I wonder if the solution could be as simple as: 1) enforcing the existing laws on the books (to discourage the fast-rising society crimeslike open drug use, urinating/defecating in public, etc.), 2) getting the county to spend their huge budget on effective, proven mental health and home service programs that get results, instead of wasting money, and 3) change the Parks and Streetcar regulations to prevent hours-long camping/occupation by the homeless, and encourage the use of the services they would benefit from, at funded programs such as Oasis day centers and others.
It’s really challenging for me as someone with health issues to find a bathroom when I’m out and about because of this child proofing and at times it’s maddening. When I go to the burbs there’s no locks on any bathrooms and it’s so refreshing.
There’s also more and more items at stores locked behind glass. Plaid Pantry’s no longer let people in at night and just have a little window to sell products (I don’t blame them). Bottle drops for green bags had to change their deposit windows because homeless people were getting stuck between the bars trying to get cans. At Fred Meyer you have to show your receipt to security to leave the store. Safeway has installed one way gates. Trimet bus drivers are behind protected glass.
And somehow it’s been normalized. It’s not normal. And the loud minority claims “it’s like this everywhere.” It’s not. Just go to any neighboring city.
In Portlandia one is expected, no demanded to look the other way at shoplifting, littering, vandalism, panhandling, squatting, psychotic behavior, etc. because the perpetrators always fall into the “historically marginalized communities” category, according to the Social Justice Warriors. Somehow, it’s always the responsibility of the law-abiding taxpayer to (silently) foot the bill for and (graciously)suffer the consequences of the behavior of these scofflaws and mental incompetents.
I’d gladly sign a recall provided there isn’t someone worse waiting in the wings. If the next district councilor/county chair/governor election wasn’t just a few months away, I’d gladly sign plenty of recalls there too. It’s not dramatic to say this city can’t survive much more of this general dystopian level of incompetence mixed with misguided ideological activism from people who are supposed to be fully functioning adults charged with running a city/state.
A near-majority of the Portland city council appears willing to tolerate sex trafficking because they view past governments as having failed marginalized communities, rather than focusing on governing effectively and ensuring those past mistakes are not repeated. Unfortunately, many victims of sex trafficking are minors.
Another example is when a disabled person in a wheelchair is told by a TriMet bus driver they cannot board because the priority seating area is occupied by a homeless person and their belongings. I understand that homeless individuals also need transportation, but what I do not understand is how the city has allowed such a small number of people to create so much disruption and disorder. A cynic might conclude that it is by design. I realist might conclude it's just incompetence.
Astonishing question from Mr. Classen..."Have we become too accustomed to accepting too much disorder?"
Well...yah. And we started way back when Charlie Hales took the cork out of the homelessness bottle, and BLM and Antifa decided they own the streets--and proved it.
If the city's radical new government won't get off its keister to protect the average citizen (geese are another matter), the question answers itself. Well, OK: they're socialists, so they don't live in the real world of incentives. Tax business to transfer free money to the underclass, and smart money beats feet. There are too many examples of this to list...and Mr. Classen has written about most of them. His question answers itself.
The answer to this is to vote in candidates who aren’t diametrically opposed to law and order or the use of common sense - unfortunately that does not describe most of the current elects.
As my husband always says, it hasn’t gotten that bad or our citizens would insist on major changes. Instead, somehow, we keep electing incapable? corrupt? incompetent? people. Tragic.
"As more than one parent has said from time to time, 'That’s why we can’t have a nice house.' "
I said much the same thing to my husband last week as we walked past the new and extremely robust barriers that keep the homeless out of the portico at the First Congregational Church on the Park Blocks.
Eying the graceful Gothic forms executed in no-nonsense welded metal, I said "This is why we can't have nice things in Portland."
Too bad Elephant Deli didn't child-proof their dumpsters. I agree with this editorial, but don't pretend to have a solution.
I wonder if the solution could be as simple as: 1) enforcing the existing laws on the books (to discourage the fast-rising society crimeslike open drug use, urinating/defecating in public, etc.), 2) getting the county to spend their huge budget on effective, proven mental health and home service programs that get results, instead of wasting money, and 3) change the Parks and Streetcar regulations to prevent hours-long camping/occupation by the homeless, and encourage the use of the services they would benefit from, at funded programs such as Oasis day centers and others.
It’s really challenging for me as someone with health issues to find a bathroom when I’m out and about because of this child proofing and at times it’s maddening. When I go to the burbs there’s no locks on any bathrooms and it’s so refreshing.
There’s also more and more items at stores locked behind glass. Plaid Pantry’s no longer let people in at night and just have a little window to sell products (I don’t blame them). Bottle drops for green bags had to change their deposit windows because homeless people were getting stuck between the bars trying to get cans. At Fred Meyer you have to show your receipt to security to leave the store. Safeway has installed one way gates. Trimet bus drivers are behind protected glass.
And somehow it’s been normalized. It’s not normal. And the loud minority claims “it’s like this everywhere.” It’s not. Just go to any neighboring city.
So true! When I go to Vancouver coffee shops, everyone looks at me weirdly when I, by habit, ask for the key or code to the restroom...
I made a joke to a barista in Oregon city today about food not being locked behind glass. She didn’t get it. Good for her though.
In Portlandia one is expected, no demanded to look the other way at shoplifting, littering, vandalism, panhandling, squatting, psychotic behavior, etc. because the perpetrators always fall into the “historically marginalized communities” category, according to the Social Justice Warriors. Somehow, it’s always the responsibility of the law-abiding taxpayer to (silently) foot the bill for and (graciously)suffer the consequences of the behavior of these scofflaws and mental incompetents.
Time for a reset.
Reset and what about a recall of McMayor Wilson?
I’d gladly sign a recall provided there isn’t someone worse waiting in the wings. If the next district councilor/county chair/governor election wasn’t just a few months away, I’d gladly sign plenty of recalls there too. It’s not dramatic to say this city can’t survive much more of this general dystopian level of incompetence mixed with misguided ideological activism from people who are supposed to be fully functioning adults charged with running a city/state.
A near-majority of the Portland city council appears willing to tolerate sex trafficking because they view past governments as having failed marginalized communities, rather than focusing on governing effectively and ensuring those past mistakes are not repeated. Unfortunately, many victims of sex trafficking are minors.
Mitch Green, Angelita Morillo and Koyama-Lane all voted against it and they’re all up for re-election.
Another example is when a disabled person in a wheelchair is told by a TriMet bus driver they cannot board because the priority seating area is occupied by a homeless person and their belongings. I understand that homeless individuals also need transportation, but what I do not understand is how the city has allowed such a small number of people to create so much disruption and disorder. A cynic might conclude that it is by design. I realist might conclude it's just incompetence.
Astonishing question from Mr. Classen..."Have we become too accustomed to accepting too much disorder?"
Well...yah. And we started way back when Charlie Hales took the cork out of the homelessness bottle, and BLM and Antifa decided they own the streets--and proved it.
If the city's radical new government won't get off its keister to protect the average citizen (geese are another matter), the question answers itself. Well, OK: they're socialists, so they don't live in the real world of incentives. Tax business to transfer free money to the underclass, and smart money beats feet. There are too many examples of this to list...and Mr. Classen has written about most of them. His question answers itself.
The answer to this is to vote in candidates who aren’t diametrically opposed to law and order or the use of common sense - unfortunately that does not describe most of the current elects.
As my husband always says, it hasn’t gotten that bad or our citizens would insist on major changes. Instead, somehow, we keep electing incapable? corrupt? incompetent? people. Tragic.
"As more than one parent has said from time to time, 'That’s why we can’t have a nice house.' "
I said much the same thing to my husband last week as we walked past the new and extremely robust barriers that keep the homeless out of the portico at the First Congregational Church on the Park Blocks.
Eying the graceful Gothic forms executed in no-nonsense welded metal, I said "This is why we can't have nice things in Portland."