2500 signatures and start the 'official' renaming process.

And wrt "racism spewed to city staffers", its deplorable.

It seems clear to me that there was a process that should have been followed in order to get the street named changed. Had this process been followed, we might be seeing a different reaction from the community. When people aren't given a voice or a say, then they are justifiably angry and seek redress. So, in this situation, we have the Chavez committee seeking to have their voice heard in the community, and they believe naming a street is a step in that process. One problem is that in order to have their voice heard, they haven't respected the voices of the people in the neighborhood. It would have been easy to do, and may have alleviated much of this animosity.

As for the issue of race, I think this is more complicated than has been discussed here. Talking about race/gender/identity issues is challenging, even for people who have learned the vocabulary. I used to sit in ethnic studies classes and cringe when 18 year old kids would talk knowing that their intentions were good, but they had no idea they were saying something offensive. Now, we have a group of people, who may not have a lot of experience talking about race trying to talk about race issues. Admittedly, some folks are racist, both explicitly and implicitly, and maybe they should "sit this next one out, stop talking for a while."
On the other hand, knowing that talking about race issues can be explosive and knowing that people don't necessarily have the vocabulary to talk about them well, it seems counterproductive to list what people are saying and then labeling them racists, simple and plain. When you simply label someone racist, not because they have hatred in the heart, but because they don't know how to talk about race with nuance and care, then chances are they will become defensive when this label is applied to them. Go figure. Now, you have a group that feels like their voice hasn't been heard, and you put them on the defensive. I'm sure they will be quick change now. Maybe, just maybe, people say "I'm not a racist, but . . " because they have real concerns, but don't want to be labeled a racist, don't see themselves as one, and want their concerns heard for what they are and not through the prism of race. I can understand when someone says, a statement like "I'm not a racist, but . . ." that raises eyebrows. It has a similar tone to "I have friends who are (insert race here)." Still, do we jump down a person's throat when they utter these statements, or do we give them a break. I don't know how listing some of the racist comments makes the argument that the community resistance is racist to the core. The comments have been cherry picked to make a point, but by omitting any other comments you can conveniently ignore the argument that people feel like they haven't been given a voice.

I see the community trying to come up with compromises to the situation. I don't see that happening with the Chavez committee or the city. I would love to see a street named after Chavez, hell, I wouldn't even mind if that were Interstate. I think it will happen too. The sad thing is that the Chavez committee seems to want to push it through no matter the cost and the cost isn't insignificant. It has cost trust between the people who live in the city and the city, it has brought out a few ugly sentiments, and ultimately, will bring a lot of resentment. Are the benefits of renaming the street so great that the costs can be ignored? I don't know, sometimes, I think yes, and other times, no. I suppose it depends on how much value a street name has to a community.

Matt - At my business, we get calls from cranks, psychos and idiots all day long. Of course that attitude is deplorable.
But 1) NOT ONE person has yet answered or even ADDRESSED the questions posed in my post #4
2) the default to name calling, labeling opposers 'RACIST' is a childish, emotionally based reaction to a complex adult problem
3) you're attitude toward what you would do as a councilor sounds is an echo of a Soviet Kommissar, not a representative of the people.

So answer this Mr. know it all, is the street renaming based in Portland history (and how)?

Is the renaming supported by the public?

Is the process following the law?

Your defense is simply that people who do not agree with the proposal are racist. That is rather trite. If we have learned anything from the Bush regime, the whole "you are either with me or against me" rhetoric is toxic.

Another question to ask, would Mr. Chavez want a street named after himself? What would Cesar do?

If not being in favor of renaming a street without proper procedures being followed makes me a racist, well, then, I guess I am....not a racist, dammit, because there's nothing inherently racist about it. Argh!

Can this shit stop? Please, Matt, just...stop? You are pushing a fallacious argument here. And not only is your argument fallacious, it's based on a fallacy that is linked to race and ethnicity and is bound to incite tempers when we really don't need any more of that shit. If this were an honest-to-goodness racist issue, then fine, fight the good fight. But it's not, and you are so hung up on proving your argument right that you're not seeing how your insistence on pushing a flawed argument is not doing any favors for the people you are hoping to stand up for. For the love of Chavez, enough. You are reduced to quoting an anonymous old man! Yes there are racists in this world, I think we are all aware of that. That has n o bearing on this argument.

i am a young mexican american, and i am insulted by this whole ordeal. i feel like it is yet another way for mexicans to be put down and brushed aside....here you go mexicans... you can have a street named after someone who was involved with migrant farm workers...and that way every time white, asian or black people see the street sign they can think about mexicans as migrant farm workers, or the kids of migrant farm workers who work in shitty jobs and get into gangs with 2 digit numbers... out of the millions and millions of mexicans that have lived and passed on this planet, chavez, aparently is the only person a white city council/mayor could ever consider for something like this. why not a doctor or scientist or an artist? why not have the name represent what could be instead of what is and has been? why aim low...?

BREAKING NEWS: Randy Leonard Calls for a Cease Fire on Interstate Boulevard

That last post raises an important issue. We've been talking about the latino community, but many may feel that it JUST honors mexicans. We don't have to wait until this current debacle shakes out to begin picking streets to honor all minority groups. We've got the Japanese covered with Naito. Division could go to the Vietnamese, Sandy could go to the Chinese, St. Helens Road could go to Phillipinos, Milwaukee Ave. can go to the Russians, Johnson Creek Rd. can go to the Koreans, Marine Drive to the Native Americans. I feel terrible, but did I forget any group?

It sounds like the city council took Matt's advice and took a clear stand on this issue that says "not enough".

youngmexican, You make some excellent points. I too am Mexican and I too am frustrated by the limited view of Mexicans and other latinos held by a great number of people in our country. God forbid we have a conversation about latinos and not talk about immigration. But for what it's worth, the idea to rename a street after Chavez was brought to City Council by a group of citizens. The City is now responsible for the outcome, but the genesis was with the Chavez Committee, for better or worse.

That said, if you want to get something going on an Avenida Khalo or Garcia Marquez (even though he was technically Colombian) let me know.