Letters to the editor
NW Examiner readers reply
Arnold solves problems
The two lead articles [“Bike cop Eli Arnold gears up for another run” and “City shelter is making Pearl District better,” March] were very informative.
Eli Arnold’s views of Portland’s deficiencies and needs revealed him to be a thoughtful leader and problem solver. Current officials need to accept his wisdom and deliver or step aside. We do not have the luxury of persistently ignoring the first obligation of government: protect its citizens. Citizens means legal residents.
You provide a terrific public service. Thank you.
Marc Y. Green
SW Vista Ave.
Remote work
I believe the editor has it right on this one [“Remote workers win, city loses,” February editorial].
Show up at work as asked by the mayor or find another job. Portland needs to show it is a vital city and its workers show up for work. People who are fortunate enough to work for the city need to walk around and use the city. Then they will know what is going on, because they can see it and be using it.
Also, they then can speak with authority about what needs to be done to make it a better place to live and work. Working at home “just because it is technologically possible” does not make it better for Portland. It is a part of the false promise that technology makes things better for people. Sometimes it does, often it does not.
There is no Portland community if the people don’t show up. Work at home leads to some obvious contradictions, one being that a great number of people can just live somewhere else and still be working. Portland is suffering from consequences of this false promise.
If city workers do not show up, one day there may be no Portland at all.
David Spangler
NW Pettygrove St.
Boring is good
To use Olivia Clark’s personal descriptive adjective of being “boring” for focusing on nuts and bolts issues, I say, “Boring is good” [“Olivia Clark has had enough of Peacock,” February]. It depicts a sensibility and maturity grossly lacking in the radicalism of the Peacock caucus and their following.
That is to say, hostility toward our own police force and indifference to most citizens’ concerns. Instead, these Peacocks obsess over reshaping everything about our city in their narcissistic image.
Karla Powell
NW 11th Ave.
Don’t raise parking rates
I live half a block from Cinema 21 in Zone M and sometimes look for parking two or three times a day, and I always find it without all that much trouble [“City considers raising parking costs,” February].
But my friends are complaining about how much the parking costs. It’s high enough. Don’t make it higher. Spend time and money on real problems.
Charlotte Rubin
NW Irving St.
Plant a garden
I would like to express my support for the notion of putting in a community garden, even if temporary, in the area of Northwest 20th and Pettygrove [Letter to editor, February]. At the moment this area is an eyesore. One can only imagine the potential roadblocks the city and perhaps the developer might put in the way of this idea. But nothing ventured, nothing gained! Count me in for work and a donation.
Michael Wall
NW Quimby St.