Portland Mayor Tom Potter and the City Council will proclaim July 11, 2007 as
“an Official Day of Appreciation for State Senator Avel Gordly.”
The ceremony will take place at 9:30 a.m. time certain, Wednesday July 11 in City Council Chambers.
Here is the link to the Proclamation:
http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=161189
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
Oregon Governor Kulongoski signs the (towing) bills!
L-R
Dylan Ordonez (staff for Senator Ryan Deckert),
Sam Sachs, Sean Cruz, Sabina Shaughnessy (staff for Senator Avel Gordly),
Representative Paul Holvey,
Senator Gordly
Shawn Miller
Attorney General
Hardy Myers
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Oregon Governor Kulongoski to sign bills reining in predatory patrol towing
On Monday, June 25, Governor Ted Kulongoski will sign Senate Bill 116 and Senate Bill 431 into law in his ceremonial office.
Both bills passed the House and Senate on votes that were unanimous, enthusiastic, and even gleeful.
Patrol towers, we learned, are pariahs even in their own industry.
Most towers “just say no” to patrol towing, but the few that do engage in the practice have built a business model in Oregon that is flatly illegal in other states, including California and Washington.
In the absence of regulations, Oregon patrol towers allied themselves with some property owners to create what in effect are private fiefdoms, where tow truck drivers working on commission make all of the judgment calls, where the towing companies have the power to impound vehicles, levy charges against those vehicles and assess their value at auction, and where absentee landlords refuse to accept responsibility for the wrongful practices, outrageous pricing and thuglike behavior that they permit their towing contractors to engage in on their private property.
Change is gonna come; in fact, change is HERE!
One of the key indicators of the changes on their way will be watching the numbers drop at Hacienda CDC’s properties in NE Portland.
Over the past two years, Hacienda’s patrol towers racked up more than 300 tows from their 328 or so apartment units alone, a staggering number compared to other apartment complexes in the same neighborhoods.
Hacienda CDC’s leadership continues to claim that they know nothing about the actions of “an independent entity’s towing” practices on Hacienda’s properties, and wouldn’t be responsible even if they did know. And they sure don’t want to know.
This adds up to negligence in my book.
More on this later.
Both bills passed the House and Senate on votes that were unanimous, enthusiastic, and even gleeful.
Patrol towers, we learned, are pariahs even in their own industry.
Most towers “just say no” to patrol towing, but the few that do engage in the practice have built a business model in Oregon that is flatly illegal in other states, including California and Washington.
In the absence of regulations, Oregon patrol towers allied themselves with some property owners to create what in effect are private fiefdoms, where tow truck drivers working on commission make all of the judgment calls, where the towing companies have the power to impound vehicles, levy charges against those vehicles and assess their value at auction, and where absentee landlords refuse to accept responsibility for the wrongful practices, outrageous pricing and thuglike behavior that they permit their towing contractors to engage in on their private property.
Change is gonna come; in fact, change is HERE!
One of the key indicators of the changes on their way will be watching the numbers drop at Hacienda CDC’s properties in NE Portland.
Over the past two years, Hacienda’s patrol towers racked up more than 300 tows from their 328 or so apartment units alone, a staggering number compared to other apartment complexes in the same neighborhoods.
Hacienda CDC’s leadership continues to claim that they know nothing about the actions of “an independent entity’s towing” practices on Hacienda’s properties, and wouldn’t be responsible even if they did know. And they sure don’t want to know.
This adds up to negligence in my book.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Oregon State Senator Avel Gordly Speaks Out on Immigration!
June 15, 2007
From the Office of Senator Avel Gordly
Contact: Sean Cruz, Chief of Staff (503) 986-1723 or reply to this email
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” –Martin Luther King, Jr.
Constituent responses to Immigration statement
My office has received numerous responses to my previous statement in support of Mayor Tom Potter on the recent immigration raid in North Portland, both pro and con.
Many of those who wrote in opposition made exaggerated or erroneous claims, including lumping the lettuce choppers arrested in North Portland with the terrorists who hijacked airliners on September 11 and turned them into bombs.
Others did not understand that both Mayor Potter and I spoke against the misallocation of limited and costly law enforcement resources to make wholesale arrests of people trying to survive at the bottom of the wage-earning ladder instead of focusing on the hard-core criminal elements that pose real risks to public safety.
Many of the negative comments my office has received could have been (and were) used in previous anti-immigrant and race-based campaigns against Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, African and other populations.
The same level of hate has been leveled against African Americans since the founding of the nation, regardless of citizenship and the fact that they were brought here against their will and in chains, and against Native Americans, who have suffered loss and marginalization without cessation throughout our history.
It is a legacy of shame, and its inheritors are among us still.
Perhaps the saddest part of the hostile comments is the lack of compassion these writers feel for the poor among us, for what we are experiencing as an evolving nation is the migration of the poor.
Who among us would not migrate if we had to, in order to support our families, in order to survive? These are human beings, and they deserve a solution grounded in compassion.
–Senator Avel Gordly June 15, 2007
Comments from constituents in support of the statement regarding the immigration raids include the following:
I totally agree, thank you. Terry F.
Thank you for your support. Veronica B.
This is an excellent statement. Thank you. Judy C.
You go, Avel! Thank you! Your statement was brave and eloquent, and, as I hope you know, you spoke for so many of us. - Virginia
Dear Senator Gordly, I was sickened by the immigration raid, but I must say, it fanned the fires in me to be even more supportive of hard working immigrants, legal or not. I tried to express exactly what you expressed below, just this morning, to my family, who whole-heartedly agree with me. I want to thank you for having the courage to take a direct stand on this issue, as you have for so many divisive issues. Have you thought about running for President? {{:-} Casey M.
I thank you for joining with Mayor Potter to denounce this event. Yolanda
Dear Avel, Good for you. Thanks so much for breathing some sanity into the immigration discussion. I also was outraged by the raids. What a sickening use of our tax money. Thanks for speaking out. It's an honor to have you as my state senator. Best, Bill
Senator Gordly, Thank you for the email. Thank you for caring about things that matter. It is unfortunate our tax payer dollars are distributed in such a wasteful manner. I grieve for the families that are being torn apart just because they want to work to make a better life for themselves and their families. Since our health care is suffering from such a shortage, I wish there was a way to train those who desire to work to take care of the health needs of others. Those who show mercy will receive mercy. Mo
Senator Gordly: Thank you for your email and the support you have given to Mayor Potter. I applaud you both for your strong statements in the face of misguided federal actions that echo the senseless, unkind, negative behavior we see here at home and in foreign countries. This is no way for America to be the leader it can be. Respectful behavior earns respect, and at this point, America is not gaining respect here or abroad by its actions. Thank you again for your good work in many areas. Peace for us ALL! Kirk
Thank you for your statement on the atrocities of the Federal Government's actions towards America's immigrant workers. While hearing on the radio about what happened yesterday, I thought, first off about how I had just listened to a farmer talk about the extreme need for agriculture workers. Then when I heard about how they took the people they arrested to holding cells up in Washington, my thoughts turned to what message our country really is sending to the world. I think it's proof that we really haven't advanced ourselves as intelligent, caring people. What's really behind all the bully tactics and hate propaganda towards people who have not committed any real crimes - they're just working hard to try and survive in this very messed up world? Bev and Paul
Dear Senator Gordly, Thank you for your very courageous public stance on the very contentious issue of immigration. The irony is that our laws are now written in such a way that there is no legal way for the foreign workers on which the U.S. economy depends for agriculture, construction, and the hospitality industry to immigrate to the U.S. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, hordes of immigrants arrived here by boat and were welcomed to our shores without having to pay hefty fees or endure a years long visa application process. Now we have laws which would have made most of our forebears illegal immigrants. It is imperative that we create rational legislation which provides a legal route for our workforce to enter this country and work here. I also do not agree that all undocumented immigrants are underpaid and are driving down wages for Americans since most are working in jobs which Americans will not take at any wage. How many Americans apply for field jobs to harvest our nation's produce? Immigration raids are simply an attempt to demonstrate that the federal government is doing something about illegal immigration, although the raids are cruel to the individuals who are taken away from their jobs and their families. You are absolutely correct that the victims are not criminals but only poor people who are desperate to work in order to survive. Thank you so much for you humanitarian stance, Ronni
I support your ideas on this...thank you. Lisa
I absolutely agree!! One more indication that this administration is dysfunctional in each and every enterprise/issue it supports by implementing policy selectively and SO BADLY! Dottie
SENATOR GORDLY: THANK YOU FOR YOUR STATEMENT. I THINK WE TEND TO FORGET THAT FOR MANY OF US----OUR GRANDPARENTS AND GREAT GRANDPARENTS WERE IMMIGRANTS THEMSELVES; THAT WE OURSELVES HAVE AN IMMIGRANT BACKGROUNDS. IT IS TRUE THAT THE IMMIGRANT POPULATION WHETHER LEGAL OR ILLEGAL CAN PUT A STRAIN ON OUR RESOURCES BUT WE MUST REMEMBER TWO THINGS CONCERNING THAT PROBLEM----#1 BEING THAT THESE PEOPLES SEEK A BETTER LIFE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES AND TO THEM THAT MEANS AMERICA. AND #2 THAT IF WE WORK TO ESTABLISH A BETTER PROCESS IN HELPING THESE PEOPLE----THEY WILL SOON BE CONTRIBUTING TO OUR RESOURCES NOT PUTTING A STRAIN ON THEM. CONNIE
Senator Gordly, I agree. This is a political stunt conducted through a federal organization that has more important matters to deal with. The immigration issue is complex and is not confined to the USA. Many countries have to deal with this and I’ve read a little about Hong Kong’s struggle with illegal immigrants from mainland China. It is a difficult subject. We have a lot of people that are too black & white about this putting political pressure that results in this nonsense. A raid like this doesn’t solve anything. It is small-minded and divisive. A little common sense, less black & white thinking, and an understanding of the complexity is in order. SB
YES! I appreciate your position. Yet another demonstration of wasting precious resources under the misdirection of President Bush's inept administration. Patricia
Thank you for speaking out! Diane
Senator, it is clear to me that American Staffing hired undocumented workers because the chances of such an worker to stand up for their basic human rights and for safe and fair working conditions are slim. What undocumented worker would put themselves and their families out on the radar by filing a complaint with the appropriate authorities? This is a larger issue of immigration raiding one factory. It is an issue of creating a slave class of immigrant workers that is repeatedly abused on a grand scale.
I wholeheartedly disagree with the raid that happened yesterday. The employees at the Del Monte plant have been abused more than enough by their work conditions and it is an even greater injustice that their suffering has been "repaid" by the American Government with arrests, separating families, and putting even more fear into their hearts.
This is not the America my family brought me to. This is a story about people that suffer injustices in the workplace that we hear about in third world countries, not in our own backyards. But their voices will never be heard because they are "illegal" human beings. This is the time to let it be known just how much an undocumented worker suffers to put food on our tables. Respectfully, XQ
Sen. Gordly: You can count me as a constituent in support of your position on the immigration raids. Matthew
BRAVO! –Sue
Dear Senator Gordly: I whole-heartedly agree with your and Mayor Potter's statements re the INS raids in Portland. Mike K.
I am in full support of your words Senator. You have my full support. Christiane F.
Thank you! Luis M.
Thank you, very well put! Avi
I also join the Senator & Mayor's viewpoint on the immigration raid. I see this as a huge injustice to the workers and their families. Our government needs to listen to its people, and treat all human beings humanely and fairly. The result of the raid is sure to upheave many hundreds of families that deserve the basic right to work and live in our country. Let us not forget what our great country is based on, Freedom for all.
“Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
----Peace, Tobi R.
Thank you for your position on the immigration raids, they are the victims not the problems. Phyllis R.
Thank you, Senator Gordly, for a reasoned and compassionate response. We really appreciate all that you do. Sincerely, Janet and Forrest
Thank you for taking a stand and speaking out against the raid on fresh dell Monte. Our federal dollars should be spent bringing down the true crime rate, not harassing hardworking people, however they got to this country.—
Thank you! I couldn’t agree more! Chris B.
I agree with you Senator Gordly and with the mayor. Right on!! Carol D.
Many, Many thanks to both you and Mayor Potter for speaking out concerning the recent "raid". It is saddening, done with real disregard for the situation as it is with immigrants, legal and otherwise. Our hearts go out to all -- yes, sorrow too for the Federal agencies direction to perform such an act. Elizabeth H.
Thank you for your leadership on this issue. It isn’t that long ago that my family moved here – two generations. I am thankful they did not encounter this kind of behavior. Wendy
Yes! Thank you for your statements. This is not the America I always imagined it to be. I too will work toward the priority of honoring human dignity. Karin F.
Thanks to Senator Gordly for taking a strong stand. What a devastating tragedy for so many families. It makes me really angry that we haven't figured out how to intervene effectively. Thanks again. Margaret B.
Dear Sen. Gordly, I am moved and so proud to at least live in a state with a representative such as you, unafraid to speak out and to do so articulately, pointedly and compassionately. Thank you for including Mayor Potter's statement in your welcome and much appreciated email message. Not a Portland resident, I have literally been "on the fence" in my opinion of Mayor Potter. No longer...his courage, understanding and decisive quick reaction in this terrible situation is clearly demonstrated. As a farmer, albeit at the ownership level, I feel the increased chill running through the agricultural community. We have crops to harvest, mortgages to pay, payrolls to meet...without our treasured workers those things won't happen. You and Mayor Potter so keenly point out that these workers are not criminals, they are essential to the food cycle.
A couple of points almost always left out of media and social discussions concerning farm workers:
(1) They DO pay taxes. The little trick of those--even bogus--social security numbers is that they require salary deductions into the Social Security system just like every other US worker. The dirty trick is illegal workers receive no social security benefits; in effect they subsidize Social Security. I'm sure someone has calculated the amount of dollars that annually go into Social Security this way.
It seems a media given that this class of workers are exploited and hired only because they work cheaply. First of all we--and many other farmers--compensate our workers fairly. We provide safe working conditions, clothing, tools and cooperate in an industry backed program providing health care. Secondly, our workers are hired because they are intelligent, conscientious and meticulous in their care of our plants and products, exude work ethic, and are clean, courteous and fun to work with. They appreciate their jobs and we appreciate their skills.
We do our best to assure all of our workers are legal. Nonetheless, it's overlooked that even the immigrants who come into the US illegally are NOT the losers, they are the brave, courageous, strong, smart people who dare to improve their lives and, even more importantly, the lives of their families. When told there are plenty of American workers who will take these difficult jobs, I know the speaker has probably never actually labored a full day and knows nothing of farming.
I am acquainted with many of the families--loving, caring, responsible families. And here are our officials being the bullies, attacking the weak, spreading fear...suppose that's the purpose!
Thank you so much for standing up and using your position to speak out. I will be sending your statements to others probably not on your mailing list. Sincerely, Nancy
Dear Sen. Gordly, Thank you for speaking out. This is an inhumane way to tackle the immigration problems in the U.S. I agree that people working to improve their lives are not criminals. There must be a better way to allow people to work legally who are here now. Certainly, hard workers, such as these, could earn their right to work here. I think of all of the immigrants in my family from Germany, Norway, Holland, England, Ireland and France. They had their chance, now it is time for us to give that chance to others. Sincerely, Jeanne R.
Dear Senator Gordly I agree with you on this issue. Please continue to speak out on this matter. My tenant, Rafaela, was taken in yesterdays raid. She is illegal. She has been here for 19 years. She has a clean record. She also has two children, a boy 8 and a girl 13, who came home from school yesterday to find her gone. She is a single parent. Her daughter would not stop crying. Thankfully Rafaela was released last night and allowed to return to her children. She returned to Immigration today to have a ankle bracelet put on her person. Some told her to run, to move, to hide. She said she would not do that. She will comply, seek legal advice and see where things go from there. This is the human side of yesterday’s raid. I am sure you have heard other stories. This woman is not on welfare, nor food stamps. She is not taking from our social services. She is hard working and a very good mother. Of course, rumors are flying about in the Hispanic community about other impending raids. Fear abounds. Hopefully Congress will act, and act soon. Frankly, the sentiments against this community scare me. Once again thank you for your support. Kind Regards Chris M.
hi avel: I am so glad you wrote this statement to support mayor potter. thanks, -nana
I agree! Thank you so much for taking a stand. Pam M
Avel, Thank you, thank you, thank you for speaking up about this----it is so shameful what was done to people just trying to work and support their families. I was HORRIFIED when I saw it on the news. Deborah C.
Thank you for speaking out! Richard G.
Yay, both of you! I think both you and Mayor Potter are doing exactly the right thing by speaking forcefully. I hope you both follow through to find a way to force the Federal government to STOP this harassment. This is extremely frightening! First the immigrants, then the mentally ill, then the Jews....My first husband was a Jew. His father fled Tzarist Russia with the family when he (the father) was two years old. My husband said that his father only remembed one thing about life in the Russian ghetto -- that one night late, the Cossacks broke down the door, grabbed his uncle, threw him up against the wall, and shot him.
There is not a whole lot of difference between that experience, and what has happened here in Portland! In both cases, minority persons have been seized by government forces! When people tell me that Bush has only so many [number] days left in office, I say, "You don't know WHAT he'll do." Marian D
Right on! Joe
I totally agree with both statements, the people working in the plant were at least workingand trying to support themselves and their families - leave them alone - go after the criminals, ones who have already been convicted and ones who are yet to be caught - and, get out of IRAQ!!!!!!! Jeanne
Senator Gordly, Thank you for voicing your outrage about what is happening to all of these hard working members of our community, our nation is a land of immigrants, what these famillies are experiencing is not right, these scary tactics are not acceptable and are only creating incredible mental anguish and chaos to these honest, hard working individuals. Please do everything that it is in your power to stop this from continuing, this is not right Senator Gordly, this is hard to see and tolerate. Sincerely, Leda
Yes! My sentiments exactly! Not using Portland Police resources in an immigration raid is a sensible approach to this major issue in all our communities. Thank you, Mayor Potter, and Senator Gordly, also. As a community leader in Rockwood, West Gresham (a multi-cultural, low-income community), we cope locally as best we can with the issues resulting from the lack of leadership in our National Congress, in particular, and also need state legislative leadership from all 50 states to support good public policy - policy that recognizes the realities of work needs (now and, especially, in the very near future).
The challenges these families face in being separated from their extended families, the impending "baby-boomer" retirement tsunami, medical needs of the immigrant population... The answer is well thought-out immigration policies, not wasting our limited law enforcement resources. The policies worked out in the 1986 Amnesty Bill are still applicable, why are we wasting time reinventing the wheel? Who (or which financial institutions/businesses are benefiting from the current chaotic policies?) - it is always a case of "follow the money". Kathie M.
I endorse both statements WITHOUT RESERVATION! Brad
Sen. Gordly: Thank you so much for speaking out about this outrage. Karen O
Thank you for this statement! I couldn't agree more! I am sickened by how our government treats poor people, who should not be condemned for doing what they can to feed their families. What real options do they have? They should not be treated like criminals! I have lived and worked among the very poorest people in Mexico and Latin America. I have friends and family members, including my husband and some of my own European ancestors, who have fled their homelands due to crushing poverty and brutal wars. I believe that no one who understands what life is like under these conditions, conditions which the rich and powerful in our country have helped create, would ever tolerate such inhumane treatment of fellow human beings. Thank you for speaking out. Best, Lucy B.
Well said Sen. Gordly! from Russ D.
Thank you, Senator Gordly, for speaking out on this. I agree with you wholeheartedly!
Marcia N.
Senator, Thank you. We need this logic on the other side of the aisle. Jim A.
Thank you senator for your prophetic words and honoring the legacy of St ML King. I am PROUD of you. You have my FULL support. Thanks for being my Senator, m
Thank you. I was just watching a documentary about the garbage workers strike in Memphis, 1968. The difference between the white and black positions came down to whether the fact that the strike was illegal negated all the other underlying issues. Kathleen M.
Sen. Gordly- Thanks for speaking out about the Del Monte raids. I agree that hard-working people just trying to support their families are not criminals. I also think that the anti-immigrant fervor distracts from real issues--like the rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer through tax breaks for those rich people and we are fighting an insane war in Iraq and lining the pockets of corporations like Halliburton. Anne T.
Thank you Senator Gordly. You are a wonderful woman. IRMA V.
Dear Sen. Gordly, You and Tom Potter are right on. Blessings, Frodo
I fully support both yours and Mayor Potter's position on the raids. This country strayed from justice the day it began singling out a certain race, type of crime, gender or age of suspects for "special" or "enhanced" prosecution. We look like a country full of indecisive bullies to the rest of the world, I'm sure.Ann L.
Well done! I commend Senator Gordly and Mayor Potter! Sincerely, MFB.
Right on! I'm glad there are a FEW sensible people left in government.
Thank you Senator Gordly for your voice on this issue. Kathleen S.
Thank you so much for your strong stand about the terrible injustice on the workers at the Del Monte plant. These are hard working people who we need to respect and advocate for and again thank you for all your efforts in the arena. Cathy
Hi Avel. Thanks for keeping us informed about what is transpiring in Salem. Hope you are well. I totally agree with yours and Mayor Potter's position. This focus on immigration issues seems to have gotten totally out of hand since 911. There seems to be no division of concern on the part of government between illegals who are here to do bad things and the immigrants who are here to do the minimum wage jobs to earn a living that most Americans aren't willing to do anymore. Hope to see you soon. Jeana W.
Senator: Thank you for your support in this horrific situation. To leave one’s home, family and all things familiar in order to labor under such atrocious working conditions in a foreign country is sad enough. But to now be tracked down at work and at home, accosted, and incarcerated simply because one chooses to work is beyond the pale. Thank you for your voice of protest. Jerry
Dear Senator Gordly, Thank you so much for your powerful statement in opposition to the immigrant raids. Your words were incredible and demonstrated a commitment to justice and dignity that is often lacking in our public officials. As someone who deeply cares about our very flawed and inhumane treatment of immigrants in the United States it is so amazing to hear someone else willing to step up and show support for humanity. Thank you. Sincerely, Lynne
Dear Senator, Though I am not a constituent of yours, I want to express my thanks and gratitude for your strong response to arrests Tuesday (6/12) by immigration & customs enforcement officers. I appreciate your strong words and leadership on this issue and I will continue to show my support for comprehensive immigration reform and your efforts! Best, Katie
THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING OUT AND SUPPORTING THESE WORKERS (otherwise known as human beings, trying to make a viable life for themselves). When I cannot find time to keep up with everything and get the news abou these kinds of events in a timely way, I know I can count on you to speak for me and be heard in a way I could not! There are many, many silent people who I know support the right of any person form any country to come to theis country and make and honest living and raise their children. I ask of the opposition; "WHAT WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO DO TO FIND INCOME AND FOOD AND SHELTER FOR YOUR SELF AND YOUR WIFE AND CHILDREN?" If the answer isn't, "Anything.", then I can understand why you carry so much hate and resentment. You have never known hunger, desperation and no way out. We must remember WHY people travel to where the work is. To LIVE! Ask, "What would YOU do to live??" Much gratitude, Mary C.
Senator Gordly, Thank you for being a champion on this issue. It is imperative that this side be voiced by authority figures in power to remind people that they are not hated by all in this silent war against immigrants. Statements like yours help balance out the venomous things we hear from non-supporters. Thank you, Tess W.
Senator Gordly - I strongly agree with the sentiment expressed by you and Mayor Potter. The toughest issues and their solutions seem to be too difficult for our U.S. Congress to handle. Bob K.
Sen. Gordly, Thank you for speaking out against the travesty of justice that is the current federal immigration policy. Raids to round up poor Latinos whose only crime is that they want to sort lettuce do not accomplish anything to enhance the security of our country. This must change. Sincerely, JJ
Your comments re: the Portland raid is the best I have read on this outrageous practice of the federal government. Thank you for having the courage to speak out. Beverly
What a wonderful statement you have made in support of immigrants' rights and humanity. Thank you so much for showing compassion to a group which many politicians attack for political gain. Your words and actions on Tuesday restored my faith in politicians. Erika
Senator Gordly, Though I am not in your constituency, I would like to say thank you for your stance on the recent raids in Oregon. We need leaders like you in Colorado, who represent their entire communities and not just a small angry bunch. Again, Thank YOU. Susana
Thank you for recognizing the truth. I stand behind your outrage and support you. No crime is committed when simply working hard trying to feed your children. Theresa E.
Thank you. I did not hear about our states support of this on the news last night. I agree with you and our Mayor. Roberta G.
I totally agree with what you both said in your statements about the immigration raid. We were equally outraged with the raid at Swift & Co. in Greeley, Colorado. The inhuman treatment of these people reminds many of us of the treatment of people in a dictator run country. Thank you for your badly needed statements. Please let Mayor Tom Potter know of our support. Lee S
Dear Senator Gordly, I would like to say thank you very much for the support you are giving to the Latino community. It’s very inspirational. Sincerely SW
Dear Senator Gordly, Thank you for your leadership in standing up and voicing your disapproval of the human injustice brought against workers who only wish is to support their families and give their children a better future. You leadership, representation and recognition of the many contributions of immigrants to our country is greatly appreciated. It is a shame that our President and Congress are willing to destroy the lives of our young men and women, to bring justice and hope to those who hate us and do not care for us in the Middle East, and at the same time show little mercy or concern for immigrant individuals and families, who are our friends and neighbors, and who are in the US seeking to feed, cloth and support their families.
“The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34)
God is concerned for the migrant and the outcast. The early Hebrews were “strangers in the land of Egypt” and were asked to remember this heritage by protecting the strangers among them in the Promised Land. Similarly, throughout the New Testament, Christians are called to care for the outcast and the stranger. Immigration is also inextricably related to issues of poverty and economic justice. Immigrants—both legal and undocumented—are more likely to live in families with incomes below the poverty level, and children of undocumented immigrants are especially at risk. Blessings, Robert
Thank you for your thoughtful and passionate stand AGAINST the raid on low-paid workers here in our city. We are proud to have you represent us. Betsy Z
Dear Honorable Senator Gordly, I applaud your position and agree wholeheartedly. I don't recognize the America that has become so mean, heartless, and without compassion. Thank you!! Sincerely yours, Donna N.
I agree! Thank you for speaking out against the immigration raid in Portland. Larisa
I support Sen. Gordly and our Mayor's concerns and objections to ICE's actions against the undocumented workers. From the news reports, I believe the actions and conditions of the Del Monte employer workplace and the employment agents do deserve rigorous enforcement actions and substantial penalties, but the workers themselves deserve our help and support and not penalties, especially penalties which separate families. –Al S.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU. Your courage and honesty are deeply appreciated. My family and most of my neighbors agree with your 'statement' 100%.
Sincerely, DC
Senator Gordly, I totally agree that those working in the packing plant are not likely to be criminals. We need to find a way to make sure these folks and others who want to work in the US have the opportunity to do so. My concern however, is that by encouraging the formalization of an 'illegal' workforce, we are assuring that those workers are underpaid and more than likely taken advantage of. They have no legal recourse and thus are held hostage to large corporations and even small farmers who use them for picking vegetables and fruits. The arguments in Congress over immigration seem to be getting nowhere, thanks to the Republicans. I don't have a solution to the problem. It seems even the President can't convince his own party to vote for reform.
My concern as the argument continues, is that the Latino community in particular is being stereotyped while others who may pose a 'real threat' get VISA's and enter the US legally. Again it is the poor who suffer the consequences. Rebecca L.
I absolutely agree, thank you for standing up for them. Jodi S.
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From the Office of Senator Avel Gordly
Contact: Sean Cruz, Chief of Staff (503) 986-1723 or reply to this email
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” –Martin Luther King, Jr.
Constituent responses to Immigration statement
My office has received numerous responses to my previous statement in support of Mayor Tom Potter on the recent immigration raid in North Portland, both pro and con.
Many of those who wrote in opposition made exaggerated or erroneous claims, including lumping the lettuce choppers arrested in North Portland with the terrorists who hijacked airliners on September 11 and turned them into bombs.
Others did not understand that both Mayor Potter and I spoke against the misallocation of limited and costly law enforcement resources to make wholesale arrests of people trying to survive at the bottom of the wage-earning ladder instead of focusing on the hard-core criminal elements that pose real risks to public safety.
Many of the negative comments my office has received could have been (and were) used in previous anti-immigrant and race-based campaigns against Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, African and other populations.
The same level of hate has been leveled against African Americans since the founding of the nation, regardless of citizenship and the fact that they were brought here against their will and in chains, and against Native Americans, who have suffered loss and marginalization without cessation throughout our history.
It is a legacy of shame, and its inheritors are among us still.
Perhaps the saddest part of the hostile comments is the lack of compassion these writers feel for the poor among us, for what we are experiencing as an evolving nation is the migration of the poor.
Who among us would not migrate if we had to, in order to support our families, in order to survive? These are human beings, and they deserve a solution grounded in compassion.
–Senator Avel Gordly June 15, 2007
Comments from constituents in support of the statement regarding the immigration raids include the following:
I totally agree, thank you. Terry F.
Thank you for your support. Veronica B.
This is an excellent statement. Thank you. Judy C.
You go, Avel! Thank you! Your statement was brave and eloquent, and, as I hope you know, you spoke for so many of us. - Virginia
Dear Senator Gordly, I was sickened by the immigration raid, but I must say, it fanned the fires in me to be even more supportive of hard working immigrants, legal or not. I tried to express exactly what you expressed below, just this morning, to my family, who whole-heartedly agree with me. I want to thank you for having the courage to take a direct stand on this issue, as you have for so many divisive issues. Have you thought about running for President? {{:-} Casey M.
I thank you for joining with Mayor Potter to denounce this event. Yolanda
Dear Avel, Good for you. Thanks so much for breathing some sanity into the immigration discussion. I also was outraged by the raids. What a sickening use of our tax money. Thanks for speaking out. It's an honor to have you as my state senator. Best, Bill
Senator Gordly, Thank you for the email. Thank you for caring about things that matter. It is unfortunate our tax payer dollars are distributed in such a wasteful manner. I grieve for the families that are being torn apart just because they want to work to make a better life for themselves and their families. Since our health care is suffering from such a shortage, I wish there was a way to train those who desire to work to take care of the health needs of others. Those who show mercy will receive mercy. Mo
Senator Gordly: Thank you for your email and the support you have given to Mayor Potter. I applaud you both for your strong statements in the face of misguided federal actions that echo the senseless, unkind, negative behavior we see here at home and in foreign countries. This is no way for America to be the leader it can be. Respectful behavior earns respect, and at this point, America is not gaining respect here or abroad by its actions. Thank you again for your good work in many areas. Peace for us ALL! Kirk
Thank you for your statement on the atrocities of the Federal Government's actions towards America's immigrant workers. While hearing on the radio about what happened yesterday, I thought, first off about how I had just listened to a farmer talk about the extreme need for agriculture workers. Then when I heard about how they took the people they arrested to holding cells up in Washington, my thoughts turned to what message our country really is sending to the world. I think it's proof that we really haven't advanced ourselves as intelligent, caring people. What's really behind all the bully tactics and hate propaganda towards people who have not committed any real crimes - they're just working hard to try and survive in this very messed up world? Bev and Paul
Dear Senator Gordly, Thank you for your very courageous public stance on the very contentious issue of immigration. The irony is that our laws are now written in such a way that there is no legal way for the foreign workers on which the U.S. economy depends for agriculture, construction, and the hospitality industry to immigrate to the U.S. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, hordes of immigrants arrived here by boat and were welcomed to our shores without having to pay hefty fees or endure a years long visa application process. Now we have laws which would have made most of our forebears illegal immigrants. It is imperative that we create rational legislation which provides a legal route for our workforce to enter this country and work here. I also do not agree that all undocumented immigrants are underpaid and are driving down wages for Americans since most are working in jobs which Americans will not take at any wage. How many Americans apply for field jobs to harvest our nation's produce? Immigration raids are simply an attempt to demonstrate that the federal government is doing something about illegal immigration, although the raids are cruel to the individuals who are taken away from their jobs and their families. You are absolutely correct that the victims are not criminals but only poor people who are desperate to work in order to survive. Thank you so much for you humanitarian stance, Ronni
I support your ideas on this...thank you. Lisa
I absolutely agree!! One more indication that this administration is dysfunctional in each and every enterprise/issue it supports by implementing policy selectively and SO BADLY! Dottie
SENATOR GORDLY: THANK YOU FOR YOUR STATEMENT. I THINK WE TEND TO FORGET THAT FOR MANY OF US----OUR GRANDPARENTS AND GREAT GRANDPARENTS WERE IMMIGRANTS THEMSELVES; THAT WE OURSELVES HAVE AN IMMIGRANT BACKGROUNDS. IT IS TRUE THAT THE IMMIGRANT POPULATION WHETHER LEGAL OR ILLEGAL CAN PUT A STRAIN ON OUR RESOURCES BUT WE MUST REMEMBER TWO THINGS CONCERNING THAT PROBLEM----#1 BEING THAT THESE PEOPLES SEEK A BETTER LIFE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES AND TO THEM THAT MEANS AMERICA. AND #2 THAT IF WE WORK TO ESTABLISH A BETTER PROCESS IN HELPING THESE PEOPLE----THEY WILL SOON BE CONTRIBUTING TO OUR RESOURCES NOT PUTTING A STRAIN ON THEM. CONNIE
Senator Gordly, I agree. This is a political stunt conducted through a federal organization that has more important matters to deal with. The immigration issue is complex and is not confined to the USA. Many countries have to deal with this and I’ve read a little about Hong Kong’s struggle with illegal immigrants from mainland China. It is a difficult subject. We have a lot of people that are too black & white about this putting political pressure that results in this nonsense. A raid like this doesn’t solve anything. It is small-minded and divisive. A little common sense, less black & white thinking, and an understanding of the complexity is in order. SB
YES! I appreciate your position. Yet another demonstration of wasting precious resources under the misdirection of President Bush's inept administration. Patricia
Thank you for speaking out! Diane
Senator, it is clear to me that American Staffing hired undocumented workers because the chances of such an worker to stand up for their basic human rights and for safe and fair working conditions are slim. What undocumented worker would put themselves and their families out on the radar by filing a complaint with the appropriate authorities? This is a larger issue of immigration raiding one factory. It is an issue of creating a slave class of immigrant workers that is repeatedly abused on a grand scale.
I wholeheartedly disagree with the raid that happened yesterday. The employees at the Del Monte plant have been abused more than enough by their work conditions and it is an even greater injustice that their suffering has been "repaid" by the American Government with arrests, separating families, and putting even more fear into their hearts.
This is not the America my family brought me to. This is a story about people that suffer injustices in the workplace that we hear about in third world countries, not in our own backyards. But their voices will never be heard because they are "illegal" human beings. This is the time to let it be known just how much an undocumented worker suffers to put food on our tables. Respectfully, XQ
Sen. Gordly: You can count me as a constituent in support of your position on the immigration raids. Matthew
BRAVO! –Sue
Dear Senator Gordly: I whole-heartedly agree with your and Mayor Potter's statements re the INS raids in Portland. Mike K.
I am in full support of your words Senator. You have my full support. Christiane F.
Thank you! Luis M.
Thank you, very well put! Avi
I also join the Senator & Mayor's viewpoint on the immigration raid. I see this as a huge injustice to the workers and their families. Our government needs to listen to its people, and treat all human beings humanely and fairly. The result of the raid is sure to upheave many hundreds of families that deserve the basic right to work and live in our country. Let us not forget what our great country is based on, Freedom for all.
“Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
----Peace, Tobi R.
Thank you for your position on the immigration raids, they are the victims not the problems. Phyllis R.
Thank you, Senator Gordly, for a reasoned and compassionate response. We really appreciate all that you do. Sincerely, Janet and Forrest
Thank you for taking a stand and speaking out against the raid on fresh dell Monte. Our federal dollars should be spent bringing down the true crime rate, not harassing hardworking people, however they got to this country.—
Thank you! I couldn’t agree more! Chris B.
I agree with you Senator Gordly and with the mayor. Right on!! Carol D.
Many, Many thanks to both you and Mayor Potter for speaking out concerning the recent "raid". It is saddening, done with real disregard for the situation as it is with immigrants, legal and otherwise. Our hearts go out to all -- yes, sorrow too for the Federal agencies direction to perform such an act. Elizabeth H.
Thank you for your leadership on this issue. It isn’t that long ago that my family moved here – two generations. I am thankful they did not encounter this kind of behavior. Wendy
Yes! Thank you for your statements. This is not the America I always imagined it to be. I too will work toward the priority of honoring human dignity. Karin F.
Thanks to Senator Gordly for taking a strong stand. What a devastating tragedy for so many families. It makes me really angry that we haven't figured out how to intervene effectively. Thanks again. Margaret B.
Dear Sen. Gordly, I am moved and so proud to at least live in a state with a representative such as you, unafraid to speak out and to do so articulately, pointedly and compassionately. Thank you for including Mayor Potter's statement in your welcome and much appreciated email message. Not a Portland resident, I have literally been "on the fence" in my opinion of Mayor Potter. No longer...his courage, understanding and decisive quick reaction in this terrible situation is clearly demonstrated. As a farmer, albeit at the ownership level, I feel the increased chill running through the agricultural community. We have crops to harvest, mortgages to pay, payrolls to meet...without our treasured workers those things won't happen. You and Mayor Potter so keenly point out that these workers are not criminals, they are essential to the food cycle.
A couple of points almost always left out of media and social discussions concerning farm workers:
(1) They DO pay taxes. The little trick of those--even bogus--social security numbers is that they require salary deductions into the Social Security system just like every other US worker. The dirty trick is illegal workers receive no social security benefits; in effect they subsidize Social Security. I'm sure someone has calculated the amount of dollars that annually go into Social Security this way.
It seems a media given that this class of workers are exploited and hired only because they work cheaply. First of all we--and many other farmers--compensate our workers fairly. We provide safe working conditions, clothing, tools and cooperate in an industry backed program providing health care. Secondly, our workers are hired because they are intelligent, conscientious and meticulous in their care of our plants and products, exude work ethic, and are clean, courteous and fun to work with. They appreciate their jobs and we appreciate their skills.
We do our best to assure all of our workers are legal. Nonetheless, it's overlooked that even the immigrants who come into the US illegally are NOT the losers, they are the brave, courageous, strong, smart people who dare to improve their lives and, even more importantly, the lives of their families. When told there are plenty of American workers who will take these difficult jobs, I know the speaker has probably never actually labored a full day and knows nothing of farming.
I am acquainted with many of the families--loving, caring, responsible families. And here are our officials being the bullies, attacking the weak, spreading fear...suppose that's the purpose!
Thank you so much for standing up and using your position to speak out. I will be sending your statements to others probably not on your mailing list. Sincerely, Nancy
Dear Sen. Gordly, Thank you for speaking out. This is an inhumane way to tackle the immigration problems in the U.S. I agree that people working to improve their lives are not criminals. There must be a better way to allow people to work legally who are here now. Certainly, hard workers, such as these, could earn their right to work here. I think of all of the immigrants in my family from Germany, Norway, Holland, England, Ireland and France. They had their chance, now it is time for us to give that chance to others. Sincerely, Jeanne R.
Dear Senator Gordly I agree with you on this issue. Please continue to speak out on this matter. My tenant, Rafaela, was taken in yesterdays raid. She is illegal. She has been here for 19 years. She has a clean record. She also has two children, a boy 8 and a girl 13, who came home from school yesterday to find her gone. She is a single parent. Her daughter would not stop crying. Thankfully Rafaela was released last night and allowed to return to her children. She returned to Immigration today to have a ankle bracelet put on her person. Some told her to run, to move, to hide. She said she would not do that. She will comply, seek legal advice and see where things go from there. This is the human side of yesterday’s raid. I am sure you have heard other stories. This woman is not on welfare, nor food stamps. She is not taking from our social services. She is hard working and a very good mother. Of course, rumors are flying about in the Hispanic community about other impending raids. Fear abounds. Hopefully Congress will act, and act soon. Frankly, the sentiments against this community scare me. Once again thank you for your support. Kind Regards Chris M.
hi avel: I am so glad you wrote this statement to support mayor potter. thanks, -nana
I agree! Thank you so much for taking a stand. Pam M
Avel, Thank you, thank you, thank you for speaking up about this----it is so shameful what was done to people just trying to work and support their families. I was HORRIFIED when I saw it on the news. Deborah C.
Thank you for speaking out! Richard G.
Yay, both of you! I think both you and Mayor Potter are doing exactly the right thing by speaking forcefully. I hope you both follow through to find a way to force the Federal government to STOP this harassment. This is extremely frightening! First the immigrants, then the mentally ill, then the Jews....My first husband was a Jew. His father fled Tzarist Russia with the family when he (the father) was two years old. My husband said that his father only remembed one thing about life in the Russian ghetto -- that one night late, the Cossacks broke down the door, grabbed his uncle, threw him up against the wall, and shot him.
There is not a whole lot of difference between that experience, and what has happened here in Portland! In both cases, minority persons have been seized by government forces! When people tell me that Bush has only so many [number] days left in office, I say, "You don't know WHAT he'll do." Marian D
Right on! Joe
I totally agree with both statements, the people working in the plant were at least workingand trying to support themselves and their families - leave them alone - go after the criminals, ones who have already been convicted and ones who are yet to be caught - and, get out of IRAQ!!!!!!! Jeanne
Senator Gordly, Thank you for voicing your outrage about what is happening to all of these hard working members of our community, our nation is a land of immigrants, what these famillies are experiencing is not right, these scary tactics are not acceptable and are only creating incredible mental anguish and chaos to these honest, hard working individuals. Please do everything that it is in your power to stop this from continuing, this is not right Senator Gordly, this is hard to see and tolerate. Sincerely, Leda
Yes! My sentiments exactly! Not using Portland Police resources in an immigration raid is a sensible approach to this major issue in all our communities. Thank you, Mayor Potter, and Senator Gordly, also. As a community leader in Rockwood, West Gresham (a multi-cultural, low-income community), we cope locally as best we can with the issues resulting from the lack of leadership in our National Congress, in particular, and also need state legislative leadership from all 50 states to support good public policy - policy that recognizes the realities of work needs (now and, especially, in the very near future).
The challenges these families face in being separated from their extended families, the impending "baby-boomer" retirement tsunami, medical needs of the immigrant population... The answer is well thought-out immigration policies, not wasting our limited law enforcement resources. The policies worked out in the 1986 Amnesty Bill are still applicable, why are we wasting time reinventing the wheel? Who (or which financial institutions/businesses are benefiting from the current chaotic policies?) - it is always a case of "follow the money". Kathie M.
I endorse both statements WITHOUT RESERVATION! Brad
Sen. Gordly: Thank you so much for speaking out about this outrage. Karen O
Thank you for this statement! I couldn't agree more! I am sickened by how our government treats poor people, who should not be condemned for doing what they can to feed their families. What real options do they have? They should not be treated like criminals! I have lived and worked among the very poorest people in Mexico and Latin America. I have friends and family members, including my husband and some of my own European ancestors, who have fled their homelands due to crushing poverty and brutal wars. I believe that no one who understands what life is like under these conditions, conditions which the rich and powerful in our country have helped create, would ever tolerate such inhumane treatment of fellow human beings. Thank you for speaking out. Best, Lucy B.
Well said Sen. Gordly! from Russ D.
Thank you, Senator Gordly, for speaking out on this. I agree with you wholeheartedly!
Marcia N.
Senator, Thank you. We need this logic on the other side of the aisle. Jim A.
Thank you senator for your prophetic words and honoring the legacy of St ML King. I am PROUD of you. You have my FULL support. Thanks for being my Senator, m
Thank you. I was just watching a documentary about the garbage workers strike in Memphis, 1968. The difference between the white and black positions came down to whether the fact that the strike was illegal negated all the other underlying issues. Kathleen M.
Sen. Gordly- Thanks for speaking out about the Del Monte raids. I agree that hard-working people just trying to support their families are not criminals. I also think that the anti-immigrant fervor distracts from real issues--like the rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer through tax breaks for those rich people and we are fighting an insane war in Iraq and lining the pockets of corporations like Halliburton. Anne T.
Thank you Senator Gordly. You are a wonderful woman. IRMA V.
Dear Sen. Gordly, You and Tom Potter are right on. Blessings, Frodo
I fully support both yours and Mayor Potter's position on the raids. This country strayed from justice the day it began singling out a certain race, type of crime, gender or age of suspects for "special" or "enhanced" prosecution. We look like a country full of indecisive bullies to the rest of the world, I'm sure.Ann L.
Well done! I commend Senator Gordly and Mayor Potter! Sincerely, MFB.
Right on! I'm glad there are a FEW sensible people left in government.
Thank you Senator Gordly for your voice on this issue. Kathleen S.
Thank you so much for your strong stand about the terrible injustice on the workers at the Del Monte plant. These are hard working people who we need to respect and advocate for and again thank you for all your efforts in the arena. Cathy
Hi Avel. Thanks for keeping us informed about what is transpiring in Salem. Hope you are well. I totally agree with yours and Mayor Potter's position. This focus on immigration issues seems to have gotten totally out of hand since 911. There seems to be no division of concern on the part of government between illegals who are here to do bad things and the immigrants who are here to do the minimum wage jobs to earn a living that most Americans aren't willing to do anymore. Hope to see you soon. Jeana W.
Senator: Thank you for your support in this horrific situation. To leave one’s home, family and all things familiar in order to labor under such atrocious working conditions in a foreign country is sad enough. But to now be tracked down at work and at home, accosted, and incarcerated simply because one chooses to work is beyond the pale. Thank you for your voice of protest. Jerry
Dear Senator Gordly, Thank you so much for your powerful statement in opposition to the immigrant raids. Your words were incredible and demonstrated a commitment to justice and dignity that is often lacking in our public officials. As someone who deeply cares about our very flawed and inhumane treatment of immigrants in the United States it is so amazing to hear someone else willing to step up and show support for humanity. Thank you. Sincerely, Lynne
Dear Senator, Though I am not a constituent of yours, I want to express my thanks and gratitude for your strong response to arrests Tuesday (6/12) by immigration & customs enforcement officers. I appreciate your strong words and leadership on this issue and I will continue to show my support for comprehensive immigration reform and your efforts! Best, Katie
THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING OUT AND SUPPORTING THESE WORKERS (otherwise known as human beings, trying to make a viable life for themselves). When I cannot find time to keep up with everything and get the news abou these kinds of events in a timely way, I know I can count on you to speak for me and be heard in a way I could not! There are many, many silent people who I know support the right of any person form any country to come to theis country and make and honest living and raise their children. I ask of the opposition; "WHAT WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO DO TO FIND INCOME AND FOOD AND SHELTER FOR YOUR SELF AND YOUR WIFE AND CHILDREN?" If the answer isn't, "Anything.", then I can understand why you carry so much hate and resentment. You have never known hunger, desperation and no way out. We must remember WHY people travel to where the work is. To LIVE! Ask, "What would YOU do to live??" Much gratitude, Mary C.
Senator Gordly, Thank you for being a champion on this issue. It is imperative that this side be voiced by authority figures in power to remind people that they are not hated by all in this silent war against immigrants. Statements like yours help balance out the venomous things we hear from non-supporters. Thank you, Tess W.
Senator Gordly - I strongly agree with the sentiment expressed by you and Mayor Potter. The toughest issues and their solutions seem to be too difficult for our U.S. Congress to handle. Bob K.
Sen. Gordly, Thank you for speaking out against the travesty of justice that is the current federal immigration policy. Raids to round up poor Latinos whose only crime is that they want to sort lettuce do not accomplish anything to enhance the security of our country. This must change. Sincerely, JJ
Your comments re: the Portland raid is the best I have read on this outrageous practice of the federal government. Thank you for having the courage to speak out. Beverly
What a wonderful statement you have made in support of immigrants' rights and humanity. Thank you so much for showing compassion to a group which many politicians attack for political gain. Your words and actions on Tuesday restored my faith in politicians. Erika
Senator Gordly, Though I am not in your constituency, I would like to say thank you for your stance on the recent raids in Oregon. We need leaders like you in Colorado, who represent their entire communities and not just a small angry bunch. Again, Thank YOU. Susana
Thank you for recognizing the truth. I stand behind your outrage and support you. No crime is committed when simply working hard trying to feed your children. Theresa E.
Thank you. I did not hear about our states support of this on the news last night. I agree with you and our Mayor. Roberta G.
I totally agree with what you both said in your statements about the immigration raid. We were equally outraged with the raid at Swift & Co. in Greeley, Colorado. The inhuman treatment of these people reminds many of us of the treatment of people in a dictator run country. Thank you for your badly needed statements. Please let Mayor Tom Potter know of our support. Lee S
Dear Senator Gordly, I would like to say thank you very much for the support you are giving to the Latino community. It’s very inspirational. Sincerely SW
Dear Senator Gordly, Thank you for your leadership in standing up and voicing your disapproval of the human injustice brought against workers who only wish is to support their families and give their children a better future. You leadership, representation and recognition of the many contributions of immigrants to our country is greatly appreciated. It is a shame that our President and Congress are willing to destroy the lives of our young men and women, to bring justice and hope to those who hate us and do not care for us in the Middle East, and at the same time show little mercy or concern for immigrant individuals and families, who are our friends and neighbors, and who are in the US seeking to feed, cloth and support their families.
“The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34)
God is concerned for the migrant and the outcast. The early Hebrews were “strangers in the land of Egypt” and were asked to remember this heritage by protecting the strangers among them in the Promised Land. Similarly, throughout the New Testament, Christians are called to care for the outcast and the stranger. Immigration is also inextricably related to issues of poverty and economic justice. Immigrants—both legal and undocumented—are more likely to live in families with incomes below the poverty level, and children of undocumented immigrants are especially at risk. Blessings, Robert
Thank you for your thoughtful and passionate stand AGAINST the raid on low-paid workers here in our city. We are proud to have you represent us. Betsy Z
Dear Honorable Senator Gordly, I applaud your position and agree wholeheartedly. I don't recognize the America that has become so mean, heartless, and without compassion. Thank you!! Sincerely yours, Donna N.
I agree! Thank you for speaking out against the immigration raid in Portland. Larisa
I support Sen. Gordly and our Mayor's concerns and objections to ICE's actions against the undocumented workers. From the news reports, I believe the actions and conditions of the Del Monte employer workplace and the employment agents do deserve rigorous enforcement actions and substantial penalties, but the workers themselves deserve our help and support and not penalties, especially penalties which separate families. –Al S.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU. Your courage and honesty are deeply appreciated. My family and most of my neighbors agree with your 'statement' 100%.
Sincerely, DC
Senator Gordly, I totally agree that those working in the packing plant are not likely to be criminals. We need to find a way to make sure these folks and others who want to work in the US have the opportunity to do so. My concern however, is that by encouraging the formalization of an 'illegal' workforce, we are assuring that those workers are underpaid and more than likely taken advantage of. They have no legal recourse and thus are held hostage to large corporations and even small farmers who use them for picking vegetables and fruits. The arguments in Congress over immigration seem to be getting nowhere, thanks to the Republicans. I don't have a solution to the problem. It seems even the President can't convince his own party to vote for reform.
My concern as the argument continues, is that the Latino community in particular is being stereotyped while others who may pose a 'real threat' get VISA's and enter the US legally. Again it is the poor who suffer the consequences. Rebecca L.
I absolutely agree, thank you for standing up for them. Jodi S.
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NOTE regarding reproduction and distribution of Senator Gordly’s newsletters:
Senator Gordly’s newsletters are public property. There are no restrictions on copying or distributing these newsletters. Each newsletter is also posted to Senator Gordly’s legislative website at www.leg.state.or.us/gordly and all information on that website is also public property. There are no restrictions on downloading, copying or distributing this information.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Oregon House pummels predatory towers again!
The Oregon House voted unanimously to clamp down on predatory towing companies for the second consecutive day today.
Senate Bill 431 was carried by Representative Donna Nelson (R-McMinnville) with enthusiasm, and the entire House responded in kind.
Last Friday, the House voted unanimously to pass Senate Bill 116, the other towing reform bill to emerge from this landmark legislative session.
Senate Bill 431 provides important protections to renters and restricts the circumstances under which towers can legally remove vehicles from private property without notice to the vehicle owner.
Both Senate bills (116 and 431) passed each chamber on unanimous votes, a result probably unequaled among legislation that creates and implements broad regulation across a powerful industry.
The unanimous votes speak for themselves.
This legislation is the death knell for vehicle harvesting operations such as that which occurs in Hacienda CDC’s apartment properties in NE Portland.
Hacienda maintains about 325 units of affordable housing in NE Portland. Those 325 units racked up 155 tows in 2006 alone for Hacienda’s contract towers.
When you calculate the cost of recovering your car, the units probably aren’t as affordable as one would think.
Meanwhile, Hacienda CDC staff remains hunkered in their bunker on NE 42nd street, using a stretch of the public right of way as their own private parking area, complete with phony towaway-zone signs (see earlier posting).
Senate Bill 431 was carried by Representative Donna Nelson (R-McMinnville) with enthusiasm, and the entire House responded in kind.
Last Friday, the House voted unanimously to pass Senate Bill 116, the other towing reform bill to emerge from this landmark legislative session.
Senate Bill 431 provides important protections to renters and restricts the circumstances under which towers can legally remove vehicles from private property without notice to the vehicle owner.
Both Senate bills (116 and 431) passed each chamber on unanimous votes, a result probably unequaled among legislation that creates and implements broad regulation across a powerful industry.
The unanimous votes speak for themselves.
This legislation is the death knell for vehicle harvesting operations such as that which occurs in Hacienda CDC’s apartment properties in NE Portland.
Hacienda maintains about 325 units of affordable housing in NE Portland. Those 325 units racked up 155 tows in 2006 alone for Hacienda’s contract towers.
When you calculate the cost of recovering your car, the units probably aren’t as affordable as one would think.
Meanwhile, Hacienda CDC staff remains hunkered in their bunker on NE 42nd street, using a stretch of the public right of way as their own private parking area, complete with phony towaway-zone signs (see earlier posting).
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Oregon House hammers predatory towers
Representative Larry Galizio (D-Tigard) carried Senate Bill 116 to a 54-0 unanimous vote in the Oregon House of Representatives yesterday, bringing sweeping regulation to the towing industry for the first time in state history.
SB 116 now goes to Governor Ted Kulongoski for signature into law, having earlier passed the Senate on a 30-0 unanimous vote.
The votes indicate the depth of dissatisfaction the public—and the towing industry itself—has with the predatory practices of certain towing companies.
SB 116 even has the support of representatives of the towing industry, many of whom have understandably resented being tarred with the same brush as the predatory towers in the public eye.
Currently, towing companies are unregulated by the state, and the authority of local governments over towing companies is usually limited to a preference list for the use of police departments.
The Department of Justice states that each year they receive numerous complaints about towing companies and their business practices—as do local governments and law enforcement—but have lacked the authority to do anything about it.
Senate Bill 116 addresses a broad range of issues:
1. Clarifies and places into statute the authority the State and local governments have to regulate towing, including involuntary towing and the prices that towers can charge.
2. Authorizes the Attorney General to make and enforce rules.
3. Provides that violations are unlawful trade practices allowing both Attorney General enforcement and the private right of action.
4. Requires compliance with rules, including proof of insurance, to qualify for a Department of Transportation towing business certificate.
5. Prohibits a tower from requiring a vehicle owner to agree not to dispute the reason for the tow, the validity of charges, or the condition of vehicle or personal property in the vehicle in order to regain the vehicle from the tower.
6. Requires tow truck drivers to provide printed rate sheets to vehicle owners and prohibits charging more than the price disclosed.
7. Prohibits soliciting towing within 1,000 feet of an accident unless pursuant to a pre-negotiated payment agreement between the tower and a motor vehicle road service company.
8. Prohibits a tower from parking within 1,000 feet of a property for purposes of monitoring facility for towing business unless signs are posted at each entrance.
9. Prohibits a tower from paying the owner of parking facility for the privilege of towing.
10. Requires acceptance of cash as payment only if exact change is given to the vehicle owner by the following day (some drivers have refused to give change).
Senate Bill 116 also requires notice if the owner of parking facility hires a tower, prohibits towing without the required notice, and specifies certain hours of redemption.
COMING SOON:
Senate Bill 431, addressing predatory patrol towing practices, will be on the House floor in the coming week, completing the Legislature’s work on towing in this landmark 2007 session.
Patrol towing is illegal in many other states, including California and Washington.
Predatory patrol towing practices arise as a consequence of arrangements some property owners make with certain towing companies.
These property owners allow the towers to make on-the-spot judgment calls and charge the vehicle owners whatever they want to charge.
The tow truck drivers making the judgement calls are paid on commission. The trucks they drive are designed to grab a vehicle and be gone in seconds, before the vehicle owner returns. Is that a recipe for towjacking or what?
Once in control of the vehicle, the tow company controls it all the way to the auction yard, including the amount of ransom demanded at every stage, with the clock ticking in their favor.
When they are not snagging vehicles and running, these drivers are patrolling around, burning up fuel.
That is all going to change, with SB 116 and SB 431 about to make their way to your neighborhood soon. More on this later, to be sure.
SB 116 now goes to Governor Ted Kulongoski for signature into law, having earlier passed the Senate on a 30-0 unanimous vote.
The votes indicate the depth of dissatisfaction the public—and the towing industry itself—has with the predatory practices of certain towing companies.
SB 116 even has the support of representatives of the towing industry, many of whom have understandably resented being tarred with the same brush as the predatory towers in the public eye.
Currently, towing companies are unregulated by the state, and the authority of local governments over towing companies is usually limited to a preference list for the use of police departments.
The Department of Justice states that each year they receive numerous complaints about towing companies and their business practices—as do local governments and law enforcement—but have lacked the authority to do anything about it.
Senate Bill 116 addresses a broad range of issues:
1. Clarifies and places into statute the authority the State and local governments have to regulate towing, including involuntary towing and the prices that towers can charge.
2. Authorizes the Attorney General to make and enforce rules.
3. Provides that violations are unlawful trade practices allowing both Attorney General enforcement and the private right of action.
4. Requires compliance with rules, including proof of insurance, to qualify for a Department of Transportation towing business certificate.
5. Prohibits a tower from requiring a vehicle owner to agree not to dispute the reason for the tow, the validity of charges, or the condition of vehicle or personal property in the vehicle in order to regain the vehicle from the tower.
6. Requires tow truck drivers to provide printed rate sheets to vehicle owners and prohibits charging more than the price disclosed.
7. Prohibits soliciting towing within 1,000 feet of an accident unless pursuant to a pre-negotiated payment agreement between the tower and a motor vehicle road service company.
8. Prohibits a tower from parking within 1,000 feet of a property for purposes of monitoring facility for towing business unless signs are posted at each entrance.
9. Prohibits a tower from paying the owner of parking facility for the privilege of towing.
10. Requires acceptance of cash as payment only if exact change is given to the vehicle owner by the following day (some drivers have refused to give change).
Senate Bill 116 also requires notice if the owner of parking facility hires a tower, prohibits towing without the required notice, and specifies certain hours of redemption.
COMING SOON:
Senate Bill 431, addressing predatory patrol towing practices, will be on the House floor in the coming week, completing the Legislature’s work on towing in this landmark 2007 session.
Patrol towing is illegal in many other states, including California and Washington.
Predatory patrol towing practices arise as a consequence of arrangements some property owners make with certain towing companies.
These property owners allow the towers to make on-the-spot judgment calls and charge the vehicle owners whatever they want to charge.
The tow truck drivers making the judgement calls are paid on commission. The trucks they drive are designed to grab a vehicle and be gone in seconds, before the vehicle owner returns. Is that a recipe for towjacking or what?
Once in control of the vehicle, the tow company controls it all the way to the auction yard, including the amount of ransom demanded at every stage, with the clock ticking in their favor.
When they are not snagging vehicles and running, these drivers are patrolling around, burning up fuel.
That is all going to change, with SB 116 and SB 431 about to make their way to your neighborhood soon. More on this later, to be sure.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Today is National Missing Children Awareness Day
Governor Kulongoski Proclaims Missing Children Awareness Day in Oregon
Proclamation - Missing Children's Awareness Day 2007
Office of the Governor
State of Oregon
WHEREAS: May 25th has annually been declared "National Missing Children's Day" and
WHEREAS: there are more than 2,000 children reported missing every day; and
WHEREAS: more than 58,000 children are abducted by non-family members each year and
WHEREAS: Children represent our state's most valuable resource and greater public awareness can play a significant role in helping to reduce the number of missing children:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Theodore R. Kulongoski, Governor of the State of Oregon, do hereby proclaim May 25, 2007, as
MISSING CHILDREN'S AWARENESS DAY
in Oregon in recognition of every child's right to care and protection and join with others across the country in support of National Missing Children's Day. We must all strive to provide our children and the future of our state and nation, a healthy and happy living environment.
End Proclamation
Important facts about abducted children:
[] 797,500 children (younger than 18) were reported missing in a one-year period of time studied, resulting in an average of 2,185 children being reported missing each day.
[] 203,900 children were the victims of family abductions.
[] 58,200 children were the victims of non-family abductions.
[] 115 children were the victims of "stereotypical" kidnapping. (These crimes involve someone the child does not know or someone of slight acquaintance, who holds the child overnight, transports the child 50 miles or more, kills the child, demands ransom, or intends to keep the child permanently.
Source: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children web site, a 2002 U.S. Department of Justice report.
Proclamation - Missing Children's Awareness Day 2007
Office of the Governor
State of Oregon
WHEREAS: May 25th has annually been declared "National Missing Children's Day" and
WHEREAS: there are more than 2,000 children reported missing every day; and
WHEREAS: more than 58,000 children are abducted by non-family members each year and
WHEREAS: Children represent our state's most valuable resource and greater public awareness can play a significant role in helping to reduce the number of missing children:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Theodore R. Kulongoski, Governor of the State of Oregon, do hereby proclaim May 25, 2007, as
MISSING CHILDREN'S AWARENESS DAY
in Oregon in recognition of every child's right to care and protection and join with others across the country in support of National Missing Children's Day. We must all strive to provide our children and the future of our state and nation, a healthy and happy living environment.
End Proclamation
Important facts about abducted children:
[] 797,500 children (younger than 18) were reported missing in a one-year period of time studied, resulting in an average of 2,185 children being reported missing each day.
[] 203,900 children were the victims of family abductions.
[] 58,200 children were the victims of non-family abductions.
[] 115 children were the victims of "stereotypical" kidnapping. (These crimes involve someone the child does not know or someone of slight acquaintance, who holds the child overnight, transports the child 50 miles or more, kills the child, demands ransom, or intends to keep the child permanently.
Source: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children web site, a 2002 U.S. Department of Justice report.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Oregon Senate Passes 2nd Towing Reform Bill
The Oregon Senate passed major towing reform legislation on unanimous votes for the second time today!
Senate Bill 431, carried by Senator Avel Gordly, passed on a 27-0 vote this afternoon, with three Senators excused from the floor on legislative business.
Earlier, on April 23rd, Senator Gordly carried Senate Bill 116 to a unanimous 30-0 vote.
Both bills will be heard in the House Consumer Protection Committee, chaired by Representative Paul Holvey.
Passage is certain.
The unanimous Senate votes illustrate vividly the negative impact that patrol towing has had in Oregon. Patrol towing is illegal in many other states, including California and Washington.
More on this later.
On a related note, a month has passed since Hacienda Community Development Corporation's patrol tower stole my van, and I have heard nothing from those people in the form of an apology.
Senate Bill 431, carried by Senator Avel Gordly, passed on a 27-0 vote this afternoon, with three Senators excused from the floor on legislative business.
Earlier, on April 23rd, Senator Gordly carried Senate Bill 116 to a unanimous 30-0 vote.
Both bills will be heard in the House Consumer Protection Committee, chaired by Representative Paul Holvey.
Passage is certain.
The unanimous Senate votes illustrate vividly the negative impact that patrol towing has had in Oregon. Patrol towing is illegal in many other states, including California and Washington.
On a related note, a month has passed since Hacienda Community Development Corporation's patrol tower stole my van, and I have heard nothing from those people in the form of an apology.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
The United States of America honors the memory of Aaron A. Cruz
Several of the members of Aaron's Army National Guard Battalion spoke at his memorial service. They said that my son was an honorable man, respected by his comrades and superiors alike. They spoke of his love for the Guard and his dedication to his unit, and they all understood that Aaron had consciously and purposefully placed his loyalty above his own health, and had paid the price with his life.
In Memory of Aaron Cruz (March 21, 1982 to April 25, 2005)
My son Aaron died in Utah of medical neglect while under Army orders.
He apparently received no medical care for his seizure disorder after he left our home in Portland, under deployment orders for Iraq, to report to his Utah Army National Guard unit.
Two years after his death, the Department of Defense has still not complied with my request for my son's medical records, citing a "large backlog of requests."
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Testimony on Oregon Senate Iraq Memorials
Salem, Oregon April 23, 2007
Senate Rules Committee
Senator Kate Brown, Chair
Senator Ted Ferrioli, Vice-Chair
Senator Betsy Johnson
Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson
Senator David Nelson
Testimony on SM1, SJM6, SJM9, HJM9, related to the Iraq War
by Sean Cruz
April 23, 2007
Exhibits:
Photograph of Spc Tyler Cruz, unarmored humvee, 2004
Photograph of Spc Tyler Cruz, humvee with welded armor, 2004
Photograph of Spc Aaron Cruz, 2001
Certificate of recognition for Aaron Cruz, 2005
Letter from US Dept. of Veterans Affairs re Aaron’s medical records, 2005
Madame Chair, members of the Committee, for the record my name is Sean Cruz.
I do not intend to read all of my written testimony, which I have provided to the Committee. I would like to provide some foundational information and then stand aside for others to speak.
Mrs. Michele DeFord, a Gold Star Mother, whose son David Johnson was killed in Iraq , could not be here for this hearing, and has requested that I read her testimony into the record on her behalf.
I will do so at the Chair’s convenience, and otherwise will remain available to answer any questions the Committee may have about the legislation before you.
I appear before you today as the father of two Army National Guard soldiers, and as a member of the Northwest chapter of Military Families Speak Out ( MFSO ).
There are several MFSO members present to testify today, and we all speak equally for ourselves and as some of the faces of Military Families Speak Out.
I have been a resident of NE Portland for the past dozen years. For the past five of those years, my boys have been subject to combat deployment to the war in Iraq .
My sons are: Specialist Aaron Cruz, who died in 2005 at the age of 23, largely from medical neglect while he was under military orders, and Specialist Tyler Cruz, who has at this time—at the age of 21—so far—served two year-long deployments in combat in Iraq as a .50 caliber machine gunner on a humvee.
Sgt. David Johnson was killed doing the same job my son Tyler has done through two deployments in combat in Iraq .
I want to note for the record that my sons’ Army National Guard unit was first placed on alert in the Spring of 2002, ordered to pack for deployment to Iraq on 24 hours’ notice, and this April marks my family’s fifth year of continued, open-ended, actual participation in the catastrophe in Iraq .
I have provided five exhibits to the Committee to illustrate several points regarding the Iraq-related legislation before you.
These exhibits are:
(1) This early 2004 photograph of Tyler at the age of 19 shows him manning his .50 on a humvee with no armor or protection whatsoever. He is completely unprotected by even a windscreen.
(2) Later 2004 photographs such as this one showed that his unit, an engineering battalion, welded scrap steel plate for protection as best they could and, during that first deployment, he escorted convoys all over central Iraq and provided security for his unit under those conditions.
Tyler called me from the Baghdad area in 2004 and asked me if I’d heard of the “Highway to Hell.” Of course, I had.
“We paved it,” he told me, with a lot of pride in his voice. That’s my boy.
(3) This is a photograph of my son Aaron at the age of 18.
(4) This is the certificate, signed with George W. Bush, President of the United States ’ very own autopen, which reads:
“The United States of America honors the memory of Aaron A. Cruz. This certificate is awarded by a grateful nation in recognition of devoted and selfless consecration to the service of our country in the Armed Forces of the United States .”
(5) The last exhibit is a copy of the letter from the US Department of Veterans Affairs, dated November 2005, in response to my request for access to Aaron’s medical records. It reads:
“Mr. Cruz’s request will be forwarded to our privacy act officer for processing of his request. He should be advised that we have a large backlog of requests for copies of records and that it may take up to a year before his request is processed. This report of contact will be faxed and serve as a final response to this inquiry.”
For the record, I have heard nothing regarding my son since receiving this letter.
It is common knowledge that the medical system is overburdened and chaotic, and there is little expectation that it will receive either the funding or the commitment it needs in order to properly care for the injured coming back from the war.
I want also to note for the record that from April 21 until April 25, 2005 , I was absent from my job as Senator Avel Gordly ’s Legislative Aide during the 2005 legislative session.
For those five days, I was at my son Aaron’s bedside as he lay comatose in Utah . He was pronounced dead at 4:50 p.m. on April 25, 2005 .
His Utah Army National Guard unit’s entire officer and NCO staff turned out in full dress for Aaron’s memorial service and they presented his mother with a flag in his honor.
They spoke of his commitment to the unit and his despair at being left behind, due to his medical condition, which continued to deteriorate until he died.
His First Sergeant said that of the 200 soldiers he was taking to Iraq , most probably didn’t want to go, but here was one soldier who absolutely did want to go, and he couldn’t.
We buried Aaron on May 3, and 8 hours later, my son Tyler was on his way back to camp in Southern California to prepare for his second deployment to Iraq .
This is how we treat our soldiers and honor their service and their sacrifice in the real world we military families are living in.
Tyler served his second deployment in Ramadi, in Al Anbar province.
During that year, of the 4,000 soldiers and Marines fighting in Ramadi, 75 were killed and more than 1,000 were serious casualties, including many cases of Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI, the signature injury of this war.
What has been said about the living conditions for those troops is that they lived in squalor, under fire every day and every night.
During that year, no day and no night passed without my being aware that my son—the one son I have left—could be killed or severely injured at any moment.
Aaron did not die as a result of combat in Iraq , as he would have much preferred.
He died from a life-threatening seizure disorder for which he was receiving treatment while he was living with me in our home in Portland , prior to his 2003 Iraq deployment orders.
A few days after Aaron left, a letter from one of his Portland doctors arrived in the mail, warning him that he could suffer a seizure that could put him in a coma from which he would not recover, and that is in fact what happened to my son.
He concealed his medical conditions from his unit as best he could, and he called me to tell me that he had passed the Army medical exam and was going to Fort Carson , Colorado .
But Aaron was held back for at least one of the several serious medical conditions he was suffering from. As near as I can tell, he received no continuing medical treatment after he left my home and reported to his unit.
Two years later, I have no information from anyone about what happened to him medically between leaving my home and suffering the fatal seizure.
Senate Memorial 1, in line 17 page 1, refers to the deaths of 83 military personnel “from Oregon” in connection with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I want to note for the record that this number does not include my son, Aaron Cruz, although he was an Oregon resident at the time he reported for deployment.
The way this war is compartmentalized, if your soldier doesn’t die from gunfire or in an explosion, he or she isn’t a real casualty of the war, and if the soldier is from another state’s National Guard, no one pays much attention to the loss.
Now the President has announced that troops are being rotated back into Iraq again, for deployments extended to 15 months.
We military families are seeing our loved ones exposed to chlorine gas bombs now, and to shaped-charge IEDs that cut right through armor. We are seeing our troops ordered into neighborhoods, as Representative Brian Boquist described, where the streets are too narrow for the tanks and combat support vehicles they need.
The lifetime medical costs to care for some of the brain-injured soldiers returning from battle can run to $ 8 to $ 14 million dollars. Where is that money going to come from?
Will this legislature back its message to Congress with a commitment to provide the funding level that our troops, our veterans and their families need as a consequence of being a “Nation at War.?”
Is—for example—a nickel per gallon gas tax too much to ask of the Nation to help pay for the war, to finance veterans’ services for the small fraction of Americans who are actually fighting it?
I am not here to advocate for any of these Memorials as the one to support.
I believe that they each contain important concepts that merit consideration and debate by the full Senate, and I hope this Committee will decide to move them all to the floor, including HJM9, so that they can have that debate, and then bring them back to this Committee for further action.
Regarding Senate Memorial 1, I would ask the Committee to remove the platitudes from the bill.
For example, on page 1, lines 13 and 14, which read: “Whereas the Oregon Senate and the residents of the State of Oregon recognize, appreciate and are forever thankful for the sacrifices that all of our Oregon and other American troops and their families have made, especially the troops who have given their lives or been wounded to protect our freedoms.”
This expression of gratitude rings especially hollow on a day in which flags are at half-staff to mark the loss of life of another Oregon soldier, but which received no acknowledgement, no remonstrance, on the Senate floor.
A second example is found on page 2, lines 16 and 17, which read: “The Oregon Senate and the American people will continue to support and protect the members of the United States Armed Forces and the Oregon National Guard….”
I have no idea what that means, neither when that support and protection is going to begin, nor what level of commitment the bill refers to.
With that statement, Madame Chair and Members of the Committee, I will stand aside so that others may speak.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
"End the War" sign updated
I went ahead and marked off 2007, even though it's only April.
Waiting until December to close out another year is starting to feel a little too literal.
It's probably not too early to mark off 2008, too.
I just returned from a trip to Washington, D.C., four days entirely spent between the Capitol and the Washington Monument, and you could never tell we were a "Nation at War", as the saying goes. No sign of a war anywhere but at airport security.
People who aren't making any sacrifice are just as disconnected there in D.C. as they are in Portland and in Salem.
Portland's #1 Predatory Towing Horror Story Continues!
Yes! The horror story continues, and I’m claiming the title. Believe it!
I went out of town for a few days last week, and while I was gone, one of Hacienda CDC’s predatory patrol towing contractors trespassed on my private property and stole my car with a tow truck.
For the fourth time! Believe it!
Hacienda CDC owns the two triplexes behind my house. The towing horror story began two years ago when they hired Retriever Towing to patrol their triplexes.
Retriever Towing trespassed on my property three times to steal vehicles, broke the transmission in my Dodge Caravan, and also towed my rental.
To this day, they (meaning Hacienda CDC, their management company, and Retriever Towing) each claim that the other is responsible, but do not dispute the fact that they trespassed on my property in the dead of night and made an illegal, wrongful tow.
Using a different towing contractor, Sergeant’s Towing, they did it again, committing trespass and theft at 5:00 a.m. Sunday morning, April 8.
They demanded $235.00 for the return of my vehicle, which I refused to pay.
Eventually, the next day, Sergeant’s put my Caravan back where it was before this most recent trespassing event took place.
Sergeant’s has sent me two letters of apology.
Meanwhile, Hacienda Community Development’s staff remains silent in their bunker at NE 42nd Avenue and Sumner, where they have absconded with a stretch of public sidewalk—public right of way—to create an illegal, unenforceable towaway zone for their own private parking pleasure (see photos on earlier post).
Last time I spoke to Bertha Ferran, Board member of both Hacienda CDC and the Portland Development Commission, about the wrongful towing they are inflicting on their neighbors, she told me to “Call the police,” if I didn’t like it.
Well, just in case you’re paying attention, Bertha, I definitely called the police this time. You’ll be hearing from them.
And, this time, you’ll be hearing from my lawyer, too.
Believe it!
I went out of town for a few days last week, and while I was gone, one of Hacienda CDC’s predatory patrol towing contractors trespassed on my private property and stole my car with a tow truck.
For the fourth time! Believe it!
Hacienda CDC owns the two triplexes behind my house. The towing horror story began two years ago when they hired Retriever Towing to patrol their triplexes.
Retriever Towing trespassed on my property three times to steal vehicles, broke the transmission in my Dodge Caravan, and also towed my rental.
To this day, they (meaning Hacienda CDC, their management company, and Retriever Towing) each claim that the other is responsible, but do not dispute the fact that they trespassed on my property in the dead of night and made an illegal, wrongful tow.
Using a different towing contractor, Sergeant’s Towing, they did it again, committing trespass and theft at 5:00 a.m. Sunday morning, April 8.
They demanded $235.00 for the return of my vehicle, which I refused to pay.
Eventually, the next day, Sergeant’s put my Caravan back where it was before this most recent trespassing event took place.
Sergeant’s has sent me two letters of apology.
Meanwhile, Hacienda Community Development’s staff remains silent in their bunker at NE 42nd Avenue and Sumner, where they have absconded with a stretch of public sidewalk—public right of way—to create an illegal, unenforceable towaway zone for their own private parking pleasure (see photos on earlier post).
Last time I spoke to Bertha Ferran, Board member of both Hacienda CDC and the Portland Development Commission, about the wrongful towing they are inflicting on their neighbors, she told me to “Call the police,” if I didn’t like it.
Well, just in case you’re paying attention, Bertha, I definitely called the police this time. You’ll be hearing from them.
And, this time, you’ll be hearing from my lawyer, too.
Believe it!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Jim Pepper honored by Smithsonian, National Museum of the American Indian
Oregon-born Native American musician Jim Pepper (1941-1992) was honored with a series of events at the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution culminating with performances by the Jim Pepper Remembrance Band and Yellowhammer.
Among the items donated to the Museum by the family of Jim Pepper was his silver-plated saxophone.
The Museum also featured the award-winning documentary "Pepper's Powwow" in its cinema, two shows a day for several weeks preceding the April 7 concert.
Photographs of the concert and ceremony are being prepared for posting, will be up soon on www.jimpepperhouse.blogspot.com
At the request of the Pepper family, I made the following remarks during the ceremony:
Remarks for the Jim Pepper Dedication
National Museum of the American Indian
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
by Sean Cruz, on behalf of the family of Jim Pepper
April 7, 2007
“You must not forget me when I’m long gone, for I loved you so dearly,” Jim Pepper sang (in his song ‘Remembrance’), and we are gathered here today to proclaim that this unique and remarkable man will indeed never be forgotten.
On behalf of the family of Jim Pepper, Hung-a-che-eda, the Flying Eagle, I am honored and privileged to speak today, and I hope that my words are worthy of the occasion, that they carry honor and respect to all.
Jim Pepper was born in 1941, and he passed from this life in 1992, leaving a legacy of art and personality that bridged cultures and continents.
The gifts with which the Pepper family honors the National Museum of the American Indian today, including the silver saxophone through which Jim spoke his heart, always honoring his Indian heritage, forging new directions in music, preparing the way for future generations of musicians, are emblems of that legacy.
In order to understand the legacy of Jim Pepper, one must first appreciate that Jim’s music originated in the traditions, the language and the culture of Native People, in his absorption of the teachings of his grandfather Ralph Pepper, and of his father Gilbert Pepper and his mother Floy Pepper.
Their influences are at the core of this glorious, transcendental music.
Those teachings inspired Jim throughout his entire life, and we are all the beneficiaries of those lessons.
As a dancer, a singer, a composer, a bandleader, an innovator and as a saxophone player, Jim took those traditional songs, chants, rhythms, sounds—never losing contact with their Native origins, never failing to give honor to his People—and created a new vocabulary of sound and meaning, incorporating American jazz, African and Caribbean rhythms, melody and what he liked to call “sweet har-mo-ny” into a body of work that has yet to be fully appreciated.
The music often categorized as “world music” was to Jim Pepper, simply, “music for the People.”
In 1999, in her acceptance speech on the occasion of her son’s First Americans in the Arts award, Floy Pepper spoke these words:
“Jim Pepper was a member of the Kaw Indian Nation, known as the Wind People, from his father. From me, his mother, he was a member of the Creek Indian Nation, known as the People of the Waters.“It is no wonder his music was so strong and powerful—with the wind to carry his music to the four directions of the earth—and as long as the grass shall grow and the waters flow—which is forever—may his spirit remain alive for time immemorial.”
Assembled here today, from the East, the West, the North and the South, the musicians and singers of the Jim Pepper Remembrance Band and Yellowhammer have come to pay tribute to their musical and spiritual brother, and the tears they shed this afternoon—like the tears that flowed during yesterday’s rehearsal—mark the depth and the breadth of the love they share for this wonderful soul, the man who Muskogee Creek poet Joy Harjo called “The Musician Who Became a Bear”, in her song dedicated to Pepper that is already in the Smithsonian collection.
We do more than remember Jim today; we celebrate him.
In the month that Jim passed, that February of 1992, Caren Knight-Pepper composed a song-poem titled simply, “Jim.”
That poem begins:
“Family Jim
Our son Jim
Brother Jim
Uncle Jim
My Jim
Your Jim
All of ours Jim…”
And the poem concludes:
“B-flat Jim
Alaska Jim
Powwow Jim
Polar Bear Jim
Feather Jim
Gourd rattle Jim
Gentle Jim
“Witchi-Tai-To Jim
Water spirit Jim
Comin’ and Goin’ Jim
Ya-na-ho Jim
Ya-na-ho
“Ya-na-ho”
Jim Pepper, son of the Creek and Kaw Nations, son of Oregon and the United States, son of Gilbert and Floy Pepper, has become a son for the ages.
--Sean Cruz
The family of Jim Pepper donated to the Museum:
[] Jim’s silver-plated Selmer balanced-action saxophone, vintage late 1950s
[] Both of Jim's saxophone cases
[] Beaded ball cap worn by Jim Pepper in concert, with feather attached, “Jim” embroidered
[] Turtle-shell rattle used in concert and the recording studio
[] Original hand-written scores and sheet music, including “Witchi-Tai-To”
[] Original LPs, including Jim Pepper’s 1971 “Pepper’s Powwow”
Among the items donated to the Museum by the family of Jim Pepper was his silver-plated saxophone.
The Museum also featured the award-winning documentary "Pepper's Powwow" in its cinema, two shows a day for several weeks preceding the April 7 concert.
Photographs of the concert and ceremony are being prepared for posting, will be up soon on www.jimpepperhouse.blogspot.com
At the request of the Pepper family, I made the following remarks during the ceremony:
Remarks for the Jim Pepper Dedication
National Museum of the American Indian
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
by Sean Cruz, on behalf of the family of Jim Pepper
April 7, 2007
“You must not forget me when I’m long gone, for I loved you so dearly,” Jim Pepper sang (in his song ‘Remembrance’), and we are gathered here today to proclaim that this unique and remarkable man will indeed never be forgotten.
On behalf of the family of Jim Pepper, Hung-a-che-eda, the Flying Eagle, I am honored and privileged to speak today, and I hope that my words are worthy of the occasion, that they carry honor and respect to all.
Jim Pepper was born in 1941, and he passed from this life in 1992, leaving a legacy of art and personality that bridged cultures and continents.
The gifts with which the Pepper family honors the National Museum of the American Indian today, including the silver saxophone through which Jim spoke his heart, always honoring his Indian heritage, forging new directions in music, preparing the way for future generations of musicians, are emblems of that legacy.
In order to understand the legacy of Jim Pepper, one must first appreciate that Jim’s music originated in the traditions, the language and the culture of Native People, in his absorption of the teachings of his grandfather Ralph Pepper, and of his father Gilbert Pepper and his mother Floy Pepper.
Their influences are at the core of this glorious, transcendental music.
Those teachings inspired Jim throughout his entire life, and we are all the beneficiaries of those lessons.
As a dancer, a singer, a composer, a bandleader, an innovator and as a saxophone player, Jim took those traditional songs, chants, rhythms, sounds—never losing contact with their Native origins, never failing to give honor to his People—and created a new vocabulary of sound and meaning, incorporating American jazz, African and Caribbean rhythms, melody and what he liked to call “sweet har-mo-ny” into a body of work that has yet to be fully appreciated.
The music often categorized as “world music” was to Jim Pepper, simply, “music for the People.”
In 1999, in her acceptance speech on the occasion of her son’s First Americans in the Arts award, Floy Pepper spoke these words:
“Jim Pepper was a member of the Kaw Indian Nation, known as the Wind People, from his father. From me, his mother, he was a member of the Creek Indian Nation, known as the People of the Waters.“It is no wonder his music was so strong and powerful—with the wind to carry his music to the four directions of the earth—and as long as the grass shall grow and the waters flow—which is forever—may his spirit remain alive for time immemorial.”
Assembled here today, from the East, the West, the North and the South, the musicians and singers of the Jim Pepper Remembrance Band and Yellowhammer have come to pay tribute to their musical and spiritual brother, and the tears they shed this afternoon—like the tears that flowed during yesterday’s rehearsal—mark the depth and the breadth of the love they share for this wonderful soul, the man who Muskogee Creek poet Joy Harjo called “The Musician Who Became a Bear”, in her song dedicated to Pepper that is already in the Smithsonian collection.
We do more than remember Jim today; we celebrate him.
In the month that Jim passed, that February of 1992, Caren Knight-Pepper composed a song-poem titled simply, “Jim.”
That poem begins:
“Family Jim
Our son Jim
Brother Jim
Uncle Jim
My Jim
Your Jim
All of ours Jim…”
And the poem concludes:
“B-flat Jim
Alaska Jim
Powwow Jim
Polar Bear Jim
Feather Jim
Gourd rattle Jim
Gentle Jim
“Witchi-Tai-To Jim
Water spirit Jim
Comin’ and Goin’ Jim
Ya-na-ho Jim
Ya-na-ho
“Ya-na-ho”
Jim Pepper, son of the Creek and Kaw Nations, son of Oregon and the United States, son of Gilbert and Floy Pepper, has become a son for the ages.
--Sean Cruz
The family of Jim Pepper donated to the Museum:
[] Jim’s silver-plated Selmer balanced-action saxophone, vintage late 1950s
[] Both of Jim's saxophone cases
[] Beaded ball cap worn by Jim Pepper in concert, with feather attached, “Jim” embroidered
[] Turtle-shell rattle used in concert and the recording studio
[] Original hand-written scores and sheet music, including “Witchi-Tai-To”
[] Original LPs, including Jim Pepper’s 1971 “Pepper’s Powwow”
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Predatory Patrol Towing Bills set to move in Senate Committee
Several bills addressing predatory patrol towing practices in Oregon are about to be scheduled for hearings and work sessions in the Senate Commerce Committee.
Senate Bill 116A is about to be printed as amended. The consensus amendments were the result of the discussions covering every section of the bill by the towing workgroup led by Eva Novick of the Office of the Attorney General.
Attorney General Hardy Myers and the Department of Justice have been working on regulating certain practices in the towing industry for the past two legislative sessions, and now have a bill that should sail through the Capitol.
It is likely that every legislator in the building and/or their staff have a personal bad towing experience to identify with, and they are certainly hearing from their constituents.
These may be the most popular bills in the building.
The fact that complaints about patrol towing incidents have come in from so many credible sources, describing thuglike behavior by patrol tow drivers, of being stranded or forced to go to an unsafe place, of getting the hardball treatment from surly patrol tow employees at every level, of outrageous fees more like ransom, and of wasting valuable police and court time at the public expense, that the picture is very clearly drawn.
The fact is that patrol towing is already illegal in many other states, including California and Washington, purely on the issue of safety, and the proponents of patrol towing will have to face these realities should they decide to argue against the legislation in a public hearing.
For example, a young woman who was forced to stand alone under the I-405 freeway at 2:00 in the morning, waiting 30 minutes for the Retriever Towing employee to show up and release her vehicle, which had been wrongfully towed, is looking forward to discussing the issue of safety before the Committee.
She usually appears before House and Senate committees to testify on behalf of the organizations she represents as a lobbyist, but this time it’s personal.
Another witness will be the young woman, a domestic violence caseworker making a home visit to a client at Hacienda CDCs Villa de Clara Vista apartments, who parked in a visitor space and was nevertheless towed within minutes clear across town.
The Retriever yard employee (at the same tow yard under the I-405 freeway) told her she wasn’t allowed to park in the visitor’s section because she was working, not visiting, and shook her down for $230.00.
To their credit, most towing companies do not do patrol towing, and they choose not to do it on principle. Many towers resent being tarred with the same brush as the patrol towers, understandably so, and those feelings have been transferred into the legislation, resulting in the consensus language of Senate Bill 116A.
Representatives of towing companies, insurers, property owners, AAA, and the offices of Senators Avel Gordly and Ryan Deckert, representing their constituents, participated in the SB116 towing workgroup.
In addition to SB116, Senator Gordly and Senator Deckert are working on legislation addressing patrol towing issues jointly, with six bills between them.
Their staff are currently working with Legislative Counsel to combine the bills into one or two vehicles, which will be heard in the Senate Commerce Committee before the April 30 deadline for Senate bills.
If you haven’t already sent in your predatory patrol towing horror story, now is the time to do it. Send it to your state Senator and Representative, and copy to the Members of the Senate Commerce Committee.
All legislator contact information and committee agendas are available online at www.leg.state.or.us
Make your voices heard.
Senate Bill 116A is about to be printed as amended. The consensus amendments were the result of the discussions covering every section of the bill by the towing workgroup led by Eva Novick of the Office of the Attorney General.
Attorney General Hardy Myers and the Department of Justice have been working on regulating certain practices in the towing industry for the past two legislative sessions, and now have a bill that should sail through the Capitol.
It is likely that every legislator in the building and/or their staff have a personal bad towing experience to identify with, and they are certainly hearing from their constituents.
These may be the most popular bills in the building.
The fact that complaints about patrol towing incidents have come in from so many credible sources, describing thuglike behavior by patrol tow drivers, of being stranded or forced to go to an unsafe place, of getting the hardball treatment from surly patrol tow employees at every level, of outrageous fees more like ransom, and of wasting valuable police and court time at the public expense, that the picture is very clearly drawn.
The fact is that patrol towing is already illegal in many other states, including California and Washington, purely on the issue of safety, and the proponents of patrol towing will have to face these realities should they decide to argue against the legislation in a public hearing.
For example, a young woman who was forced to stand alone under the I-405 freeway at 2:00 in the morning, waiting 30 minutes for the Retriever Towing employee to show up and release her vehicle, which had been wrongfully towed, is looking forward to discussing the issue of safety before the Committee.
She usually appears before House and Senate committees to testify on behalf of the organizations she represents as a lobbyist, but this time it’s personal.
Another witness will be the young woman, a domestic violence caseworker making a home visit to a client at Hacienda CDCs Villa de Clara Vista apartments, who parked in a visitor space and was nevertheless towed within minutes clear across town.
The Retriever yard employee (at the same tow yard under the I-405 freeway) told her she wasn’t allowed to park in the visitor’s section because she was working, not visiting, and shook her down for $230.00.
To their credit, most towing companies do not do patrol towing, and they choose not to do it on principle. Many towers resent being tarred with the same brush as the patrol towers, understandably so, and those feelings have been transferred into the legislation, resulting in the consensus language of Senate Bill 116A.
Representatives of towing companies, insurers, property owners, AAA, and the offices of Senators Avel Gordly and Ryan Deckert, representing their constituents, participated in the SB116 towing workgroup.
In addition to SB116, Senator Gordly and Senator Deckert are working on legislation addressing patrol towing issues jointly, with six bills between them.
Their staff are currently working with Legislative Counsel to combine the bills into one or two vehicles, which will be heard in the Senate Commerce Committee before the April 30 deadline for Senate bills.
If you haven’t already sent in your predatory patrol towing horror story, now is the time to do it. Send it to your state Senator and Representative, and copy to the Members of the Senate Commerce Committee.
All legislator contact information and committee agendas are available online at www.leg.state.or.us
Make your voices heard.
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