Seems Mayor Hales and the rest of the Commissioners didn't much like what I had to say, and responded with personal attacks, insinuations, and assumptions about my exaggerated and "untrue" accusations (which weren't accusing anyone of anything in the first place, just stating my view of where things in Felony Heights stood).
Below is the entire email exchange as of today, November 20. I'm going to go through Mayor Hales' and Commissioner Fritz's emails and respond specifically inline to them, in two separate posts.
Mayor Hales starts his response out by accusing me of being pretty much a failed journalist student. I want to remind folks that here at SE Market and 127th, in Felony Heights, is someone (me) with professional graduate ABD training as an anthropologist (study of people as they currently are) who specializes in urban issues, globalization, and the rise of sustainability activism. I've written published works on these issues, and taught college students in numerous classes. Keep in mind that I do have some idea, through ethnographic research of participant observation (as a Portland resident) of what I'm talking about.
Besides, the purpose of this blog is to shake things up a little and throw metaphorical bombs at folks in power in order to move our city towards workable solutions to big problems. I'm supposed to, as an activist (and as part of anthropological research) to take what I observe and participate in and synthesize it into conclusions, based on evidence. I'm pretty sure I'm doing just that. I do wonder, however, why Mayor Hales and the City Commissioners are so jumpy. Could it be that I somewhat hit the nail on the head?
Entire email exchange follows:
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7:26 PM (19 hours ago)
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Mayor Hales, Portland City Commissioners,
Just a heads up email to let you know about a newly published blog post, on The View From Felony Heights, that calls City priorities east of 82nd into question - and places blame for East Portland disarray squarely at City Hall's feet. I figure those I write about at least deserve to know that I'm talking about them in a public forum.
A small question before I close this email: Why on earth did City leaders agree to annex Mid-County east of 82nd back in 1985 when it is now painfully clear City government refuses to provide adequate funding for services, while taking 3x the money? (City budget gives 8% or so, from what I gather, to east of 205, while getting a fifth of its monies from the same place).
I'd like to hear some straight talk about East Portland issues and needs, publicly, on my blog perhaps. I realize the City Commissioners, with near absolute control over your specific city departments, don't have to explain to anyone, particularly little ol' cantankerous me. I just figure that y'all might want to get the chance to comment on how SE 127th and Market views where City government priorities are and aren't.
Cheers and thanks,
Shea Michael Anderson
Publisher, The View From Felony Heights
CC: Willamette Weekly, Portland Mercury, The Oregonian (Oregon Live)
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9:27 PM (17 hours ago)
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Shea - I hardly know where to start, since both this email and the blog post you attached are so full of errors. At the risk of sounding snarky, I'd advise that if you want to be a journalist, you actually do have to do the work of finding out what the facts are. And maybe not ask elected officials to be your fact-checkers.
Here are a few:
Here are a few:
1. East Portland lacks infrastructure because for decades, when the area was unincorporated Multnomah County, County government issued building permits for houses, etc. without requiring the construction of streets, sidewalks, and sewers. Dumb idea, but not the City's idea.
2. It wasn't Portland's idea to annex Mid-County, nor Gresham's. Both cities were ORDERED to annex the area by the state Environmental Quality Commission, since IT WAS THE LARGEST UNSEWERED URBAN AREA IN THE UNITED STATES WITH 65,000 HOUSES ON CESSPOOLS.
3. East Portland produces far less city tax revenue that it consumes. That's why the David Douglas School District is up against it for passing bond measures, since DDSD does not contain all the high-value/low-services real estate of downtown Portland. (Yes, downtown subsidizes East Portland, as dissonant as that sounds with populist rhetoric).
4. Over the past twenty years, East Portland has received a disproportionately large amount of capital investment for community centers and parks and more recently, streets, compared to the rest of the city.
These are actual facts. They are inconvenient truths for some who like to feast on public disgruntlement. Hope you will be the courageous journalist who researches and reveals them.
These are actual facts. They are inconvenient truths for some who like to feast on public disgruntlement. Hope you will be the courageous journalist who researches and reveals them.
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12:21 PM (2 hours ago)
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In addition to concurring with Mayor Hales’ comments, I encourage you to talk with your neighbors and think about your framing. Many residents and business owners in East Portland are very concerned about use of terms such as “Felony Flats” or now “Felony Heights” to describe their community. They believe, and I agree, that it perpetuates a negative stereotype of an area that as many times more wonderful, hardworking people than felons.
Amanda
Amanda Fritz
Commissioner, City of Portland
Commissioner, City of Portland
The City of Portland is a fragrance free workplace. To help me and others be able to breathe, please avoid using added fragrances when visiting City offices.
To help ensure equal access to City programs, services and activities, the City of Portland will reasonably modify policies/procedures and provide auxiliary aids/services to persons with disabilities. Call 503-823-2036, TTY 503-823-6868 with such requests or visit http://www.portlandoregon.gov/
From: Shea Michael Anderson [mailto:sheaside@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 19, 2015 7:27 PM
To: Shea Michael Anderson <sheaside@gmail.com>
Subject: Heads Up From SE 127th Ave and Market (Mill St Adjacent)
Sent: Thursday, November 19, 2015 7:27 PM
To: Shea Michael Anderson <sheaside@gmail.com>
Subject: Heads Up From SE 127th Ave and Market (Mill St Adjacent)
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3:08 PM (0 minutes ago)
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OK, I refuse (as I said in my email) to discuss the very real issues of East Portland's neglect in a private setting. Mayor Hales, Commissioner Fritz - since you've responded to me from city email addresses, that makes your messages public domain. Look there, and respond there - rather than trying to dress me down privately.
I have nothing against you five personally,and I would assume that you realize that. However, there are serious problems that y'all aren't looking at, and I'm not sure the current structure of Portland government can in fact effectively address goings on. And I'm not the only one who thinks so, as you know from the secession petition that the City Auditor, after consulting with Salem, quashed.
I very, very, very much appreciate your PROMPT (though quite personal, to me) responses. It took me quite some time to get ANY response from Clark County and Vancouver officials - and then only grudgingly. However, going forward, lets not make personal assumptions about eachothers' opinions, particularly in terms of where we base our opinions at and in. Politics is not personal (at least, not where I sit).
I look forward to carrying debate about these serious city issues forward in a public online setting.
Thank you,
Shea Michael Anderson, M.A.
PS - I am not a journalist. I am, however, a professionally trained cultural anthropologist with ABD graduate training, research, and fieldwork specializing in Seattle as a city after the WTO November 1999 protests and the rise there of sustainability as local activism movement (and the death of citizen activism by corporate gentrification and co-opting of neighborhood issues). So, before you take me to task about my grounding, investigation abilities, fieldwork, and historical fact, please bear in mind that I'm not just spouting hot air. (-:
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