This Week in the Mercury

Blogtown, PDX

Monday, May 12, 2008

Politics Mayor Tom Potter Responds to Protesters’ Letter

Posted by Amy J. Ruiz on Mon, May 12 at 5:27 PM

Just after the close of business today, Mayor Tom Potter sent a letter to the protesters outside of city hall, in response to their request for another meeting. The protesters are concerned that police will “sweep” the sidewalk outside of city hall tonight at 12:01—it becomes an illegal campsite at that moment, according to orange posters hung by the cops on Saturday morning—and had requested a public meeting for this afternoon. Instead, they’ll get to meet with Potter tomorrow at 3 pm—and the meeting is closed to the public.

Potter’s entire letter:

To the Protest Committee,
Thank you for your invitation to continue our discussions. As you have suggested, I will meet with five representatives of your group at 3 p.m. Tuesday (5/13) in the Mayor’s Conference Room.

I understand that there are a number of issues you wish to address. I also want to make you aware of my concerns as we begin our conversation:

• I will not tolerate illegal behavior on public property. I believe this reflects your concerns as well. As you know, the organizers of this protest approached my office with reports of drug activity and other illegal behavior last week, and the sale of heroin was verified Friday night (5/9). Drug activity is not only illegal, it attracts people who prey on those who are most vulnerable.
• I will not tolerate behavior that raises public health concerns for both the protesters and the public. The bathrooms in City Hall have been opened for almost 10 months with few reported problems. However, since the protest began there have been conditions in the bathrooms that endanger both the protesters and public. The safety of those charged with cleaning the restrooms is an issue, and if this behavior continues I will shut down the bathrooms to outside use.
• I strongly support your right to protest. However, the City has the right to make reasonable time, place, and manner rules for the conduct of protests in public spaces, and can also act to protect the public from unnecessary obstructions as well as health, sanitation, and safety problems. Protests must comply with the City’s camping and sidewalk obstruction ordinances.

I understand these illegal actions represent the work of a minority, but it concerns me that the leadership of this protest appears unable to prevent these illegal acts. And while I believe in your right to express your views, I also believe that every right comes with a corresponding responsibility to respect the law.

The meeting in my office is not open to the public.

Permalink

Comments

Ok, now he's just dicking them around.

I wonder how they're going to respond.

Posted by Kyle Burris | May 12, 2008 6:41 PM

To the Protest Committee,

Bring an audio recorder or video camera to the meeting.

The meeting in mayor Tom Potter's office is a public meeting.

love,
The First Amendment

Posted by Maureen | May 12, 2008 8:10 PM

There were 140 protesters out there just now.

Posted by Matt Davis | May 13, 2008 12:29 AM

I don't know where Potter is getting his information. I spent the night last night at the protest with the 145 and all was peaceful. In fact people walking by said it was the most peaceful protest they had ever witnessed. Everyone was respectful of one another and some played musical instruments and sang. As far as the restrooms go I did not see anything amiss in the women's room. I think Potter needs to spend a day in the life...

Posted by unhooked | May 13, 2008 8:42 AM

Tom Potter is an old beat cop who helped develop community policing when he was Police Chief under Mayor Bud Clark. His has strong sensitivity to the emotional pulse of the community. His strongest base of support, when he was running for Mayor, where his Neighborhood Association connections.

Most police officers prefer dealing with more serious crimes than some guy with nowhere to sleep. At the same time many neighborhood associations are fear based when the subject of homelessness comes up. Folks tend to take the most outrageous incidents people have seen and use emotion to embellish it. Police cannot help but become biased through the emotional communications of those meetings and continually dealing with homeless people when they are in crisis. We are one of the last remaining groups it is legitimate to be prejudice against.

Now the most influential group at city hall is the Portland Business Alliance (PBA). They have had more meetings at city hall than any other group. Mike Kykendal became a V.P. for PBA about the same time as Tom Potter became Mayor. He is a former deputy D.A. for Multnomah County and has been a close friend of one of Mayor Potter’s top policy people Austin Raglioni.

One of Mr. Kykendal’s goals in lobbying city hall was to get the title 14 sit-lie law enforced on Portland city streets. Mayor Potter set Ms. Raglioni to appoint the Downtown Public Safety Action Committee (PSAC) tasked with developing a new enforceable sit-lie law.

The PSAC was appointed by Mayor potter originally but became a open meeting and they pushed the work of Sit - Lie into a sub committee called Street Access For Everyone (SAFE), the irony is all along it was meant to exclude some folks from the streets.

SAFE included people from both sides of the issue, attorneys and representatives of elected officials. They came to a set of conditions, most of which had been suggested earlier in the PSAC meetings, “Five Strategies for a more livable Portland” which needed to be met before the Title 14 Obstruction as a Nuisance sit-lie ordinance would be enforced. The Mayors office agreed it wouldn’t be enforced until all five parts were implemented.

The mayors office has broken their promise reached by consensus of the SAFE group appointed by the Mayor through Austin Raglioni, friend of Mike Kykendal.

The best laid plans, developed through community involvement, can be kicked to the curb by a lame duck Mayor when the interest of his policy makers and their lobbyist friends take control.

The Mayor ran for office claiming to increase public involvement, listen to the voices of the excluded and empower them. In the end the SAFE committee has been a sham. We have once again been conned.

Posted by Dan Newth | May 13, 2008 9:00 AM

I walked the protest at 12:30 last night. The community was quiet, respectful, alert, informed, supportive, calm.

Posted by Jason Renaud | May 13, 2008 9:04 AM

If the city wants to make the sidewalks clear, they should ticket the businesses with illegal A-boards and sidewalk cafes.

Those things don't move, and some people (cough, Ted Papas) take up half the sidewalk with their belongings.

Posted by Aaron V. | May 13, 2008 9:58 AM

So I hear that the cops are gearing up for the big sweep this evening. Calling in extra officers and activating the riot control officers.

These stupid and ignorant protestors better move along or they will be in for a world of hurt it sounds like, which they deserve!

Hey protestors- Spend some time and energy getting a damn job!!!

Posted by Uh-Oh! | May 13, 2008 12:37 PM

Papas has a permit you dolt!

Posted by YumYum | May 13, 2008 12:40 PM