March 05 2021
Graham Trainor is president of the Oregon AFL-CIO, the federation of labor unions representing more than 300,000 working Oregonians. Reyna Lopez is executive director of PCUN, representing farmworkers and Latinx working families.
In times of crisis, real leaders are forged.
During the year since Oregon s first confirmed case of COVID-19, countless examples of empathetic, worker-centered leadership have been showcased. When elected officials listen to workers, the policies they pass are stronger and more responsive to the needs of working families. For example, Oregon created and funded the Oregon Worker Relief Fund to ensure farmworkers who help put food on our tables and are least likely to have access to enough paid sick time could quarantine when needed.
Michele Veenker: Sheriff s Levy shouldn t be considered an either/or proposal
On Feb. 25, Pamplin Media Group reported on the Clackamas County commissioners voting to support the Sheriff s Levy. In that, they quoted me. Although the quote was correct, because I was not allowed to finish my testimony, my quote was taken out of context and left the readers with the misconception that I was against the levy, when in fact I support it.
The reporter said I supported the idea of increasing bed capacity for mental illness but questioned whether the sheriff s office is the best agency to administer such services.
Clackamas County libraries meeting needs of our communities February 23 2021
Opinion: Librarians have been a link to help all of us strive to maintain a sense of normalcy.
A year ago, we began to face an uncertain future involving a pandemic testing our medical, physical, social and mental abilities. People throughout our county have stepped up and made a difference for all of us as we truly take life one day at a time. We recognize and honor such needed forces such as medical personnel, grocery workers, truckers, power-line folks, firefighters and so many more who have made a difference.
One unseen vital force has been our library staffs throughout the county. Though our library doors may be temporarily closed to the public, these people have worked behind the scenes to make things happen and to assist with social and mental needs of all ages. These librarians have been a link to help all of us strive to maintain a sense of normalcy in a world of a constantly changin
February 12 2021
My generation needs Gov. Brown to get serious about getting all the state s polluters to clean up their acts. And do so before 2050
To grow up today is to grow up during the apocalypse. In the midst of a global pandemic and climate crisis, my classmates and I are just trying to finish high school. While already trapped in our homes, the record-breaking wildfire season destroyed thousands of homes and businesses and left Oregonians breathing toxic smoke for weeks. We re graduating into a world fraught with unprecedented tragedies.
Two global public health emergencies are harming Oregonians: COVID-19 and climate change. Smoke from wildfires, pollution from burning fossil fuels and a respiratory virus are all gunning for our lungs. Who is bearing more than their fair share of these burdens? The answer has always been the same: Black, Indigenous and people of color.
February 01 2021
Candace Avalos: We do not feel safe on our streets and in our homes when hate goes unchecked. I am running for County commissioner to stand up for you the people, your families and your businesses, and to work for a brighter future for all of us.
These are some of the first few words you can read on Mark Shull s campaign page for Clackamas County. But after it was uncovered recently that the newly elected commissioner has a documented history of disparaging Black and brown communities, some of us are wondering what he really meant when he said he d work for all of us.