Oregon House Speaker Dave Hunt (D-Clackamas County) has accepted an invitation to address a rally of thousands of participants in Sunday's United for Oregon march at Terry Schrunk Plaza in downtown Portland.
The United for Oregon march is designed to gain support for shielding children, seniors, and families made vulnerable by the economic downturn, and front-line workers from absorbing the brunt of proposed state budget cuts. The latest proposed 2009-11 budget that is now under consideration in Salem would reduce funding for human services, education and public safety by almost $2 billion from current levels.
Service Employees International Union Local 503 is principal sponsor of the march and rally, which is co-sponsored by more than two dozen organizations including AARP Oregon, AFSCME, the American Federation of Teachers, Basic Rights Oregon, Children First for Oregon, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, the Oregon Alliance for Retired Americans, the Oregon PTA, the Portland Association of Teachers, Portland Jobs with Justice and the Rural Organizing Project.
Public workers and their families and supporters are expected to converge on Portland from across the state. Buses will be arriving from Albany, Astoria, Beaverton, Bend, Clackamas, Coos Bay, Corvallis, Eugene, Florence, Grants Pass, Hermiston/Heppner, Hillsboro, Klamath Falls, La Grande, Medford, Monmouth/Independence, Newport, Pendleton, Redmond, Roseburg, Salem, The Dalles/Hood River and Tillamook.
Marchers will gather on the East Esplanade at noon and walk across the Hawthorne Bridge and up Madison Street to the Plaza. The rally, which is to start at 2 p.m., will include appearances by union and community activists as well a performance in support of the workers by popular blues singer Linda Hornbuckle.
There will be several street closures in downtown Portland during the march. Westbound access to the bridge will be impeded for about an hour starting at 1 p.m. Motorists are advised to use other Willamette River crossings during that time.
Additionally -
• The south pedestrian/cyclist lane of the Hawthorne Bridge will be closed from 12:50 p.m., when the march kicks off from the East Esplanade, to 1:50. The north lane will remain open.
• Madison Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic from SW First to SW Third Avenues for about an hour starting at 1 p.m. and north-south traffic will be halted on SW First, Second and Third Avenues at Madison. These streets will reopen as the last of the marchers pass.
Marchers will form up on the block bounded by SE Main, Salmon and Water Streets and the East Esplanade at noon, so street parking in the area will be scarce. Others going directly to the rally will likely add to congestion on streets surrounding the plaza.
Thus those participating and others who plan to view the dragon boats from the esplanade are advised to consider public transportation. Marchers and others are asked to bring boxes and cans for the Oregon Food Bank, which will collect donations at the esplanade and the plaza.