[oregon-l] City of Portland will decide your fate without you

[Gregg Welch]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Gregg Welch 
To: Michael Alvarez ; April Bergsman ; Darian Slayton Fleming ; John A. Fleming ; Daniel Ezell ; Joanie ; darlalmudd at comcast.net ; Karen Eidemiller ; Sean Ray ; Todd Ray ; k.seth.acbo at gmail.com ; Rebecca Stewart ; alton daschofsky ; paulette stokes ; Jack Thorpe ; Nina Willis 
Cc: Gregg Welch 
Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 3:05 PM
Subject: City of Portland will decide your fate without you


Hello everyone: As I have told you in the past, the Coalition Connecting Communities (Disabled communities) is urging you participate in city planning for the long term and if you don't participate, they will plan our future without your input.  As an example, the mayor wants to divert part of your water bill funds to pay to fund bicycle lanes for bicyclists and yet we need curb cuts all over the city.  According to Michael Levine (previous C.A.T. Committee outspoken advocate) at the current trend of prioritizing the curb cut out program, they will have the work done in 20 years because the disabled are less of a priority to the city than the bicycle riders.  That's the tip of the iceburg.

Focusing on the next few months, it is important for C C C members representing Portland's cross-disability community's voice be heard by attending any of the Phase II Workshops. As the Portland Plan flyer tagline states, "There's talking about it. And there's doing something about it." Here are some of our next opportunities to provide input. Southeast
April 26, 6:30-9 pm
Central Catholic High School, Cafeteria
2401 SE Stark Street
Portland, OR 97214.  Northeast
April 29, 6:30-9 pm
Beaumont Middle School, Cafeteria
4043 NE Fremont Street
Portland, OR 97212.  North
May 1, 10 am-12:30 pm
University Park Community Center
Multi-purpose Gym
9009 N Foss Avenue
Portland, OR 97203
*childcare provided in Cesar Chavez room.  Central City
May 10, 6:30-9 pm
University of Oregon, White Stag Block
Rooms 142 & 144
70 NW Couch Street
Portland, OR 97209.  East
May 15, 10 am-12:30 pm
David Douglas High School, Cafeteria (North)
1001 SE 135th Ave
Portland, OR 97233
*childcare provided in room #122.  West
May 18, 6:30-9 pm
Jackson Middle School, Cafeteria
10625 SW 35th Avenue
Portland, OR 97219 Please note that some locations may require you to ask for assistance from City staff volunteers.  Any questions that you may have about the venue and accommodations you may require to participate effectively in these meetings, please call Marty Stockton of the Portland Plan at (503) 823-7700. To reach someone with the CCC, you may call Membership Chair, Lavaun Heaster, directly at 503-231-1052 or you may contact the CCC at 503-261-1266 ext. 202. Additional information on the Portland Plan can be accessed online at: www.portlandonline.com/portlandplan/index.cfm?a=289672&c=50730#1

 

 

Bonnie Malone, Cheri Slack and I attended a meeting with the mayor where he discussed this idea of giving bicyclists priority to pay for bike lanes, but he didn't mention the condition of the curb cut program that was supposed to be a priority back in 1990 and 20 years later, we still are not a priority.  I specifically told the mayor that bicyclists don't have respect for pedestrians, especially blind pedestrians and his plan would encourage blind pedestrians to go back to the old days of staying home, because fear of walking and crossing streets will be rampid and he recognized the point to be valid, but offered no comment or solutions and his plan moves forward.  A number of onlookers thanked me for making the point to the mayor, but he has said nothing about reexamining his plan and you can expect to be traumatized by bicycles in the future.  There are so many proposals in his 20 year plan that need our input and the influence train is leaving the station.  Please make time in your schedule to be at some of these meetings, so history doesn't go backwards.

 

Gregg Welch
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