Make a server in your region. Anyone can easily make a verified-mode server with very little effort. You will probably see that the problem is that no one plays it, and you just sit in queue waiting for people to join your server. Until you convince people in your area that your community server is persistent, and is the thing you say you guys want, what you want is not the thing you utilize. I don't know what the solution is that is necessary to change habit.
The thing that you say you want, already exists. You act like it should be EA's job to force people into your server, when everyone chooses to matchmake instead. It's a choice. It's a habit. It's not EA's job to force people into the persistent servers you (collectively) choose not to use in your region.
I think the OP was referring to persistent servers in matchmaking, not Portal. In larger markets there are persistent servers, so that matchmaking rolls players over to the next map on the same server. In smaller markets, this does not happen. Matchmaking simply spins up a number of servers, and players from the previous map are redistributed.
Vince was aware of this issue, and mentioned the need for persistent servers in smaller markets as well.
