Bigotry validated
The October 2025 “Shelter Watch” photo feature was shamefully irresponsible and hateful. There is zero evidence of any correlation (to say nothing of causation) between the images printed and the Northrup Street Shelter.
No one makes any effort to explain how the opening of an overnight shelter at 1435 NW Northrup leads to people sleeping in the North Park blocks or erecting tents at Ninth and Irving. This is just more of the same anti–homeless propaganda that the NW Examiner regularly churns out, no doubt to the satisfaction of the neighborhood residents who enjoy having their own bigotry validated in print.
Allen Duarte
NW 14th Ave.
Peacock bullying
The New York Times article of Oct. 4, “What Happens When Socialists Are in Charge?” reads, “Willamette Week, a local newspaper, reported on a group text in which the six progressives, referring to themselves as “Peacock”—for ‘progressive caucus’—closely coordinated their votes and occasionally mocked their more moderate colleagues.”
The article leaves out the fact that the six progressives likely violated public meetings law when they pulled in a seventh councilor into the conversation. The six progressives were holding a meeting (via text) hidden from public view while the actual council meeting was going on. When they pulled in a seventh councilor, that constitutes a quorum of the council, and it is illegal for a quorum of the council to meet privately.
There has been significant pushback against the Democratic Socialists of America members because, at times, they have acted like extremist bullies. District 4 Councilor Mitch Green threatened to withhold his vote on funding a performing arts center at Portland State University unless they dropped charges against students who vandalized the library during a pro-Palestinian protest.
“If they want my vote, they’re going to have to drop the charges on those students. And they’re going to need my vote to get that money,” Green said.
This is a city official, a steward of public money, using his position of power to threaten PSU and give his tacit support to vandalizing public property.
These are glaring omissions in the coverage.
Kara Colley
SW Main St.
I am hoping that Portlander's elect someone other than Mitch Green in the next election. I don't agree with property destruction at PSU related to the students taking over the library. I believe they should all be prosecuted and punished so as to discourage future property damage to our city.
As someone who lives in The Pearl near the shelter site I have witnessed the uptick in homeless loitering now in the area and more open drug use. It’s common sense that concentrating homeless “services” in one relatively small area/neighborhood, with little to no oversight by the city in the way of security or increased police presence/enforcement of no camping laws, will lead to more unwanted commandeering of our parks and public spaces.
People pointing out reality or not wanting to see open drug use every time they step out their front door isn’t being a bigot, although I know accusing people of being whatever x thing because they value quality of life and safe streets seems to be modus operandi of people who confuse self righteous virtue signaling with intelligent thought.