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The critical question left unanswered in your article about Kim Kimbrough ["Bulldog," Feb. 12, 2003] is why the City of Portland is handing over $8.8 million to the Portland Business Alliance in the first place. The PBA, for the most part, advocates the interests of a handful of rich white men who can damned well afford to market themselves. The last thing Kimbrough, Pete Mark and their ilk want is anyone questioning the divine edict that the business community is entitled to a public subsidy in the first place, so they've cleverly framed the debate in terms of business needing "a better seat at the table."
Business already virtually owns that table of local government and most of the seats around it. Much of the time, as well, they manipulate some rather taut strings attached to our elected officials, Jim Francesconi being just the latest illustration. Kimbrough's abrasive personality may make an interesting article, but the real story is that he is demanding more of what his constituency shouldn't be entitled to at the outset.
Robert Reid
Southwest Morrison Street
TWIN-CAM STUCK IN IDLE
After reading the recent WW story titled "Double Jeopardy" [Feb. 14, 2003], I cannot for the life of me figure out the point of it. As written, the story presented absolutely no evidence that the homeless twins profiled are in any way struggling "to break free of the streets," as promised by the front cover's lead. Perhaps a truncated quote from Bryan is the most illuminating: "I want to get the fuck off the streets.... But now I don't have no priorities. If someone wants to get me high, I'll get high. I'm not worried about the consequences...." I think it a rather obvious point, but struggle is quite different than desire, mostly because it entails action (and lots of it).
We live in one of the richest countries on this planet, and here are two young men--like it or not, members of its most privileged racial class, the Caucasians--who are still in possession of the strength of their youth. But they've pissed away a large amount of opportunity through bad choices. And because of this, to both reclaim their dignity and find a productive, stable place in our society will indeed be a struggle. But as it was, the story only reinforced my firm resolve not to ever give money to the young white panhandlers so common in downtown Portland.
Who knows, maybe the story's seeming empathy was ironic and this was indeed the point?
Warren McCutchen
Southeast Grand Avenue
WWeek 2015