Thanks so much, Katrina, for your colorful reminder about Sunday’s garden meeting (Sunday, 2 p.m., PUMC, Education Room #1).

A conflict has surfaced in my schedule. SEIU Local 503, service employees union representing thousands of public employee service workers, is staging a public demonstration downtown Portland Sunday at the same time as our Community Garden meeting. As the State of Oregon tries to cut $4 billion from the state budget over the next two years, our legislators are proposing cuts that will lay a signficant part of the burden of our tough economic times on the shoulders of low income families in need of public services (through reduced services) AND low income public service employees (through the loss of jobs).

The organizers of the demonstration are using the image of the transformation of service employees moving from BEHIND THE COUNTER (as in services such as food stamps) to IN FRONT OF THE COUNTER (as recipients of those services).  JUSTICE says budget cuts shouldn’t be shouldered by the most vulnerable in our midst. So I plan to attend the demonstration.

Please let me know if you need anything from me for the meeting. And keep up the great work on the garden! Well done – you guys rock!

Peace, Pastor Bill