Hall Monitor

The council fight over Dan Saltzman’s recent flag-lowering
resolution is symptomatic of the pall hanging over Portland City
Hall lately. Two weeks ago, Saltzman proposed lowering the City of
Portland flag once a month on the date that corresponds to the number
of children who have died from abuse, neglect, or violence in
the previous month.

On its face, the resolution was typical Portland city government.
Why tackle the tough stuff when there’s something superficial? See
also: Randy Leonard’s attempted condemnation of the Made in Oregon
sign, or a certain ongoing effort to rename a street. This time
however, let’s give Saltzman his due. Aside from seeking to raise
awareness of child abuse with his flag-lowering resolution, the
commissioner has been a passionate advocate for Portland Children’s
Investment Fund, which gives $13 million a year to provide safe and
constructive after-school alternatives for kids, and prevent child
abuse, neglect, and family violence. At least he’s put his money where
his mouth is.

Blogtown commenters (blogtown.portlandmercury.com)
have somewhat tastelessly pointed out that the plan has drawbacks: If
11 children die in November, how do we tell the difference on Veterans
Day? What happens if 32 children die in a month? And so on. (In a
surprising development, the average blog commenter’s sense of humor
leans toward the dark side.)

Actually, I’m more troubled by the open resistance to Saltzman’s
resolution by City Commissioners Randy Leonard and Nick
Fish. The pair said they were concerned that lowering the flag
would confuse Portlanders, and worried that lowering the flag for
abused children might mean that other groups would come forward,
seeking to have the flag lowered for their causes. I felt that Fish and
Leonard’s opposition came across as petty, especially as I listened to
some of the emotional testimony in council about the death of abused
kids. The two commissioners could just as easily have gone ahead with
the resolution, moving their minor reservations to the backs of their
minds. But instead, they decided to burn goodwill by making an issue
out of it.

Two days before the fight, Saltzman had called Leonard a
bully over Leonard’s sign condemnation effort, and I don’t think
it’s coincidence that Saltzman was sent a strong message two days
later—regardless of whether abused kids were involved. If this
kind of petty bickering is what we’ve been reduced to, it might
be appropriate to lower the City of Portland flag for good.