Activistas

So is there a mother's movement, or what?

I was cleaning up the piles surrounding my desk the other morning and unearthed a Fall 2005 issue of Brain, Child magazine with a feature article titled, "Why the Mother's Movement Hasn't Happened...Yet." It was fascinating re-reading, especially given the progress that has been made in a few short years.  It provides a good background of the "movement," describes a lot of the players to date, and might give us Activistas some ideas and a notion of where we fit in - and some inspiration, to boot.  One line I thought worth repeating: "Mothers can organize.  If they want to.  It doesn't take everyone - just a critical mass of motivated people."  Do you think there's a "mother's movement" happening now?  Nationally?  Locally?  In your own home??  Any feedback on the article?  Happy re-reading!

Part-time work: Other countries have it, why don't we?

Judith Warner's guest Op-Ed in today's New York Times is worth a read if you're interested in the option to work part-time while raising a family.  Many of us want it (according to recent research, 60% of us!), but few of us have it.  As she so plainly states: It doesn't have to be this way!  We couldn't agree more.  Please share your experiences and opinions about part-time work with us - as well as your take on Ms. Warner's piece, The Full-Time Blues.  You can read the piece here if you're a NYT subscriber and here if you're not. 

So Many Organizations, So Little Time

We've come a long, long way towards family-friendly public policies in this country, but we have a ways to go.  Good thing so many organizations are busily working on the issues near and dear to our families' hearts.  I've spent some time (OK, a lot of time) checking out many of these fine organizations on the web.  How wonderful that they exist and are stepping up to work for serious change - it's high time and we, I think, are good and ready.    

But I am also a little overwhelmed by them all - who does what for whom and when and how (and where do I fit in)?   I've seen The Motherhood Manifesto.  I get the Moms Rising e-mails (they're great), I've checked out 9 to 5, Portland-based Stand for Children, and I admire the National Partnership for Women and Families (their byline is "A Better World for Women is  A Better World," how can I argue with that?).  I sometimes check out N.O.W., Two Angry Moms and the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood.  And just tonight I came across Mothers and More's national advocacy site.  Eek - there are so many!  And the laundry and my job are (not so patiently) waiting.

Since it's impossible to keep tabs on them all and challenging to settle on the one(s) that are a comfortable fit, I wonder if there any real standouts that I have overlooked?  Which one(s) do you rely on for information about family-(un)friendly policies?  For activism?  For those handy e-mail alerts that allow you to be politically active with one free hand and a nursing baby on your lap?  Which organizations stand out to you as the most in sync and effective on issues important to urban mamas and papas - especially us Portlanders?   If you had to settle on just one, which would it be? 

Time for a New Bridge: Help Decide Your Ride

A new I-5 bridge to get from Oregon to Washington and back over the Columbia River doesn't sound all that exciting.   But it IS.  We have a unique opportunity to improve this critical transportation link between the two states and metro areas.  Pedestrian friendly?  Bikes?  MAX?  Tolls?  And two states coordinating to get it done.  Sounds like an impossible - and very expensive - job. 

But wait!  They've been working on this for years and have already narrowed it down to five alternatives. And, they want to hear from you!  Yes, you.  They are inviting more public input - so you can tell the planners what you want to see on that bridge, and why, and how it affects you as a driver/biker/pedestrian in Portland.  You can share your thoughts on-line or in person - check out the "Get Involved" tab of the project's web site for upcoming meetings times and locations, to submit comments and questions online, or just to learn about the current design alternatives. There is a terrific Frequently Asked Questions section for newbies (like me!).   Portland-based Coalition for A Livable Future also has some information and perspectives on the project.

Do you use the bridge?  Does it work for you?  How could it be better?  Share your thoughts with us, but better yet, share them with the Columbia River Crossing decision makers so we get a really great bridge.  Strange to say, this chance may not come around again in our lifetimes. 

Want to screen Motherhood Manifesto?

I haven't seen Motherhood Manifesto yet, have you?  It's a documentary about motherhood, showing personal experiences and stories about mothers caring for their children, despite barriers of workplace issues or socioeconomics.  Are you interested in borrowing a copy of the DVD?  Please email us at urbanmamas@gmail.com.  One of the Activistas has a couple of copies she'd be happy to lend to other mamas!

Health Care for All Kids? You Bet.

Ever heard of the SCHIP?  Me neither.  It stands for the "State Children's Health Insurance Program," a federal block grant to states started in 1997 that funds health care for low-income kids, specifically those whose families earn too much for Medicaid but not enough to purchase private insurance.   Here in Oregon, it's part of the Oregon Health Plan.  Congress is debating its reauthorization right now, so it's a perfect time to e-mail your Representatives.  Why?  Because 1 in 9 kids have NO health care coverage.  None.  Wow. 

Moms Rising has made electronic activism so easy it'll take you just a second to tell your Representatives in DC that you support more funding to expand coverage, expand benefits for insured kids, and simplify enrollment.  Can't argue with that.  Click here to speak up now.

If you want to know more, check out what Families USA has to say - there's a great 5-page summary if you click on Oregon.  If you're after something a little shorter than 5 pages (imagine!), check out what Wikipedia has to say - short and to the point! 

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is a national program in the United States designed for families who earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid, yet cannot afford to buy private insurance.

Together our voices are very strong - let's be sure the good folks in DC know how we feel about children not having health care.

Slow it Down

Amy wanted to spread the word on an issue dear to her heart.  Spread the word to try to decrease speeding drivers in your neighborhood.  Perhaps stings could focus on drivers rather than cyclists?

Some of our streets are in need of repair, it's true. I have been analyzing this info from the city and researching the problem as well as attending Sam's meeting in NE Portland.

However, the much larger issue that concerns me and many other mamas is the constant speeding of drivers on neighborhood streets. We walk with our children outdoors and have to play roulette with their lives as cars go flying by at 25-35 MPH only feet away. Dozens of cyclist and pedestrians loose their lives in Portland every year.

PDOT is investigating the possibility of lowering the speed limits of neighborhood (side) streets in Portland from 25 MPH to 15 MPH. This is critical for safer neighborhoods - where we live, work and play!!

Here is the first step you can take in the PDOT investigation to lower speed limits on Portland's neighborhood streets:

http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=40390

Take the "Pulse Poll" on the right of the screen and check "15 MPH" for maximum safety in our neighborhoods, then "Place Vote."

Then forward this to everyone you know to do the same.

Let's Talk Trash

We are urbanMamas and urbanPapas committed to caring about our environment and conserving resources. The Portland metropolitan area is a national recycling leader.

Yet, there is still more we can do. Half the trash we throw away can still be recycled. How can we recycle more in our homes and businesses? Should we consider disposal bans on certain hazardous products in order to better protect the environment?

The Metro Council has been working with residents, business owners, solida waste facility owners and the environmental community to develop the best policies and strategies for the future of the region.

TELL THEM WHAT YOU THINK. Review the proposed 10-year regional solid waste management plan and tell them what you think by August 3, 2007.

Help Beautify our Schools - 08.25.2007

Portland Public Schools and SOLV are enlisting volunteers to do grounds work at 65 schools across the city as part of Community Care Day on Saturday, Aug. 25, from 9 a.m. to noon.

The volunteers will weed, prune, mow and spread bark chips to prepare for students’ return to school Sept. 5.

Following the cleanup, all volunteers are invited to Roseway Heights School, 7334 N.E. Siskiyou St., for a barbecue, music and the dedication of a new playground structure.

Funding for Community Care Day comes from the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation, which last year donated $95,000 to cover ongoing cleanup costs. This year, the foundation donated another $100,000 to install playground structures at Roseway Heights and Portsmouth School.  Previously middle schools, both will become K-8 schools this fall.

Last year, more than 1,800 people participated in Community Care Day, enhancing the grounds of dozens of schools. Such efforts are vital to Portland Public Schools: Because of tight budgets, the district employs the equivalent of only four full-time groundskeepers to maintain its 750
acres of property.

To register and for information on specific sites, go to the Web site www.pps.k12.or.us/depts/communications/news/ and click on “Community Care Day 2007” or call Monica Kearsley of SOLV at
503-844-9571.

Activista Coffee Hour - 07.19.2007

We’ve whined, and that’s good, but now let’s DO something about it

If you’ve been checking out our Activistas forum with interest and felt as crestfallen as we did about the failure of the paid family leave bill, join us for our very first Activista Coffee Hour  - a chance to meet other active-minded mamas and papas, discuss policy issues that affect Portland families, strategize to create change locally and beyond, and whine a little, of course!  Many of us have watched or read The Motherhood Manifesto and are plugged into Moms Rising, and now we’re ready to act – together!  What's important to you and your family?  What would you love to see changed on our local and state level? 

There is power in numbers and there are a lot of us.  Our hope is to create a coordinated network within our community of families to proactively work for change – and to be ready to act fast and successfully when an issue comes to the surface.  Meet us next Thursday, July 19th from 10:30-11:30 AM to get this ball rolling.  If this time and location isn’t ideal for you, let us know so we can accommodate more people at future meetings.

Activista Coffee Hour
Thursday, July 19th
10:30AM to 11:30AM
Stumptown Coffee, Downtown PDX, 128 SW 3rd Ave, way in the back on the couchy area