The Rev. Chuck Currie

Portland Police Starting To Look Like "A Bunch Of Out-Of-Touch Thugs"

Anna Griffin gets it right in The Oregonian:

A bit of friendly advice to the fine men and women of the Portland Police Bureau: 

If you give a rat's tail about how you're perceived by the people you're paid to protect – the people who also happen to pay your salaries -- take off those T-shirts and go back to work. Because right now, you bear a startling resemblance to a bunch of out-of-touch thugs. 

Some 650 people, Portland officers and their friends and families, rallied downtown Tuesday to protest recent command decisions. They carried signs and wore freshly printed blue T-shirts bearing the motto, "I Am Chris Humphreys." 

Humphreys is the 10-year veteran at the heart of two recent high-profile incidents of police force. Three years ago, he chased and then fell on James Chasse, the schizophrenic man kicked and Tasered by police after they spotted him urinating on a Pearl District sidewalk. Chasse died in police custody from blunt force trauma to the chest. 

Earlier this month, Humphreys shot a 12-year-old girl in the thigh at close range with a non-lethal bean-bag shotgun. The girl had slapped another officer and resisted attempts to remove her from a MAX train. 

Humphreys faces a two-week suspension in Chasse's death and, last week, was placed on paid leave while internal affairs investigators look into the bean-bag shooting.

As Griffin notes, most police are good and decent people.  But the Bureau is spiraling out of control.  The police union - which has a long history of defending excessive force and even racist behavior - did little more in their rally yesterday besides show the ugliest side of the force.

I'm disappointed in the Portland City Council for their blind statements of support for the Bureau this week.  Right now the Council and the Mayor look like puppets of the chief instead of the leaders we elected to have oversight responsibility.

Related Link:  A History Of Bad Behavior By The Portland Police (Plus My “Debate" With CW Jensen)

Related Link: Portland Police Bureau Out Of Control

Portland Police Bureau Out Of Control

Today the Portland Police Bureau announced that Officer Christopher Humphreys had been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into an incident this weekend – caught on video tape – that showed Humphreys’ shooting a 12-year old girl with a bean bag gun at a MAX stop. The girl was resisting arrest. Regardless, the use of force is disturbing and raises fundamental questions about the Portland Police Bureau and our elected officials. 

Officer Humphreys’ was one of the officers involved in the 2006 death of James Chasse, a Portlander who died violently under police custody. Just recently the city decided to give Humphreys’ a 2-week suspension for his role in Mr. Chasse's death. Many, me included, have called for Humphreys’ to resign over his conduct in the Chasse matter. 

The incident under investigation today shows a police bureau out of control. Increasingly, Portlanders have less and less confidence in the leadership of Mayor Sam Adams, Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman (the city’s police commissioner), and Police Chief Rosie Sizer. 

Obviously, Humphreys’ cannot and should not be allowed to remain on the force. At the same time, however, this case raises the question as to whether or not the right people are at the helm of the Portland Police Bureau. The Portland City Council has thus far failed to adequately address the issues surrounding the death of Mr. Chasse, whose memorial I helped to officiate. Police officials dragged their feet for three years on their internal investigation of incident and the city is fighting a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Chasse family when they should simply admit fault. 

In police custody, Mr. Chasse was shot with a Tazer by Officer Humphreys and received fractures on 16 of his ribs and 26 different broken bones in the front and back of his rib cage. His crime? The police thought he was peeing on the street. 

And Officer Humphreys’ punishment is a 2-week suspension?  Mr. Chasse received a death sentence.  

Sgt. Scott Westerman, the president of the police union, attacked the city today for both the proposed 2-week suspension and the administrative leave placed on Officer Humphreys this afternoon. The Oregonian reports that Sgt. Westerman defended the shooting of the girl: 

"This action was appropriate," he said. "It was just. It was warranted." 

His comments only go to show that the culture of the Portland Police Bureau is out of sync with the values held by the majority of Portlanders.  They routinely defend the inexcusable. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: 

Over the years the Portland Police Association has served as a right-wing noise machine that often obscures the good work done by the bureau. PPA is, in the end, a political group with a conservative social agenda that does not reflect the values that have made Portland an open and progressive city. 

There is a big mess to clean up in Portland. Ultimately, that should be the role of the mayor. Will he finally step up or are his self-inflicted political wounds so deep as to leave the bureau out of control without effective civilian oversight?

People Of Faith Should Support Health Care Reform

We stand closer to passing meaningful health care reform than at any other time in our nation's history.  Both the House and Senate are ready to vote on bills that - while not perfect - would represent real change.  Tens of millions of Americans would benefit and the accomplishment would stand alongside the great achievements of the New Deal and the Great Society.  

That's why today I wrote U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Portland) to congratulate him on his role in moving this legislation forward.

Some progressives will find fault with the House and Senate versions of reform and will argue, for example, that we need a single payer system or nothing at all.  Truth be told, I wanted a single payer system myself (as President Obama had advocated for in the past) but the political reality is that the reforms backed by the president today stand the best chance of advancing the cause of universal health care and if we miss this chance it may be a generation or longer before we have another.  We cannot fail.

In the Christian tradition, we are called to heal the sick.  I urge all people of faith - regardless of politics - to join in common cause with people across America in the coming weeks and months to get the House and Senate bills passed so that sometime soon, perhaps even before Christmas, the president of the United States has a strong reform package on his desk that provides hope to millions of our brothers and sisters.   

Related Link:  Letter to President Obama On The Public Option

On Facebook?  Join the group People of Faith for a Strong Public Option in Health Care Reform

Related Link:  Health Care and The Christian Tradition

Portland Should Take Responsibility For James Chasse Death

Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard should be applauded for his recent comments concerning the death of James Chasse. As one of the clergy who participated in Mr. Chasse’s memorial, I have been appalled at how the city of Portland has handled this issue. I urge the city to settle the case immediately without further review or study. Then-Mayor Tom Potter acted appropriately at the time in calling for additional training for police officers on how to successfully interact with people suffering mental illness but for far too long the Police Bureau and the City Council have dragged their feet by hiding the city’s guilt in the death of Mr. Chasse behind bureaucratic walls. Mayor Sam Adams and the council should take ultimate responsibility for the malpractice of injustice inflicted on Mr. Chasse by the Portland Police Bureau.

Where I Slept: Being Homeless in Portland

A new book from Transition Projects here in Portland:

This book confronts homelessness by asking formerly homeless persons a simple question: Where did you sleep? Although we should not have been surprised, we found the replies alarming, jarring and discomforting. 

In the spring of 2007, we asked the residents of Transition Projects shelters to show us the places they slept while living on the streets. Equipped with just disposable cameras and the willingness to show us their truth, they delivered the photographs in this book in a matter of days. The project was intended as a temporary exhibit, but we quickly realized that this project needed to be memorialized for a wider audience. And we heard from the public—even from people who have long been associated with homeless issues—that these photographs tell, in a way that words cannot, about the need for a safe place to sleep for everyone. We determined then that the photos must live on in a permanent form, and so this book was born. 

This project was organized by Transition Projects, a social service agency whose mission is to serve people's basic needs as they transition from homelessness to housing. We have memorialized the photos and essays into this book to commemorate this 40th year of the agency's operations. 

"There's a starkness-a sense of dehumanization and otherworldliness captured by these photographs that expresses the alienation that the chronically homeless feel on a daily basis. The most basic thing we can do to help the homeless is to reach out to them and acknowledge them as fellow human beings. The worst thing we can do is pretend that they don't exist." -Ted Wheeler, Multnomah County Chair 

Where I Slept features contributions from: 

• Portland Mayor Sam Adams
• Hon. Jeff Cogen
• The Rev. Chuck Currie
• Hon. Nick Fish
• Hon. Deborah Kafoury
• Gretchen Kafoury
• Governor Ted Kulongoski
• Hon. Randy Leonard
• Erik Sten
• Hon. Ted Wheeler
• And many others

Get your copy here.

The first edition of Where I Slept is sponsored by Windermere Real Estate.

I encourage every Portland area resident to get a copy of this book.  Back in the mid-90s I served on the staff of Transition Projects.  Purchasing this book will support a good cause.

Oregon's Earl Blumenauer On Barack Obama In The New York Times

Oregon's Earl Blumenauer is profiled today in The New York Times:

WASHINGTON — Representative Earl Blumenauer should be experiencing the most fulfilling days of his more than 35 years in public service.

The liberal Democrat from Portland, Ore. — known for his bowties, his Trek bicycle and a pragmatic brand of progressivism — embraced Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy early in 2008 and campaigned hard alongside him, steadily gaining confidence that the young senator from Illinois was the ideal liberal remedy to eight years of conservative dominance.

Now political reality has set in, testing Mr. Blumenauer’s faith that Mr. Obama’s election and big Democratic majorities in Congress would yield quick advances in the progressive agenda.

Instead of forging ahead, Mr. Blumenauer, 61, finds himself fighting to retain one of the touchstones for liberals this year, a public insurance option in the health care overhaul, and is watching his hopes of curbing global warming grow cold in the Senate. Mr. Blumenauer, a seven-term congressman, is bracing for a tough vote on sending more troops to Afghanistan while he frets about the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay remaining open.

“It has been a hard landing for a lot of the people that I represent,” Mr. Blumenauer, referring to his largely liberal constituency, said as he assessed the first months of the Obama administration.

Full story.

(Note: this last hyperlink comes from this blog and not the NTY story.  I just count myself as one of the people the congressman represents and we were together when he endorsed Barack Obama in 2008).

Sam Adams Recall Effort Fails - It's Time To Move Forward

The recall effort to oust Portland Mayor Sam Adams has failed but organizers, like a bad movie sequel, are promising another effort – this time backed by big money and paid signature gatherings. There’s always been more bravado from the Recall Sam Adams organizers than accomplishments but it’s time to end this effort, plain and simple. 

Along with many others, I called on Mayor Adams to resign earlier this year. He didn’t and the Attorney General’s office, after an investigation, found no cause to bring criminal charges against the mayor. Portland would have been better off had the mayor stepped aside but he didn’t, no criminal charges were brought forward because of his conduct, and now the recall effort has failed. 

Portland needs to put this chapter behind us so that the city can move ahead without the distraction caused by Mayor Adams. He is to blame in all this mess. But he can be held accountable if he chooses to run for reelection in 2012. He would do the city a great favor to announce now that he won’t be a candidate then, but if he is there will be an opportunity to put this matter to rest once and for all. 

In the meantime, our energy needs to be focused as a community not on the mayor’s personal conduct but on the great challenges facing our great city. Poverty and homelessness are growing, we facing funding issues in our public schools, unemployment is high, and as the stewards of Portland’s special environmental landscape we face major challenges. 

It’s time to move forward as a united city to address these important issues.

Ralph Nader's Legacy Is The Bush Presidency

Ralph Nader, as The Oregonian notes, was in Portland this week to promote his new book.  Back in the late 1990s we shared a stage together at American University to talk about homelessness and like many I admired him.  But Mr. Nader said in 2000 that there was no difference between George W. Bush and Al Gore. It was a lie and Mr. Nader's campaign was a contributing factor in Mr. Bush's victory. The damage that President Bush caused on so many fronts was caused, in part, by Mr. Nader's ego driven campaign. His legacy is the Bush presidency.  The damage Mr. Nader has caused our nation outweighs any good on his part.

Summer's End Dog Fest

This evening we took our trusty dog Hazel to our neighborhood park for the Summer's End Dog Fest.

 

Here's the scoop on the event from Film Action Oregon, the primary sponsor:

The goal of the first annual Summer's End Dog Fest is to bring together Portland's dog lovers and the residents of Hollywood, Grant Park, Laurelhurst and Irvington neighborhoods at a special event at Grant Park, famous for its statues of Beverly Cleary's Ramona and her dog, Ribsy. The purpose of this event is to build community, raise funds and awareness for Film Action Oregon / The Hollywood Theatre, and simply to have fun.

We had a good time and the twins, who ran into a couple of their new classmates, enjoyed watching the wiener dog races.

 

 

We'll look forward to attending again next year.

Photos and Remarks From The Portland Health Care Can't Wait! Rally

Portlanders packed downtown's Terry Schrunk Plaza this morning for the "Health Care Can't Wait!" rally.

 

Oregon Attorney General John Kroger spoke first and then introduced the rest of the speakers - which included nurses, business owners and labor leaders.

 

It was a great honor for me to be there representing Ecumenical Ministires of Oregon.

 

(Thanks to Carrie Aguilar for this last photo)

The audio podcast of my remarks can be downloaded here:

Download CCPDXHealthCareRally082909

(click with the RIGHT mouse button on the hyperlink and choose “Save Target As” and save to your desktop or other folder – once downloaded click on the file to listen).

Now On ITunes

You can now subscribe to my podcasts on ITunes by clicking here. 

"No separate school is a model for homeless children" Revisited

Steve Duin, usualy The Oregonian's best critical thinker, still loves the Community Transitional School - as evidenced by yet another uncritical profile of the program - but segregating homeless kids into separate schools is still a bad idea. 

Oregon's Earl Blumenauer Featured On Politico

From Politico.com:

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) knows his bikes and bow ties. He co-chairs the Bike Caucus, which now has an impressive 160 members, and as a die-hard bow-tie wearer, he recently told Newsweek’s George Will via Twitter: “Bring your bow tie, your neckwear choice may be one area we may actually agree.”

Blumenauer has been a congressman for 12 years — and even he admits that making and passing legislation is complicated, if not mysterious. Shenanigans caught up with him before he jetted out of town for August recess

Click here for the Q & A.

Rep. Blumenauer is my congressman and a darn good one.

Cesar Chavez Boulevard!

I am proud of the Portland City Council today for re-naming a street just blocks from my home for Cesar E. Chavez. I cannot wait for the signs to go up when I will walk my daughters up the street and tell them the story of why Portland honors this American hero. A special thank you to former Mayor Tom Potter for his leadership on this issue.

Related Post: Why I Support Cesar E. Chavez Blvd

Time For Portland And Mayor Sam Adams To Move On

The decision by the Oregon Attorney General not to prosecute Portland Mayor Sam Adams does not answer some of the questions at the heart of the scandal. 

 

All we know today that we didn’t know yesterday is that the mayor will not be charged with a crime in this affair.  Mayor Adams has resisted calls for his resignation (including my own) since this matter first came to light in January and will likely see this report from the OAG as a personal vindication.  He shouldn’t. 

 

“Not getting prosecuted” is a pretty low bar for a politicalian awash in scandal.  His actions that brought about this scandal and his actions in the aftermath have been indefensible.

 

The mayor isn’t going to resign.  As I’ve said, I oppose a recall election because of the divisive impact such an election would have on the city.  Clearly, this news from the OAG’s office takes the wind out of what was a doomed to fail recall effort from the start.  The recall effort should now fold.

 

It is time for Portland to move on.  Voters can impose their final verdict on this issue in 2012 if Mayor Adams seeks re-election.   

Pray For Sam Adams

As a citizen, I want Sam Adams to resign as the mayor of Portland (for all the reasons I’ve outlined in previous posts). But as a minister I’m reminded of the need for compassion as Mayor Adams’ political, personal and financial life implodes around him. The latest news, of course, is that the mayor has two properties – including his home – under foreclosure. Some opponents of the mayor seem to be taking glee in this. Instead, I want to offer my sympathy and prayers for the mayor. He brought this all on himself and he would be doing both himself and the city a favor by resigning his office and allowing Portland the chance to move on during a time of economic challenge for the community. But no one should take joy in his suffering. His actions that brought about this scandal and his actions in the aftermath have been indefensible. You might want him to resign or even support his recall (a step I oppose because of the divisive impact such an election would have on the city). We can want him out of office because of his actions but we should not forget the contributions he has made or forget that he is a human deserving of compassion even as we oppose him politically. So I pray for wisdom for the mayor in the face of adversity, the chance for reconciliation between him and the people of Portland, and that all of us opposed to Mayor Adams are reminded of our own brokenness so that our actions in civic life reflect humility and not hubris.

Wade Nkrumah, Former Adams Staffer, Sues City

Shortly after a scandal erupted in Portland over allegations that Mayor Sam Adams had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a teen his director of communications, Wade Nkrumah, resigned.  Adams told KATU that Nkrumah resigned because the job had been too stressful for Nkrumah but Willamatte Week reported shortly thereafter that Nkrumah had really resigned because he didn't believe Adams was being truthful.

Willamette Week now reports on a new development in the saga:

Wade Nkrumah, who resigned as Mayor Sam Adams’ spokesman in January, has filed a notice of tort claim (PDF) against the mayor and the City of Portland alleging Adams “damaged his business reputation” when he told KATU that Nkrumah resigned because the job was “not what he signed up for in terms of stress.” 

Nkrumah, a former long-time reporter for The Oregonian, is seeking more than $162,000 in his claim along with attorney’s fees.

The paperwork filed May 14 by Nkrumah’s attorney Michael Hanlon, puts the city on notice that Nkrumah intends to file a claim. In that notice, Nkrumah says he resigned from the spokesman’s job Jan. 26, telling Adams both in a letter and in person that the reason for the resignation was that the mayor had lied to him twice about Adams’ relationship with Beau Breedlove.

Nkrumah says the first lie came in the Jan. 15 interview WWhad with Adams in the presence of Nkrumah and Adams staffer Amy Ruiz when Adams denied any “sexual contact” or “sexual relationship of any kind” with Beau Breedlove.

Nkrumah says a second lie came in a meeting Adams had on Jan. 22attended by 20-plus staffers at the home of chief of staff Tom Miller. Nkrumah says he asked Adams at that meeting if there had been any “flirting” or “touching” before Breedlove turned 18.

“Adams answered unequivocally no,” Nkrumah says in the claim, noting that Adams’ answer was contradicted by subsequent news stories that quoted Breedlove saying he and the mayor had kissed twice when Breedlove was 17, once in a City Hall bathroom.

Nkrumah’s claim goes on to say that Adams was “extremely nervous” at his Jan. 26 meeting with him about what Nkrumah would say publicly about his resignation. Nkrumah says Miller and he agreed later that Nkrumah would respond to all inquiries about the resignation with a “no comment” and that Miller would say he does “not comment on personnel matters.”

While Nkrumah did not go public with his concerns he did meet with representatives of the Oregon Attorney General's office investigating Adam's relationship.

As a reporter for The Oregonian, Wade Nkrumah covered homelessness and neighborhood issues.  From the early 1990's until he left the paper for the mayor's office he was my central contact with the paper. We developed a professional relationship and a genuine friendship.  Friendships often develop between reporters and subjects / sources.  That friendship never meant that he wrote what I wanted.  In fact, he often ignored story ideas that I suggested and when I left Portland for St. Louis to attend seminary and he was assigned to write a profile of me he included negative comments on my work from then-Mayor Vera Katz and others.  Wade is a friend but first he is a professional.

And so when Adams made his comments about Nkrumah to KATU I knew right away that Adams was acting in a Nixon-like manner in an effort to discredit  his former staffer.  Adams just couldn't deal with the fact that he'd made the mistake of hiring someone with such solid ethics that he would quit his job during a difficult time to find work rather than continue working for someone who could never trust the people of Portland with the truth.  I didn't say anything at the time to defend Wade (besides leaving a message on his Facebook page) because I knew he didn't want to get dragged anymore than he already had into the Sam Adams mess.  But now that this information is public (Wade did not tell me about the lawsuit...I found out reading the WW website) I can testify to the honor and integrity of this man.  Portland could benefit from more people like Wade Nkrumah in the media and politics.    

Politicians, Community Leaders Need To Confront Adams

If you want to know who is behind the Recall Sam Adams movement don’t bother looking at their website. You’ll only find one name: Jasun Wurster. Other supporters of the effort to recall the mayor want to remain anonymous.  But in a democratic society those who want to influence the political system need to be held accountable and so they must be known. Cowards hide behind anonymous web sites, hoods and masks.

The campaign is now starting to collect money and Wurster wants to help make it easy for his supporters to remain hidden in the dark shadows. KGW reports him today as saying:

Organizers are planning to accept donations only from this geographic region with a $1,000 limit per donation.

If donors want to remain anonymous there is a way to do it.

“If you don't want your name to show up because you fear retaliation from Sam Adams donate 99 dollars and 99 cents or less and that will not be part of public records,” organizer Jason Wurster said.

How much do you want to bet that those who do contribute enough to be counted resemble a list of contributors to the last anti-gay ballot measure in Oregon. Wurster claims that he supports equality for gays and lesbians but he’s hanging out with a hateful crowd.

Sam Adams should resign. He lied to begin with and few believe he is telling the truth now. Other politicians consider him toxic (witness that Oregon’s Congressional delegation didn’t invite the mayor of Portland to a press conference announcing how much money the city of Portland would receive out of the stimulus package). He is ineffective and has lost his way. Sam Adams has put his own personal interests ahead of the city he loves. We thought he was better than this.

I suspect that Wurster and his anonymous supporters will fail in their efforts. First, they aren’t professional or seasoned enough and they aren’t plugged into Portland’s progressive community (for some reason most of those who have publically supported the recall live outside Portland... like Washington State resident Lars Larson). But the effort itself will do more damage than any possible good. It will tear Portland apart.

My advice: don’t sign the petitions. Instead, keep putting pressure on Mayor Adams to resign.

It is also time for Portland’s politicians to step up to the plate and say in public that Mayor Adams must go. President Nixon was the only person in the United States who didn’t understand he’d lost the presidency until a group of fellow politicians from his party came to tell him it was time to leave the White House. Members of the City Council and the County Board, along with other area elected officials and community leaders, need to deliver the same message now to the mayor. Otherwise, we will be in for an ugly recall effort that will further distract a city that has much more pressing problems.

John Edwards / Sam Adams 2016

When Barack Obama retires after his second term democrats will be looking for a new team to take the White House.  Might I suggest a John Edwards / Sam Adams ticket?  They have a lot in common.  Read this from Politico's Ben Smith:

In the fall of 2006, John Edwards’ political high command began hearing disturbing reports from aides on the road. The candidate, they were told, was spending too much time with an eccentric filmmaker named Rielle Hunter.

So when Edwards and Hunter returned from his trip to Africa in early October, his former campaign manager Peter Scher confronted him: If Edwards was having an affair, Scher told the candidate flatly, he couldn’t run for president.

Edwards denied the affair, but Scher and other loyalists from his 2004 campaign doubted his word, made excuses and stayed out of the 2008 presidential race when Edwards launched his campaign after Christmas.

A few days later, Edwards made a partial confession to his wife, Elizabeth, of a single, regrettable encounter with Hunter. Like Scher, she asked him to drop his bid, to “protect our family from this woman, from his act,” she writes in her book.

But Edwards went ahead with the campaign — and his wife put her reluctance aside to drive his campaign forward.

John Edwards’ decision to keep running turned an ordinary, private drama into a public spectacle that consumed a presidential campaign, destroyed Edwards’ political career and dragged hundreds of staffers and thousands of supporters down in its bitter undertow.

Sounds like Adams took Edwards' playbook and used it to his own advantage.  They'd make a great team in 2016.

Bill Clinton ran on the theme "I Still Believe In A Place Called Hope" and President Obama declared that "Yes, we Can!" solve America's problems.  It turns out that Clinton really mostly believe in a young girl named Monica but I still have high hopes for the current President - a man of faith and honor, I believe. 

What Edwards and Adams have in common is they put their own ambitions above the needs of the nation (Edwards) and the city (Portland).  This isn't about sex.  It's about judgment and integrity and neither one of these two once promising leaders clearly had (or has) the judgment to hold public office.  But at one point they both had me fooled.   

If they escape jail time for the cover-ups of their affairs they really ought to team up in 2016.  

They're a match made in heaven.   

Ask Sam Adams To Resign

The Oregonian today called on Portland Mayor Sam Adams to resign.  It doesn't often happen that I agree with The O's editorial board but this time I'm with them 100%.  Here is part of what the paper had to say:

In January, Adams admitted lying to voters in the 2008 mayor's election about the Breedlove matter. This, in itself, should have been cause for Adams to resign. It remains so, regardless of what Kroger's investigation shows or whether someone launches a recall effort against Adams.

Since January, Adams has launched or rekindled several major city initiatives -- including the eastside streetcar -- which received $75 million in federal funding this week -- the hotly debated soccer-baseball-Memorial Coliseum proposal and the plan to build a convention center hotel.

These ideas must be evaluated on their own merits. Something isn't a bad idea just because Sam Adams thinks it's a good one. But the shadow of the Breedlove matter falls on everything connected with the mayor and undercuts his capacity to be effective for the city in these and other arenas.

Past mayors have played prominent roles in shaping the city's schools. Adams made the high school dropout rate a centerpiece of his election campaign, but because of the nature of the Breedlove accusations and how he has handled them, he cannot and has not played any role since in addressing the problem. It's tough to succeed when critics can easily win over the public by casting doubt on Adams' motives, when outside groups consider changing their plans for fear of being pulled into a scandal and where other political leaders practically do somersaults in order not to be photographed with Portland's mayor.

Any number of people in Portland now believe that Adams will be done for as mayor as soon as Kroger's investigators present their findings, or as soon as someone mounts a recall campaign.

But, really, he was done for the moment he decided to win the last election with a lie. In January, we thought the right course would soon be evident to Adams. It was not. Now it is only clearer. Adams should resign.

Send your own message to the mayor.  Tell him to finally put the city before his own interests and resign.  Mayor Adams can be reached at mayorsam@ci.portland.or.us. 

Statement On The Mayor's Proposed Budget and Homelessness

Today the mayor of Portland released his proposed budget. Absent from his proposal were the cuts to homeless program under consideration. Area religious leaders had written the Council demanding the protection of these programs. Over 700 individuals later wrote the council - – in a campaign launched by Street Roots – with the same message. Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish said today that:

“With the proposed allocation of new General Fund dollars, augmented by federal stimulus funds, we can fully fund our safety net and add more capacity to our housing and homeless delivery system. This funding will support a continuum of housing strategies, from permanent supportive housing for people with disabilities who have been living on our streets, to educational programs that prepare families to become homeowners, to stepped-up enforcement of housing health and safety codes in blighted neighborhoods. It will pay for foreclosure prevention, school stabilization, and public safety.”

Commissioner Fish is to be commended for his leadership on these issues. I know that I speak for all the religious leaders who initially wrote the Council about protecting these programs when I urge them now to vote for a budget that includes the mayor’s recommendations in this area.

I remain concerned, however, that the city of Portland is still moving forward with plans to use public funds for building a new soccer stadium and convention center hotel when programs for the poorest Portlanders remain under-funded (even under this budget) and while Portland has no coherent strategy for reducing poverty.

Portland’s Sit-Lie Ordinance Unjustifiable, Immoral

The Portland City Council is considering extending the city's controversial sit-lie ordinance.  You can read background on the controversy in this morning's edition of The Oregonian.  What follows is my letter to members of the council on the issue:

Portland City Council Members:

I want to remind the Council of the historic opposition to the sit-lie ordinance expressed by Portland’s religious leaders over many years. The sit-lie ordinance is another way of criminalizing homelessness. A decision to extend the ordinance will be seen by many as a moral failing on the part of council leaders. One day these votes will be seen in the same light as the “Jim Crow” laws history now views so harshly. In no one way do I mean to compare any of you to the segregationists of old but the sit-lie ordinance and other laws specifically directed at people who are homeless fit in the same category as those laws used here in Portland and across the nation to punish people based on the color of their skin. Now we are simply punishing people based on their economic and / or housing status. I ask you to prayerfully consider the consequences of your actions and to abandon support for these unjust laws.

Rev. Chuck Currie

Related Link: Letter To Portland City Council On Sit-Lie (June 13, 2007) 

Catch Me Tonight at 11PM Pacific On KOIN-TV

I just finished an interview with KOIN-TV 6 on how churches are responding to fears of a possible flu pandemic.  The interview is scheduled to air at 11 pm Pacific.

My interview was bumped due to the breaking news of possible virus outbreak in WA State.  It might be shown during KOIN’s Early News that airs 5-7 am.  I plan to be asleep.   

I'm Not Scared Of Sam Adams

The Portland Mercury has the story of how Thomas Lauderdale - a big Sam Adams backer after the mayor's scandal broke - has now turned on his one time friend.

But when Thomas and company were out rallying the troops for Mayor Adams there were at least a few people saying in public that the mayor should resign. I was one of them.

Lauderdale now says:

"Right now, people are unfortunately scared to oppose the mayor, because they might want something from him, still," said Lauderdale. "They're scared that he'll stay in power and that he'll punish them. 

Sam Adams has become Portland's Richard Nixon.  But I'm not scared of of the mayor.  I never have been. 

However, I am worried about the direction our wounded mayor is taking the city in.  The City Council is fractured and leaderless and people I know within local government say no one takes the mayor's word and that during the worst of economic times we have a mayor that is almost powerless and when he uses what little influence he has left the policies he advocates are off course. 

The message to Sam Adams from me is still the same as it was in January: resign.

The only difference between then and now is that I've lost what little respect I had left for Adams.  He doesn't have the integrity or the vision to be the mayor of this great city.     

Portland's Homeless Need Your Help To Prevent Budget Cuts

Dear friends,

Programs funded by the Portland City Council that help people who are homeless - for children, families, and single men and women - are still on the cutting block as we speak.

As you may remember, area religious leaders sent a letter to the council asking them to protect these programs. But the council - which seems to be able to find money for tax-payer funded soccer stadiums, hotels, and bridges - may still cut vital programs for those experiencing homelessness.

Holy Week is a busy time. Advocates for the homeless, however, have reached out to me again today asking for help and so I'm asking you.

Street Roots has put together a website where you can quickly and easily send an e-mail to all the members of the Portland City Council asking that they protect programs that benefit the poorest of the poor - those Jesus would have called the least of these.

Visit that site here:

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5474/t/3276/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1307

Please take a moment and do this today.

- Rev. Chuck Currie

Related Link:  Protecting The Least Of These

Easter In Portland 2009

Are you looking for a place to celebrate Easter this Sunday?  Please join us at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ for our 10 am Easter service.  Click here for all the information.

"No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ."

Portland Health Care Panel Discussion on Thursday, April 16th

On Thursday, April 16th from 6-8 pm there will be a health care reform forum at Portland's First Unitarian Church(1011 SW 12th Ave.)  U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer, State Senator Alan Bates and Dr. Mike Huntington with Physicians for a National Health Program will be among the speakers.  The organizers have invited me to moderate the discussion.  Click here for additional information.  The forum is open to the public. 

Made In Oregon: Debate Over The City's Soul

The University of Oregon, located hours from Portland in Eugene, has come into possession of Portland's beloved "Made In Oregon" sign and wants to change the wording and lighting to reflect the university's name and brand.  That's a dumb-ass idea and the take no prisoners approach by U of O officials (they've threaned to let the sign go dark if they don't get their way) reflects badly on the leadership of university president David Frohnmayer.  Riding to the rescue is Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard who wants to use the city's power of eminent domain to take control of the sign before Frohnmayer and his Eugene gang get the chance to damage Portland's skyline.  In the end, this is not a debate about a sign.  This is a debate about who Portland is...a debate about our city's soul.  We're not the gateway to Eugene (we're the home of Portland State University, thank you very much).  We are, however, one of the gateways to Oregon - all of Oregon - and I encourge the city to use every legal tool at their disposal to save the sign for the people of Portland.   

Photo credit:  Commissioner Leonard's blog.

Why I Support Cesar E. Chavez Blvd

Show me the suffering of the most miserable, so I may know my people’s plight.

Free me to pray for others, for you are present in every person.

Help me to take responsibility for my own life, so that I can be free at last.

Grant me courage to serve others, for in service there is true life.

Give me honesty and patience, so that I can work with other workers.

Bring forth song and celebration, so that the Spirit will be alive among us.

Let the Spirit flourish and grow, so that we will never tire of the struggle.

Let us remember those who have died for justice, for they have given us life.

Help us love even those who hate us, so we can change the world. Amen.

- a prayer written by Cesar E. Chavez (1927-1993) 

A two-year debate over whether or not to rename a prominent Portland street after labor activist Cesar E. Chavez is back in the news again as advocates for the change have launched a new push for the move. Grand Avenue, Broadway and NE 39th are the streets under consideration for the name change. A previous proposal to rename Interstate Avenue failed after an acrimonious debate that was sometimes racist in tone. Our nation owes a great deal to Chavez for his moral leadership in organizing and drawing attention to the plight of farm workers. Unfortunately, there is still a great deal of work left to be accomplished in this area. Renaming a Portland street after Chavez would both honor his legacy and lift up the needs of farm workers today. As a resident of a neighborhood that borders both Broadway and NE 39th, I would welcome the move. The United Church of Christ has a long history of supporting the farm worker labor movement and I hope that this proposal receives strong backing not only from members of our denomination in the area but also from all people concerned about social justice.

"Protecting The Least Of These"

The Oregonian has published an op-ed that I wrote - Protecting The Least Of These - concerning deliberations over Portland's budget.  Check it out.

Tell Portland City Council "NO" On Public Funding For Stadium

Action Alert from Onward Oregon

Shouldn't we spend taxpayer money on things that matter?

The Portland City Council is considering throwing millions of taxpayer dollars at a new soccer team. The city is going to cut essential services because of the recession, but powerful interests are pushing them toward this plan.

Studies have consistently shown that building new stadiums provides no economic benefit. While the city cuts essential services, can we really afford a new stadium?

Let our City Council know that taxpayer dollars should go to jobs, not new sports teams.

In asking for public money to change PGE Park into a soccer-only stadium, the planners Merritt Paulson and his father, former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, are asking Portland to take money from schools and poor people to pay for their profit.

Tell the Portland City Council to keep our scarce city dollars out of the Paulsons' pockets.

The City Council is going to decide on the stadium soon. There is a lot of power and money supporting this new "Paulson Plan." What we have is grassroots energy and a love of Portland.

Let the City Council know that this isn't the way we want Portland's money to be used.

The Team at Onward Oregon
www.OnwardOregon.org

Yes, I Still Think Sam Adams Should Resign

The Portland Mercury has an article up talking about the recall effort against Mayor Sam Adams and mentions people - like myself - who feel the mayor should step down for the good of Portland.

My reasons for asking the mayor to resign are the same now as they were in late January.

But I continue to oppose a recall. 

Commissioner Nick Fish Promises To Work For Homeless Youth Funding

Yesterday area religious leaders sent the Portland City Council a letter expressing concern that homeless youth programs might get cut out of the FY 09 budget.  That letter received an immediate response from Commissioner Nick Fish.  The two of us spent the better part of the day trying to clarify whether or not the funding for the homeless youth system was truly in jeopardy.  It came down to an issue of terminology.  Yes, the funding is in jeopardy.  But the 100% proposed cut in the Bureau of Housing and Community Development was called for not by Commissioner Fish but by the city's mandated ranking system.  Confusing?  Yes.  But Commissioner Fish, a longtime supporter of homeless programs and affordable housing, wants religious leaders to know that he will fight for the youth funding.  A letter that he sent late last night underscores his commitment and explains the situation better.

None of the other members of the City Council responded immediately.  We need them to continue to hear from community leaders that this funding is important.  E-mail each of them and ask that they support Commissioner Fish's budget proposals that would fully fund the homeless youth system.

Mayor Adams

mayorsam@ci.portland.or.us

 

Commissioner Fritz

AmandaFritzRN@aol.com

 

Commissioner Leonard

randy@ci.portland.or.us

 

Commissioner Saltzman

dsaltzman@ci.portland.or.us

Here is the text of the letter from Commissioner Fish:

Dear Chuck,

Thank you for contacting me about funding for the Homeless Youth System in the Bureau of Housing and Community Development (BHCD) budget.

My highest priority in these challenging times is to protect the safety net programs that our youth, families, seniors, and people with disabilities depend upon. That is why BHCD's budget request for FY 2009-10 includes an add package seeking continued funding at current levels for the County's Homeless Youth System.

Here are our challenges. The City will have fewer resources than it did last year, and Council will have to make tough budget choices this Spring. BHCD's budget situation is particularly daunting, since approximately 20% of its budget for the current year (FY 2008-09) is made up of 'one-time only' discretionary funding from the City's General Fund. Economic projections prepared by the City's finance office suggest that Council will have little or no discretionary funding to allocate in the FY 2009-10 budget.

To further complicate matters, as part of this budget process, Council required the Bureau to rank all of its programs on two scales: how important the public thinks they are, and how essential they are to carrying out the Bureau's mission. These rankings are on the City's budget website. 'Pass-through' funding to the County for homeless youth system programs received a lower ranking from the Bureau than programs serving homeless adults, because, under Resolution A, the City has primary responsibility for funding the system that serves unaccompanied adults, while the County is the primary sponsor of the systems that serve families with children and youth.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, I will fight to ensure that all safety net programs remain adequately funded next year, and explore every option to identify resources.

BHCD will present its requested budget to City Council on Friday, March 13th. The Mayor will release his proposed budget for the City on or about April 28th. You and other members of the public will have an opportunity to address Council at public hearings before the full City Council on May 20-21. Please watch the City's budget website, www.portlandonline.com/omf/index.cfm?c=26061, for details.

Thank you for your commitment to homeless and at-risk youth. Your participation in the City's budget process helps to ensure that Council's decisions will be sound and well-informed.

Sincerely, Nick Fish

Again, I urge you to contact the other members of the council and impress on them how important it is for Portland to protect programs for vulnerable populations.

Please also write Commissioner Fish and thank him for his leadership on these issues.  His e-mail address is:

 

nick@ci.portland.or.us

Finally, Dr. Kathy Oliver, executive director of Outside In, asked me to share this message with those who signed the letter to the City Council:

Chuck,

Would you please extend my thanks to the leaders in the faith community who signed the letter in support of funding shelter and housing for Portland's homeless youth? 
 
I believe it had an impact.  I'm very appreciative.
Kathy
 
Kathy Oliver, PhD
Executive Director
Outside In

Outside In is a longtime provider of services to homeless youth.  Check out their website to learn more about their important work.

 

Religious Leaders Tell Portland Council To Protect Homeless Youth

March 2, 2008

Press Advisory

For additional information contact
The Rev. Chuck Currie
503-253-5457 or chuck.currie@parkroseucc.org

Religious Leaders Tell Portland Council To Protect Homeless Youth

Religious leaders from across the Portland area today issued a letter to the Portland City Council asking that the council protect programs for homeless youth that are currently being considered for elimination.

The city’s Bureau of Housing and Community Development is requesting that the City Council eliminate 100% of current City funding for both Transitional Housing and Short Term Shelter in the Homeless Youth System.

The letter was signed by representatives of 25 mainline Christian, Evangelical, Orthodox, Roman Catholic and ecumenical churches and / organizations.

“It has been said that every great economic crisis is in reality a great moral crisis. How we treat children is without question one of the most important moral issues of our time. We know from years of research that 80% of homeless youth involved with transitional housing leave the streets. Short Term Shelter is the place where homeless youth first access services and is the place – particularly during cold winter months – where their lives are literally saved,” stated the letter.

Click here to download the letter.

Note For "Friends of Urban Renewal"

¹³The Lord rises to argue his case;
   he stands to judge the peoples.
¹⁴The Lord enters into judgement
   with the elders and princes of his people:
It is you who have devoured the vineyard;
   the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
¹⁵What do you mean by crushing my people,
   by grinding the face of the poor? says the Lord God of hosts.

Isaiah 3:13-15

Related Link:  Two lawsuits stall Portland's efforts to help the homeless and create an employment district  

Recall Sam Adams Group Filled With Cowards

Who is behind the group Recall Sam Adams? No one knows. The Oregonian reports:

No names are attached to the document or the group's Web site, www.RecallSamAdams.com. The site tells reporters that no spokesperson has been chosen and to e-mail requests to the site.

Our democratic political system can only operate successfully when there is transparency. Hiding behind an anonymous website is a cowardly act. These folks clearly have something to hide. 

When I said that Sam Adams should resign it was on my personal site - www.chuckcurrie.com - where people have the ability to freely judge my record and the reasons I offered in calling for a resignation.  Those who want to influence public life need to take responsibility for their actions. 

Related Link:  Two Things I Don't Want: A Recall Or To Be On The Lars Larson Show

Portland Mental Health Program Closes

This e-mail arrived yesterday:

With sadness, I wish to inform you that Samaritan Counseling Centers of Portland will be closing its doors on February 28, 2009.  Our closure is due to the negative effects of this economic time and the reality that needed donations to subsidize care for those with less just isn't available.

Clients of the agency will be notified throughout the month of February.  Most classes scheduled for the month will be held despite the closure.  Many current staff will be ramping down their practices here and moving on to new locations as private providers.  Others will be seeking work with other institutions.  To all, we send our kindest thoughts for success.
 
"We fought the good fight with a mission that is meaningful and necessary but we just haven't been able to weather these tough economic times," said Board Chair Mike Stastny.  "Roughly 50% of the agency budget is from federal sources, 30% from donations and 20% from fees.  We have not been able to realize these funds as there just isn't much extra (money) floating around in the community."
 
Michael Sorensen, MPA, will volunteer to assist existing staff with the agency's closure, ending his 3 plus years as the agency executive director.

Samaritan Counseling Centers has had a 25 year history of providing mental health care, pastoral counseling and skill building education to the greater Portland Metropolitan community.  Thousands of children, individuals and families are healthier today because we have been here to help.

Samaritan Counseling Center has played a special role in the life of Portland for many years.  The program was supported largely by churches and many of the therapists also had background as clergy.  They understood that a healthy spiritual life was important for those seeking good mental health.  I referred parishioners to SCC and I used their services myself after my father's death.

The closure of this important agency points to the growing lack of mental health care in our community and how the economic crisis is impacting non-profits.  We're going to see more of this, I'm afraid. 

Bryan Kellim Played Role In Downtown Portland Shooting

Two teens are dead and others wounded in the worse mass shooting in Portland history.

Bryan Kellim sold Erik S. Ayala the gun that was used and he feels just awful.

"It just makes me sick. I didn't sleep hardly at all last night," Kellim told The Oregonian. "I just feel for the families."

Kellim makes his living putting these weapons of war on the streets at 99 Pawn & Guns off McLoughlin Boulevard, which he owns.  What did he think would happen when he sold the Italian-manufactured EAA Witness 9 mm?

"Each day in America eighty people die from guns. For each gun death, two more are wounded," according to The Brady Center and Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.   

Hopefully the legal system makes Kellim pay some price for his chosen profession.

Related Link:  Learn about ways your community of faith can become involved in these issues by visiting God Not Guns. 

Just Don't Call Lars Larson A Journalist, Please

Nutty old Lars Larson had his producer call again this morning to ask that I be on the show. Once again, I declined. I did, however, tune in for the first hour and heard Larson briefly try to link me with the Sam Adams mess and another Portland scandal that took place twenty years ago. Oddly, he told listeners that I was defending Adams. The mayor might feel differently since I asked him to resign (Larson had even called on Friday to ask me on air why I’d called on the mayor to resign). Lars never mentioned me again during that first hour but he did use the public airways to promote just about every hateful stereotype about gays and lesbians you could come up. Portland’s own Rush Limbaugh-wannabe has become a pathetic excuse for a journalist, a term he sadly clings to.

Update:  Need a little more proof that larson is a hateful bigiot?  Consider this from Media Matters for America:

Radio host Lars Larson played a spoof "Barney Frank for President" advertisement, in which a person said: "Now remember, this Erection Day -- Election Day, vote for Barney Frank for President. I'm Barney Fag -- uh, Frank and I approve this massage -- message." Larson also baselessly suggested that Frank allowed his relationship in the 1990s with a Fannie Mae official to improperly influence his conduct as a member of the House Financial Services Committee. In fact, Frank repeatedly took actions over the years to strengthen oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Mass Shooting In Downtown Portland: Ways Churches Can Help Reduce Gun Violence

Last night there was a mass shooting in downtown Portland that left two teens dead and another seven people injured.  This morning at Parkrose Community United Church of Christ we offered prayers for those impacted by this tradegy.  Communities of faith need to be at the forefront of efforts to reduce gun violence in America.  I encourge those concerned about this issue to visit God Not Guns to learn more.

Two Things I Don't Want: A Recall Or To Be On The Lars Larson Show

My blog post from Thursday calling on Mayor Sam Adams to resign has brought in some feedback and created a little bit of news.  Willamette Week linked to the post yesterday.

A web site called "Recall Sam Adams" is also linking to my site.  I want to be clear that I would oppose a recall election and I am in no way affiliated with this effort.  I do not know the people involved and have never talked with them. 

Lars Larson's producer also called yesterday asking that I come on his show.  I declined.  Larson does more damage to our city and our state on a daily basis with his wild rants and uniformed opinions  than anyone I know.  As a radio talk show host using the public airways his show is essentially paid for by tax-payer money.  He makes his living by dividing our city and attacking our public institutions while living it large through corporate welfare.  If there was a way to "recall" him I'd be all over it.    

Should Sam Adams Resign?

Portlanders have been forced to consider whether or not their newly elected mayor is morally fit to serve in office after Sam Adams admitted to a sexual relationship with a 18 year old he'd first met when the young man was 17 and an intern at the State Capitol. Adams had previously vehemently denied a relationship existed and called whatever type of connection he had with the young man a "mentoring" association.

 

There are several questions worth considering:

 

First, did Adams do anything illegal? Determining legality depends entirely on when the sexual relationship began. Was the young man 17 or 18? 18 is the legal age of consent and Willamette Week, which broke the story, told KGW last night that they had no evidence the affair began before the man was 18. A relationship between two consenting adults shouldn't be a news story. The young man was not an employee of the city.

 

There is more to the story, however. When these allegations first came to light – at the start of the mayoral race when Adams was a city commissioner – he attacked the person spreading the story (a potential political opponent) and said all elements of the story were false. He lied to the people of Portland to further his political career.

 

But even here there is moral ambiguity to wrestle with. Adams now claims that had he first come clean and admitted that he had had an affair with an 18 year old that as a gay man he wouldn't have been believed because of old and false stereotypes about gay men preying on young boys. His fear was legitimate. But in the end he should have had more faith in the ability of Portlanders to understand the details (assuming he is telling the truth now about when the sexual relationship began).

 

Trust is now where the story will end. Can voters trust Sam Adams again? In truth, his winning campaign only succeeded in the fashion it did (with a weak opponent and broad public support) because he lied and never let Portlanders grapple for themselves with these questions. When a politician doesn't trust the people how can the people trust the politician?

 

For what it is worth, I endorsed Adams in his race for mayor. I wouldn't make that same decision today. I'm proud of Sam's courage in being one of the nation's highest ranking openly gay people and I've been impressed with his leadership qualities. It would seem – with the evidence we know – that the cover-up was the real mistake here. How deep that cover-up went is an open question. Willamette Week has suggested that it went far enough that Adams hired a reporter to join the mayor's staff who was totally unqualified for a high paying job. The reporter in question had been digging around this story. Was she hired to shut her up?

 

Whether or not Adams should remain in office rests entirely on whether he can convince Portlanders he still has the integrity to govern. At this moment, for me, it is still an open question.

 

Mayor Adam's First 100 Days: Poverty Missing From Agenda

Letter sent 01/09/08 via e-mail

Dear Mr. Mayor:

Congratulations on your recent swearing in.

This evening I had the opportunity to read your ambitious First 100 Days Agenda.  I personally support many of the goals but was concerned to not read about any concentrated effort to combat poverty.   

First, the emphasis you place on public education is particularly important.  As you know, education is the key to a better future for Portland's children.  The United Church of Christ has been a long-time advocate of public education.

Portland Public Schools receive no funding from the city of Portland or Multnomah County to assist Project Return, the nationally award winning program to help homeless children succeed in school (Multnomah County, however, does support a failed model of educating children that is so inadequate that it is illegal to use federal dollars to fund such programs). 

Likewise, your emphasis on economic development is important.  We need to focus our public resources on neighborhoods that were left behind during the 1990s.  Portland is more than the Pearl District.  The decision to hold your swearing-in at Parkrose High School sent a clear message that you intend to be the mayor of all of Portland.   

Your proposed local economic stimulus plan is the only area where you mention the needs of low-income workers.  But what we need from your office is bold leadership on this issue that focuses on the goal of poverty reduction.

I would urge you to amend your First 100 Days Agenda to include a section on poverty reduction.  You list perhaps two dozen or more specific tasks you hope to undertake to support the arts in Portland.  Do the same for the issue of poverty.  Name a committee of leaders representing a broad section of Portland to help you develop such a plan.  Poverty is a growing problem locally and nationally and it will take both federal and local efforts to address growing human needs. 

My offer for Parkrose Community United Church of Christ to host a meeting of religious leaders willing to meet with you to discuss your plans still stands.

Please let me know if I can provide you with any assistance.

Sincerely,

The Rev. Chuck Currie

Cold Weather Means Help Needed In Portland

If you have clothing donations (or cash donations for that matter) for those doing without consider getting in touch with Snow-Cap, Transition Projects, Outside In or the Goose Hollow Family Shelter.  These agencies need your help.  The cold weather reminds us of year-round problems.

Photos of the 12/14/08 Portland Snow Storm

Parkrose Community United Church of Christ

Katherine and Frances

Hazel

I'd been hoping against hope all week that it wouldn't snow today.  We had our all-church Christmas Pageant scheduled for this morning.  When I first woke-up it looked like we'd have a green light.  But it became clear as I drove up Sandy Blvd towards the church there were going to be problems.  Cars were sliding all over the place and soon my iPhone started ringing with messages from parishioners stuck at home or on one of the freeways.  Only about 25 people showed up for worship and most of the pageant participants were among the missing.  We made the best of it and sang Christmas carols before I offered a short Communion service.  Then it was back into the car where at one point I flew through a stop sign before landing safely at home with the twins.  We made another short trip out to a birthday party the girls were set on attending (Liz put chains on the car before we left) and then I took Hazel to the park.  Now we're just going to settle in for the big freeze.

 

Letter To Portland City Council Regarding Anti-Camping Ordinance

Dear members of the Portland City Council:

The Oregon Law Center has filed suit in federal court arguing that the city of Portland's anti-camping ordinance is unconstitutional.

As you know, the ordinance has been used to cite, fine and arrest people who are experiencing homelessness in our community even when emergency shelter is not available to everyone who might seek it.

I want to take a moment to reaffirm my personal opposition to the anti-camping ordinance. The ordinance was enacted to target people based simply on their economic and housing status. Sadly, it has been used to "clean-up" Portland's image – to in affect hide the problem of homelessness – during the Rose Festival and other public times. The Oregon Law Center has no doubt made good legal arguments against this ordinance. What I hope the Portland City Council continues to wrestle with is the moral implications of the issue.

The current members of the council deserve praise for working diligently to reduce homelessness in our city. Portland has made progress during difficult times. Hundreds if not thousands of people have moved from homelessness into housing. As Mayor Potter prepares to leave office I want to especially thank him for his leadership on these issues. I'm confident that Mayor Adams, working with Commissioner Fish and others, will make more head way.

Despite our common efforts we all know that homelessness has increased, not decreased, and that over time homelessness has become a problem not faced by alcoholics and drug addicts alone but also by families and veterans. All of these people regardless of circumstance deserve our help. No one should live a third world life in a first world nation.

I have worked for over twenty years in opposition to the anti-camping ordinance because to arrest people under such circumstances violates the civil rights of people who are homeless, because the ordinance is unethical, and because I know we can do better as a community.

Sincerely, The Rev. Chuck Currie

Christmas Eve In Portland

It’s Christmas Eve in Portland.

And you’re invited.

Parkrose Community United Church of Christ

105th and NE Wygant (just off Sandy Blvd.)

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

7 pm

The Rev. Chuck Currie, preaching

No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you’re welcome at  Parkrose Community United Church of Christ.

Call 503-253-5457 or visit www.parkroseucc.org for additional information

The Peace Bubble Cafe Came To Town

The people of Parkrose Community United Church of Christ and Zion United Church of Christ held a joint worship service this morning at Portland's Blue Lake Park.  This followed Saturday's Peace Bubble Cafe Fair & Concert held on Saturday at Parkrose High School.  The Rev. Jerry Leggett, creator of the Peace Bubble Cafe, preached this morning on Luke 6:27-31.  Above Jerry leads songs during this morning's worship service.  Below is a photo from Saturday's concert.  More photos and video to come soon!

Jury Duty - Free At Last

Turns out they didn't want me on a jury after all.  Actually, they kicked all but 20 people out of the room and told us to go home.  So now I have time to work on my sermon before heading down to Eugene to watch my nephew play baseball.

Jury Duty - Hour Two

My cell mates fellow jurors and I have been in captivity now the jury room waiting for two hours and forty-five minutes.  No one has been called for a case.  We have, however, been offered the opportunity twice now to stand up and get something to drink.  The Today Show has been replaced by a program about Superman's adolescence.  Thankfully, I'm far enough away from the TV that it is hardly audible.  I'm using the time to start William Faulkner's Intruder In the Dust, which begins with the arrival of the sheriff to see Lucas Beauchamp, a black man arrested for the murder of a white man in the Old South. 

The book - along with sitting in a courthouse with a lot of time on my hands - started to remind me of an NPR story that ran a few days ago about prison conditions at Sana Quentin:

All Things Considered, July 7, 2008 · From the moment you walk through the metal doors of what was once Sana Quentin's gymnasium, all you can see are men and bunk beds. Packed together from front wall to back, more than 360 inmates live here because there's no room anywhere else.

A lone correctional officer, Michael McClain, sits on a riser in the middle of the gym, about 6 feet off the floor. Below, the conversations are loud and tense.

"It can get ugly. It can go at any moment, just at the drop of a hat," he says, watching the floor.

The gym is not the only room packed in this way. Officials at Sana Quentin, located in upscale Marin County, less than an hour from Sana Francisco, have set up beds in every available indoor space except the chapel.

Sending inmates to other California prisons isn't an option. In just the past 10 years, the state's already high prison population doubled. Now all of California's prisons are at twice or three times their capacity. And California is not alone: More than 30 states nationwide now house more inmates than their prisons were built for.

Cramming all these inmates into aging facilities has had clear results at Sana Quentin: an increase in violence, filth, racial tensions and the likelihood that inmates will keep coming back. At the same time, prison officials say they have no room for the programs that help inmates stay out — meaning that overcrowding has led to even more overcrowding.

Click here to listen / read the entire story.  What's clear is that our justice system is a mess.  Our policies help create the very criminals we then incarcerate.  A real plan to fight crime and to make our neighborhoods safer would include a massive expansion of mental health programs and alcohol and drug treatment facilities.  Politicians know this but you win votes not by presenting complicated plans that get at the root of societal problems.  Most of the time - unfortunately - you win votes by promising just to lock people up...no matter the long term costs.      

Jury Duty – Hour One

This morning I find myself at the Multnomah County Courthouse where I have been summoned to sit on a jury. More likely is that I've been summoned to sit in the jury waiting room for the next eight hours. The idea that anyone would actually sit me on a jury seems somewhat absurd. After all, I'm a minister / blogger - the worst of all combinations. I have opinions on everything. Besides that my nephew is playing in a baseball game down in Eugene tonight that I wanted to catch. But I'll do my bit for king and country today as any responsible citizen would. Even if I believe the justice system is – like many public institutions – built around the idea of protecting those with institutional power and unfairly targets those with little or no means to mount a reasonable defense.