Joe Walsh writes:

On May 23rd, many of us who call ourselves progressives/activists attended a Portland City Council meeting to protest the raising of rates on water usage.  We were told, after our arrival,  there would be no testimony and the voting by the members of the Council would be at 2:00 PM.  Many of the members of  Friends of the Reservoirs were there to speak against this rate increase and fight against the EPA’s mandate to change our water delivery system.  The first indicator that the “Fix” was in was the missing sign up sheets.  Mayor Adams had no intention to allow anyone to testify against these rate increases; it was a done deal.  We listened for a time and then, when it was clear what was happening, I stood up and called for a point of order.  The Mayor acted in a dictatorial manner and ordered me to sit or be thrown out of  the hearing.  I stood my ground and two security men arrived at each side of me and ordered me to leave.  I fell to my knees and refused to go until the mayor answered my point of order.  He refused but did indicate that he would now let the citizens of Portland present their views on this outrage.  The confrontation was over.  Someone did call the police and about 6 cops showed up for one old guy on oxygen who was challenging mayor adams. 

http://www.katu.com/politics/Portland-City-Council-Portland-garbage-and-...

We did testify and as a result Commission Fritz, to her credit, requested a meeting with the rest of the Council to work on lowering the rate increase and try to come to some type of compromise.  We applauded her actions, but the fight has only just begun.

It was announced that on May 30 at 9:30 am next week the water rates would be taken up again, this is where you come in.  Will you come and join us at this hearing?  You have taken positions on the covering of the reservoirs, the building of a treatment plant at Bull Run and/or the destruction of a wonderful system to deliver drinking water to the residents of Portland.  I only speak for Individuals For Justice and the Oregon Progressive Party, however I can not imagine any organization that would not be proud if you came and sat during this next hearing.  I for one would be honored if you joined in and raised your concerns about a major mistake by the Water Department.  I know it is difficult to make these meetings, however this issue is of great importance to our city.

Thank you for you time and we’ll see you at the next city council meeting.

PS:  There is another item on the agenda that Oregon Progressive Party has come out against--installation of police spy cameras in the downtown area.  This is item 613 to be voted on sometime in the morning also. Remember that the City Council is meeting in the Portland Building (not City Hall) and will start at 09:30 am.

By Roberto Lovato

Dave, Howdy, Joe Walsh, Malcolm Chaddock, and I attended the 2:00pm city council rate hikes meeting at the Portland building yesterday.  Joe said that "if he was not allowed to testify",  then he would get arrested for speaking out. There was a confrontation with Mayor Sam, who relented and activists were allowed to speak after Department presentations were made. When activists were allowed to speak on the issues or water, sewer, and garbage rate hikes, they thanked Mr. Walsh for making a fuss to make testimony possible. Joe did not have to get arrested to make his point. I yelled out during the confrontation,"This is a democracy, not a dictatorship". I feel that, because of this action that Amanda Fritz voted no on the issue and the full rate hikes were not voted in. Check out the KATU Video .

I am going to work backwards and try to remember all that we have done or tried to do. First, we just came off the Hawthorne Bridge last Friday, it was cold and just two of us stood to announce the war in Iraq was not over, just the removing of the “Uniforms” was reported. We did have the president tell us that the Iraq War was over, but presidents do lie from time to time. I remember another president on May 1, 2003 who announced that major hostilities were over; as he landed on the carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln. There is the hope that this president is telling the truth and we can cheer the end of the war in Iraq, now we only have his word and I have always taken the word of a politician with a grain of salt. What we must do as a first step is stop bombing other nations at will; until that happens these undeclared wars will continue. So, we will continue protesting on the bridges because we need to keep telling all who drive past us to keep up the pressure until all the wars in the Middle East are officially over. Someday all who called for invasion, occupation and the destruction of Iraq, Afghanistan, Gaza, Yemen, Libya, and others will be called before a judge to be tried for violations of the Geneva Convention and our laws. If you think we are finished causing wars, you are foolish. We will control the Middle East or destroy ourselves in the process. Iran is now being called the same names as we called Iraq just before “Shock and Awe.”    Read more ...

We were on the Hawthorne Bridge about 4:00 PM and enjoyed our outside shower. The rain and cold caused both of us to ask, what the hell were we doing, but we did get the sympathy vote. We did have a few people who were walking in the rain thank us for doing what we are doing. The bicyclists were with us and gave us the V sign or rang their bells in support. This was our second protest of the day.