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Portland Metro People’s Coalition Reading List

Introduction

This essay introduces two municipal movements (Richmond, California and Barcelona, Spain) which are explored further in our reading list and argues that combining deep organizing with electoral politics can transform our cities.

“Building Power in the City,” Johanna Brenner https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2o0nbPMrfwab1BSYUdLeTBMOGM/view?usp=sharing

Section I: Envisioning a Democratic City

Because cities serve as the centers of global capital, they hold great potential as spaces of social struggle against capital, particularly by bringing participatory democracy to life. Social movements worldwide are inventing new strategies for challenging the ruling apparatus and democratizing government so power can be wielded for the needs of the many instead of the few.

Right to the City (RttC) evokes geographer David Harvey’s book, Rebel Cities, and calls for a movement that links intersectional, anti-gentrification struggles to other movements against economic and social oppression. RttC envisions a national alliance built through shared principles and a common theory of change.

http://righttothecity.org/about/mission-history/

YES Magazine offers ideas about transitional reforms that shift away from the market and toward building the commons, in the sense of creating democratic forms of governing, finance, and production. They are not reforms that are easily won, but they are not impossible either—and have been or are currently being implemented in at least one city.

“Six Practical Steps Toward Building The Next System From the Ground Up”

http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/6-ways-were-already-leading-an-economic-revolution-20160907

Building Counter-power in Jackson Mississippi—Malcolm X Grassroots Movement

This article traces the history and functioning of “The Jackson Plan” in Jackson, Mississippi, rooting it in slave-era resistance, civil-rights organizing, and grassroots disaster relief after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The central element is a three-part plan of building people’s assemblies, a network of progressive candidates, and a “solidarity economy.” The aim is to develop dual power, meaning power outside the state while not ignoring opportunities within the state to negate repression, counter capital flight, and build the “commons” from healthcare and transportation to the democratic transformation of the economy. The strategy is being implemented through campaigns around youth education and skill-building, urban farming, worker organizing, and local elections.

https://mxgm.org/the-jackson-plan-a-struggle-for-self-determination-participatory-democracy-and-economic-justice/

Why the Municipal Movement Must be Internationalist

This article, written by activists in Barcelona En Comu, describes how democratic municipal movements can create links, share strategies, such as the feminization of politics, support other struggles, and build an international network.

https://medium.com/@BComuGlobal/why-the-municipal-movement-must-be-internationalist-fc290bf779f3#.saiv1s7bb

Section II: Social Movements and City Politics

These readings illustrate how progressive social movements in Barcelona, Spain, and Richmond, California, took power through the electoral process. It details how organizers built bases of support in the community, assembled coalitions, and decided on campaigns and platforms democratically, turning despair into hope. Significantly, these accounts tell their stories “warts and all,” examining the many challenges and setbacks they encountered, and how they tried to overcome them.

Barcelona

Win the City Guide

Barcelona en Comu: Activists in Barcelona share their strategy and structure for a democratic city including the use of neighborhood assemblies and democratic engagement with technology to draft a platform to gain power.

https://barcelonaencomu.cat/sites/default/files/win-the-city-guide.pdf

Cities in Transition and Citizen Struggles

This article offers some highlights from a conference where Spanish and French municipal activists shared ideas about winning power and governing in radically democratic ways.

http://commonstransition.org/common-space-for-exchange-cities-in-transition-and-citizen-struggles/

Tools for Democracy

For further exploration of tools for democratic municipal movements, see the Commons Transition Platform which provides practical experiences and policy proposals aimed toward a more egalitarian, just, and environmentally stable society. (The Commons means the collaborative stewardship of our shared resources.)

Also related to this type of work is D-CENT, a European project for open, secure, tools for direct democracy and empowerment.

Richmond Progressive Alliance

Origins of RPA

For years dominated by a Chevron refinery that polluted the environment and politics, this poor, multi-racial city of 100,000 people has been transformed by activists without electoral experience who defeated corporate money and entrenched city corruption to win power and institute progressive policies in their city. This collection of internal documents, from RPA’s first meeting notes and handmade flyers to the “People’s Congress” platform, is an inside look at how a scrappy, persistent group of devoted activists achieved their vision of a democratic city for the people.

http://www.richmondprogressivealliance.org/Docs/pre/RPA_Origins.pdf

RPA: Defeating Big Money in Politics

RPA member Mike Parker describes how the RPA cleaned up toxic sites, fought union busting, raised corporate taxes, required police to end their cooperation with ICE, reduced gun violence, banned the box on employment forms, decreased homelessness, hired a new police chief who focused on community policing, and provided assistance for worker-owned coops. But Chevron is always able to outspend the all-volunteer effort, and the RPA continues to face serious challenges from national policy to the pressures of a global economy.

http://www.richmondprogressivealliance.org/Docs/pre/RPAHist2-mp.pdf

Section III. A Just Transition to a Sustainable City

These articles explore the concept of a sustainable city and offer great examples of linking social and economic justice to environmental sustainability. They demonstrate that visionary ideals can be embedded in practical organizing.

A Vision of Cooperation Jackson and the Our Power Campaign to make Jackson (MS) a “Sustainable City”

http://www.cooperationjackson.org/blog/2015/11/10/the-jackson-just-transition-plan

Labor Network for Sustainability

http://www.labor4sustainability.org/post/a-just-transition/

 

Twenty local organizations and coalitions have unanimously ratified this Portland-Metro People’s Bill of Rights and 2018 Policy Platform (the “People’s Platform”) at the inaugural Portland-Metro People’s Convention on April 14, 2018.

The Bill of Rights offers a positive vision of a Portland-Metro area that’s a healthy, nurturing and thriving place for everyone and every community who calls it home—not just an enclave of the 1%. It was built in consultation with dozens of organizers in the Portland-Metro area since the 2016 election and is a living document that can be changed over time.

The 2018 Policy Platform has specific policies nestled under each right that participating organizations are actively working on to put these rights into practice.

Participating Organizations include 350PDX, AFSCME Local 88, Alliance for Democracy, BerniePDX, Climate Action Coalition, Climate Jobs PDX, Milenio, Municipal Broadband PDX, Oregon Fair Trade Campaign, Portland Chapter of Democratic Socialists of America, Portland Forward, Portland Harbor Community Coalition, Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition, Portland Jobs with Justice, Portland Teachers for Social Justice, Portland Tenants United, Right 2 Survive, Sisters of the Road, Stop Fracked Gas PDX, Sustainability and Justice Emerging Series.

On April 23, the Portland-Metro People’s Coalition sent 38 candidates and elected officials a survey, requesting their responses to the People’s Platform. They were given the option of YES, NO and OTHER with space to explain their position on each right and policy. Ten of 20 candidates have responded so far along with their positions below. We invite all candidates, elected officials and the public to record their support for the People’s Platform.

Do you support the Portland-Metro People’s Bill of Rights
and 2018 Policy Platform?

Take the survey HERE and tell us where you stand!

RIGHT #1: All Portland-Metro residents have the right to live in communities free from the fear of physical and mental harm. Portland-Metro area safety policies will prioritize decriminalization, harm reduction, prevention and care, rather than punishment, exclusion, profiling, threats and retaliation.

• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – YES
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – YES

POLICY #1A: DECRIMINALIZE HOUSELESSNESS. The Right to Rest Ordinance prohibits discrimination in public spaces based on housing status. This ordinance protects unhoused people’s right to protect themselves from the elements. Criminalizing necessary life-sustaining activities like sitting, lying, resting or eating in public when someone has nowhere else to do these things further entrenches people in houselessness. Ending the criminalization of houseless people is an essential component of ending houselessness in our communities.

• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – YES
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – OTHER: I support decriminalizing homelessness but this particular ordinance is specific to Portland. My seat represents Clackamas County.
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – YES

POLICY #1B: SANCTUARY CITY. The city of Portland will establish an Office of Immigrant Support Services, including a universal immigrant legal defense fund ensuring legal support to all immigrants, including legal support in all interactions with ICE/DHS. Additionally, the Portland Police will not collaborate with ICE and there will be Rapid Response to all ICE raids/interactions. As a Sanctuary City, Portland residents have a right to live in a safe community. The City will protect “sensitive locations” (schools at all grades–from preschool through colleges, child care facilities, health facilities, religious locations, civic and religious ceremonies such as funerals, weddings, courthouses, public spaces such as parks, parades, demonstrations, and rallies). The City will ensure residents’ safety in these spaces and will challenge any actions of any of the branches of the Dept. of Homeland Security if actions occur in any of these sensitive locations. Portland residents have the right to be safe at their places of employment. The City will facilitate “Know Your Rights” trainings for employers to protect all employees’ identities and sensitive information.

• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – YES
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – OTHER: I support this with the caveat that it is for all people who are oppressed.
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – OTHER: I support all sanctuary communities and will work to achieve this in Clackamas County
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – OTHER: We need to change and simplify our immigration system and offer a no cost process to the imigrant and case worker assigned to each person or family to become a citizen of they wish to.
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – YES

POLICY #1C: POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY. When officers use deadly force against civilians, Independent Police Review will immediately take charge of investigating, not the Police Department themselves. The IPR will have subpoena powers. These changes will be incorporated into the city’s 2020 contract with the Portland Police Association and bargaining between the city and the PBA will be open to the public (as was the case in 2013 and 2015).

• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – OTHER – I do not support IPR investigating police because they have not done a good job thus far. I would recommend that we get an independent investigator for any officer involved shooting. IPR as it stands has no independent power of its own; I definitely support the contract and bargaining being open to the public.
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – OTHER: My position represents Clackamas County and these changes don’t impact my district.
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – OTHER: This is not a policy decision for the office I am seeking and I do not have the background information to make and informed decision.
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – YES

POLICY #1D: SHIFT RESOURCES FROM POLICING. In the name of “public safety,” the city turns over more and more money to surveillance and incarceration. Punitive measures do not yield safe communities. Targeted cuts to the police budget should be made with funds re-allocated to invest in mental health services.

• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – OTHER: I want to move Police back to just policing – police will not solve our housing issues or mental health issues. I believe we should redirect those funds to programs that get people off the streets and away from harm.
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – OTHER: I absolutely agree that punitive measures do not yield safe communities. The police budget should be informed by data about crime rates, including number of high priority calls for service versus low to medium priority calls for service. Data from the City Budget Office indicates that overall crime rates are low relative to the historical trend on numbers of sworn police officers, which would support a reduction in force.
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – OTHER: Yes, and in partnership with County Community Health workers
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – OTHER: Again, this is a policy specific to the City of Portland and not to any communities in Clackamas County
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – OTHER: More funds need to be allocated towards mental health services as a basic right.
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – YES

RIGHT #2: All Portland-Metro residents have the right to affordable, accessible, stable and safe housing, free from discrimination.

• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – YES
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – YES

POLICY #2A: IMMIGRANT AND UNDOCUMENTED TENANT SANCTUARY ORDINANCE. Legislation should be enacted to make housing discrimination and/or retaliation as a consequence of immigrant, refugee or undocumented status illegal.

• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – YES
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – OTHER: Yes, along with any persons who have section 8 or other housing vouchers
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – YES

POLICY #2B: NO EVICTION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION. When tenants get an eviction notice, they often don’t know their rights, don’t understand the process, and cannot afford an attorney. The city/county/metro must guarantee that every tenant has an attorney in eviction in court if they want one, regardless of their ability to pay.

• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – OTHER: Yes; the City should determine a legal task force to determine how we can cover those costs for legal representation for any tenant facing eviction.
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – YES

RIGHT #3: All Portland-Metro residents have the right to free public education from pre-K through college that is equitably and adequately funded, that focuses on both vocational training and critical thinking, that uses authentic assessments, is culturally inclusive and directly addresses the ongoing history of oppressed communities in terms of access, content, and pedagogy.

• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – YES
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – YES

RIGHT #4: All Portland-Metro residents have the right to local government that is transparent, accountable, and participatory, that guarantees equal rights under the law, and is elected by the will of the people, not the will of money.

• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – YES
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – OTHER: Yes, Government for the people by the people according to the Preamble of the constitution.
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – YES

POLICY #4A. CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM. Money is the largest influencer of political decision-making at all levels of government, including the city. The presence of large contributions from special interests discourages people from running for office, makes people distrust their government and therefore undermines our democracy. Almost 90% of Multnomah County voters approved strict limits in the November 2017 elections. The City of Portland shall enact the same or similar restrictions on campaign contributions/expenditures and requirements for disclosure of true funders of campaigns as Multnomah County has done.

• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – OTHER: Campaigns shall be funded by the City to ensure a fair, transparent and accessible race.
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – YES
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – OTHER: I support this with the caveat of the limit has to be based on the fact grassroot candidates have been held out.The Amount is $10000 not $500 because that is too limited.
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – OTHER: I support this policy in general and would support it in Clackamas County and its various communities
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – YES

RIGHT #5: All Portland-Metro residents have the right to local government that is funded well enough to provide the services our community needs. Households and businesses should be taxed according to their ability to pay: Wealthy individuals and big businesses will pay a higher proportion of their incomes in taxes and fees so lower income people and small business can pay less.

• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – YES
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – OTHER: Yes, with the accountability of dollars spent and outcomes of how spent.
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – YES

RIGHT #6: All Portland-Metro residents have the right to live in a community that promotes health, defined as a state of complete physical, mental, social, and cultural and environmental well-being, and not merely the absence of disease.

• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – YES
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – YES

RIGHT #7: All Portland-Metro residents have the right to live in a city in which economic policies advance the needs of the many, not the privileged few. Public goods should be expanded and economic development should increase democratic decision-making and participation. The right to collectively bargain should be protected.

• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – YES
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – OTHER: I do not have the background at this time to make an informed decision.
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – YES

POLICY #7A: MUNICIPAL BANK. Ordinance establishing a city-owned Municipal Public Bank that keeps our money in Portland, investing in the things we need, and creates new non-tax revenues for our public treasury in the process. Our municipal bank’s mission is to serve the interest of the people of Portland to create healthy, secure communities through affordable housing, low-cost student loans, small business lending and greatly reducing the cost of public infrastructure. The municipal bank would partner with already existing community banks and credit unions. A public bank could help end the cycle of more debt, more taxes, and cutting of public services.

• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – OTHER: I would be open to learning more about a municipal banking system and how it would work on a city scale versus successes like North Dakota which was a state banking system.
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – OTHER: I need to learn more about this.
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – OTHER: Sounds good but because the city is a corporation how do you break this monopoly
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – OTHER: Again, this is specific to the City of Portland
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – OTHER: I would need to do more research on this concept

POLICY #7B: MUNICIPAL BROADBAND. Seeks to create a publicly-owned and operated fiber optic broadband internet utility—built to serve our community. Municipal Broadband will protect Net Neutrality, provide gigabit speeds at lower cost than current large monopolistic internet service providers, and will create a modern infrastructure that will provide technical and economic benefits to Portland Metro residents and businesses for decades. The buildout of the fiber network (funded by bonds and paid back over time by subscribers) and operation of the internet utility will create family-wage STEM jobs and generate economic opportunities for marginalized and under-resourced communities, including communities of color—and subsidized broadband will help close the current gap of the 30% of low-income households without broadband.

• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – YES
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – OTHER: Again, a Portland specific action
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• RIGHT #8: All Portland-Metro residents have the right to publicly-owned transportation that is equitable, comprehensive, affordable, accessible, democratic, and guided by the principles of environmental justice.
• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – YES
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – YES

RIGHT #9: All Portland-Metro residents have the right to live in a city that is environmentally and socially just and sustainable.

• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – YES
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – OTHER: I support this, but many communities in Clackamas County are not ‘cities’
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – YES

POLICY #9A: ORDINANCE ESTABLISHES A PORTLAND CLIMATE ACTION COMMUNITY BENEFIT FUND. The fund will finance: 1) clean energy and energy efficiency projects that target low income communities and communities of color, 2) green infrastructure projects and sustainable local food production, 3) clean jobs training, apprenticeship programs and contractor support initiatives prioritizing economically disadvantaged and traditionally under-employed workers including communities of color, women, persons with disabilities and the chronically underemployed. To finance the Community Benefit Fund, large retailers (those with a billion dollars in national sales and a half million locally) will be required to pay a surcharge of 1% on gross revenues from retail sales in Portland, excluding basic groceries, medicines and health care service.

• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – YES
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – OTHER: I support work around Climate Action, which Metro is undertaking on behalf of the entire region.
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – NO
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – YES

POLICY #9B: The City, Metro, Port of Portland, and other responsible parties shall adopt a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) for the Superfund clean-up of the Willamette River. The CBA will be developed by communities disproportionately impacted by Portland Harbor toxins, who will sign onto the legal agreement with agencies. *Impacted communities: Native Americans, Black/African American, Immigrants, Refugees, and Houseless. The CBA will have benefits and standards for impacted communities, including: Construction (Cleanup & Restoration), including contracting (standards created pre-bid process, and enforced to all sub-contractors via CBA) and workforce (All contractors and sub-contractors will be binded via CBA); Public Access, Land Ownership, and Stewardship, including public access, land ownership, stewardship of wetlands; Health Awareness and Health Policy, including Health Awareness, Education, and Outreach; Community Health Funding and Health Policy Recommendations; Recreation; Pollution Control, Disposal, and Transportation; Ongoing Oversight of Water, Air, and River Sediment Toxins, including community stakeholders in leadership; Future Economic/Housing Development; and Community Grants and Endowment.

• Julia DeGraw, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Philip Wolfe, Portland City Council, Position 2 – YES
• Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Council, Position 3 – OTHER: Yes to CBA, assuming that there are accountability measures built in to ensure that these impacted communities actually benefit from it as intended.
• Maria Garcia, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Susheela Jayapal, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Sharon Maxwell, Multnomah County Commissioner, District 2 – YES
• Joe Buck, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Betty Dominguez, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Carol Pauli, Metro Council, District 2 – YES
• Dana Carstensen, Metro Council, District 4 – YES
• Juan Carlos Gonzalez, Metro Council, District 4 – YES

Do you support the Portland-Metro People’s Bill of Rights
and 2018 Policy Platform?

Take the survey HERE and tell us where you stand!

Please fill out the form below to contact us, and we will get back to you right away.

 

Around the world people are organizing to take power in their cities.

In the Portland metro area, a municipalist movement is also taking shape. In 2018, voters elected Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, a progressive leader and the first African-American woman on City Council. Progressive ballot measures such as the Portland Clean Energy Initiative (PCEI), Honest Elections and Yes to Affordable Housing passed by overwhelming margins. These victories provide an unprecedented opportunity for grassroots forces to change our region for the better in 2019-2020.

Our goal is to create a Portland metro area that’s a healthy and nurturing place for everyone and every community who calls it home, and not just an enclave of the 1%. Toward that end, the Portland-Metro People’s Coalition (PMPC) is building a cross-issue coalition of grassroots organizations to join forces, amplify our initiatives and begin to strategize how to build a unified and broad-based progressive movement capable of building an urban commons for the 99%.

History

After the 2016 elections, following models of successful municipalist movements in other cities (see our Case Studies page), we began convening groups of local organizers to identify, debate and approve a Bill of Rights that establishes our ambitious vision for the future. Since these rights have broad support on the left, this would be one way to begin to work together on common ground. In the fall of 2017, we went on a listening tour to hear what grassroots community groups were working on and how we could support each other. Then, under each right, we added policies that organizations were currently developing to form a single platform in order to have a material goal to struggle for collectively.  

The process is just as important. On April 14, 2018, after meeting with over 40 organizations, we held an inaugural People’s Convention to ratify the Bill of Rights and Policy Platform (the People’s Platform) to help us develop mutual respect, trust, healthy relationships—and popular power. Twenty organizations agreed to participate and voted unanimously to support the Platform and to work together to pass it. After creating a democratic internal structure approved by Delegates of the twenty PMPC Participating Organizations, we now hold bimonthly Delegate Assemblies, where these representatives can advance our shared policy goals and strategize ways to build grassroots power.

By creating a culture of solidarity and acting together in a unified voice, our intention is to move beyond transactional one-on-one relationships to a transformative organizing model. While we recognize the importance of tactics like solidarity calendars, protests, teach-ins and single-issue organizing campaigns, our focus is to fill a vital missing role in the Portland-Metro area: to act as a coordinated strategic body to research, develop and pass policy to win, build and leverage people power to create a popular progressive movement to expand the commons.

A unified Portland-Metro People’s Coalition with a clear agenda will allow us to win policies that truly represent our interests. We also need power to hold officials accountable once in office and to counter the biased media, unaccountable corporations, and right-wing billionaires who every day seek to thwart progressive ideas and representatives.  Having unity means we can bring pressure to bear in many ways, from drafting legislation and testifying at hearings to creative protest and direct action.

Our goal is to build and strengthen popular movements striving for a just, egalitarian, and liberatory society for all. Please join us.