Ed Garren’s Weblog

I wrote this to our City Commissioners on Tuesday night, after returning home from testifying.

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Testimony below

Packed Gallery above

(My testimony tonight was) Not my best night for focus, sorry for that.

And that is indicative of the process, which is what I was trying to articulate, though not very successfully (even I have “off” days).

This situation has evolved into a classic “lose/lose” situation.  It also appears to have become a lightening rod for all of Portland’s least attractive passions.

I urge you all to consider that while the process has met all the legal requirements, and will offer a sense of accomplishment, it will be a Pyrrhic Victory at best.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhic_victory

There will also be a lot of bruised, bleeding and very angry, vindictive people left in the aftermath.  They will take those passions out on the Latino community, and do we really need more of that?

I urge you all to consider appointing an independent committee, or something that can work through all the passions, actually ask a neighborhood to volunteer a street, or some other opportunity for the city to show it’s better side.

The current PROCESS is screaming at us that it is flawed and not working very well, that’s my point.

You always have the option to table this paradigm while you try something else.  You can then create a situation in which a better solution can be created.  I don’t think a solution can come out of the current city rules.  That is evidenced by how clearly those rules and procedures are not working in this situation.

A citizen committee that is appointed with representatives from all “sides” can make a recommendation based upon community wisdom, form the bottom up, instead of the top down.  It might actually improve race relations too.

I’m glad to talk with any of you about this if you need some fleshing out.

As much as I want this street (or bridge, or both) to happen, this is not the way to do it.