It’s a new year, following on the heels of a very difficult one. It’s been hard in Portland, where we’ve faced an unnecessary invasion of ICE enforcement agents and the threat of federal troops, and as a nation we’ve been subjected to an out-of-control federal government, a tough economy for many, and near-constant chaos.
We may not agree on all of the details, but I suspect most of us in NE Portland and B-W can agree this is not the kind of environment we want our children and grandchildren to grow up in or the legacy we want to leave.
Most of us want a nation where differences, including differences of opinion, can be discussed without name calling and denigrating people. A place where our nation’s history (and Oregon’s and Portland’s) is explored honestly. Where we expect evidence to be used as the basis for government policies. Where big corporations and tech billionaires don’t have extraordinary power over the rest of us. Where schools do a better job of teaching and students a better job of learning. Where health care quality and availability are higher and costs are controlled. Where our natural environment is valued and protected. Where freedom – real freedom – reigns.
And imagine a Portland that offers more and better housing options for people without big budgets; well-run, responsive city and county governments; and a healthier economy for all.
All of this is possible if We the People take more responsibility for our lives and treat it as our personal responsibility to make this kind of civility and progress a priority. Our children are counting on us.
Chris Rauber and his wife moved to Portland and B-W in mid-2022 after many years in the San Francisco Bay Area. He wrote for the San Francisco Business Times and other publications. He was born in Oregon.