November 15, 2003
Neighborhoods Move To Inject Themselves Into Political And Media Spheres
Three new resources for neighborhoods have launched themselves into the worlds of politics and media, and made their presences known today at the 4th annual neighborhood summit.
As previously-mentioned, the Neighborhood Political Action Committee has formed, here at the front edge of the 2004 elections, to exert the influence of Portland neighborhoods upon the political process. Aiming to "rebuild a true government for the people and neighborhoods of Portland," N-PAC appears to be taking the "inside" track, maneuvering to bring the Neighborhood Issue into the local world of money and politics, where every other special interest already plays the game. To my knowledge, N-PAC does not yet have a presence on the Web.
At the same time, and in some sense on the other end of the power spectrum, is the Neighborhood Agenda Committee, an outgrowth of a meeting of 30-40 people in August which discussed the condition of Portland's neighborhood system.
Examining such possible actions as reinstating the "neighborhood needs" process, developing a political strategy for neighborhoods, demonstrating the worth of neighborhood associations, working citywide to strengthen the voice of neighborhoods, and drafting a list of qualities essential for any director of the Office of Neighborhood Involvement, the NAC sees the upcoming 30th anniversary of the neighborhood system as "an opportune time to look back at where we've been, take a good hardlook at where we are and where we should be, and look to the future of [what] we want to be."
The NAC also does not appear to have a presence on the Web, but having grown out of a meeting held at Southeast Uplift, that's likely the best place from which to seek further information.
Meanwhile, and also officially launched at today's summit, is News4Neighbors, a project of Open Source Consulting. The website seeks to support Portland neighborhoods by providing tools for neighborhoods to discuss local issues.
As mentioned in the previous item, candidates for local office are already jockeying for position in relation to the increasingly-public controversy over the current state of neighborhood involvement. On the other side, neighborhoods and their supporters also are gearing up to position themselves to have their own voices heard, as 2004 begins to shape up into something of the Year of the Neighborhood.