leave the streets alone - they have history, character and are part of residents' sense of place. if you want to honor someone, build them a statue. this renaming streets shit is ridiculous. there are important problems to be solved that the street's would-be namesake would likely prefer you to direct your energy at. i guarantee you that every single person in portland is sick and fucking tired of hearing about this ego-driven waste of time. BUILD A GOD DAMN STATUE.

Or name a new school, or park, or civic building, or bridge. Anything that doesn't fuck up the maps.

Some members of the latino community just don't get it.

Whether they like it or not, politics involves discussion, open process, and compromise.

Initially, the CC Committee dictated the process - they decided what strrets would be considered, what the selection criteria would be, and how the various streets measured up to that criteria. After they, and they ALONE decided on Interstate, the CC Committee simply expected the City Council, the neighborhood associations, and all the affected resdients to just accept the re-naming. If we do not, we are "dis-respecting" the latino community.

Memo to the CC Committee and Ms.Johnson: apparently you learned nothing from the mayor's little tantrum, and how demanding that things go your way just doesn't work.

I'm gobsmacked how gratuitously and incessantly calling people racists hasn't resulted in overwhelming public support. I suggest they redouble their efforts and call anyone who opposes them Klan members. People will feel so bad we'll just go ahead and rename the city San Chavez.

Maria Lisa Johnson for mayor.

Someone's angling to become the next Chief of Staff...

OMG RACISTS!!!

I have to take offense to the following

"We have been informed that these Commissioners are now attempting to form a new naming committee.
This strategy is divisive and indicates a lack of respect for our community and for the existing committee’s work in diligently following through with the public process that was unanimously adopted by City Council this past September"

I am of Spanish decent my Father coming from Mexico as a boy and live close to North Interstate.

You have to be kidding with words like

Divisive= partisan and contentious quarreling

The group to rename north interstate has been the ones to show utter lack of respect for the process and community. The committee has agreed to name a street and has shown support and been nothing but respectful. THe committee has taken your for us or against us stand early on. North Interstate being renamed now would not bring happiness to Cesars name because it's been tainted by the committee trying to bully this through without caring about the community a community almost none of the committee lives in. Maybe the committee would think I'm racist for not supporting their efforts but Cesar would of never been a hero if he would of resorted to calling anyone who didn't agree with him a racist.

Gosh, no one has turned down the offer that I have heard. Some people have even called to say they would like to see a presentation to the City Club. Hum, must be all those Latino civic and community organizations that the CCBC presented to and has overwhelming support from. Dang, I forgot they can't name an organization other than themselves. It can get mighty shakey when your are holding up your own pedestal. And how did they respond when sent a note about a Latino family in North Portland that needed help, a hard working family from the neighborhood, uh, they must have been to busy honoring their hard work. They never responded.
Hypocrites.

I cannot believe that this committee and Maria Lisa Johnson of the Latino Network (phone number (503) 283-6881 - its on the internet for all to see) would continue to push their agenda and have the audacity to call those of us opposed to their idea racist. Who's being racist here? It's a street, not an issue, so stop trying to make it one.

The reaction to renaming Interstate would have been the same no matter the person in question - black, white, Asian, Latino, Italian, Polish, French, whatever. The fact is, most people don't want a name change. Public comment and discourse was required for the street renaming process. They asked, people answered. The answer is part of the process. People said no. No means no. It doesn't mean that you ask yet disregard the answer.

WRITING TO COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS OF COLOR is the most incredibly divisive tactic I've seen. Talk about stubborn! They are offered a compromise and refuse. This type of behavior can not be tolderated nor allowed. If white people used this tactic, they'd be publicly shunned and ridiculed. So should this committee - shame on them.

Maria Lisa, por favor - calmate.

I may very well be a racist but I'm also a resident of NE Portland and a human being with an opinion. If I feel that the renaming of a street does nothing more than allow politicians to pander to an increasing demographic, and further allow professional victim/activists to exercise their ability to tease out white guilt, what business is it of anyone else's?

There's two options on the table and only one of them carries any action. There is the option of allowing the street to remain unchanged and then there is the alternative option of changing the name. If I choose the former, I needn't give any reason for my choice. If I choose the latter, I'd better hope to sell the idea to my fellow citizens who may not share a vested interest in the same alternative. In that case I'd better explain the philosophy behind my decision. If my decision for a name change is based solely on the idea that the honoree was a great American, human being, communist, horseback rider, milk drinker, or wearer of fine slacks, than I'd better work extra hard to differentiate that honoree from a list of thousands that equally qualify. In the history of American labor relations, one need only throw a stick to hit more than a dozen worthy candidates for veneration.

Ah, but that's not the issue. We aren't simply looking for a blue-collar arbiter, we need a person of color first. All other qualifiers must follow behind. I won't call it racist, but it sounds race-specific.

This is how majority opinion is magically marginalized. The rule, as it has developed in the fertile womb of rhetoric-rich identity politics states if you disagree, you must be suffering from some sort of social disease and are therefore unfit to take part in public discourse. From whence did this destitute line of reasoning spring forth?

Folks, you won't appease your neighbors by giving in to their obsequious flattery of all persons, places, or things of color. It doesn't work. Portland will develop new streets, parks, monuments, and neighborhoods better suited to honor the dead. Wait for, and seize upon, the opportunity to affix the name of your affinity group's leader when that time comes. That way you won't have to conjecture over whether your diabolical neighbors are plotting their racist subterfuges without you.

I love this "my way or the highway" approach to public policy. A little bit like the Tom DeLay-style House Republicans and the K Street Project. I'm sure they'll be calling Ms. Johnson any day now for some pointers.
Look, I'm the son of a Salvadoran mother, raised bilingual and bi-cultural, and make my living as an English to Spanish translator, so I wish Ms. Johnson and others wouldn't throw the "racist" word around so liberally. Unfortunately, perhaps a _few_ of the people opposing the name change are racists, but I can assure everyone that the vast majority, myself among them, just want to keep their landmark, historic street name as it is for tradition's sake. Interstate isn't even named after a dead white guy or anything, so one can't even complain about that. Why not change the name of Burnside, or Foster, or Powell, or Barbur?
If the majority of US, the people that live in the N. Portland neighborhoods near Interstate, want the name changed and express that wish with their votes, then I'll gladly accept that. I won't accept a top-down edict from the City Council.

Maria should be ashamed.
I am proud Latina and I am ashamed my people have stooped to pushing around the city and the north portland people to get their way. Chavez rolls in his grave.
I am shocked the city has agreed to this and I am saddened that it makes all of us look like selfish and angry and uncooperative people.