If this city ever pulls out of its doom loop, it will be because of the brave (and unremunerated) work of folks such as PDX.Real. Where else will we read lines such as, "Wilson always sounds like he is trying to sell us something that I never really want to buy. He also has this certain quality of wide-eyed positivity that almost comes off as pathological. He’s not quite Nero fiddling…but you get the idea."
Jeff and Angela have skated on the thin edge of financial crisis for years--it drives me nuts that moneybags such as Phil Knight drop $-millions on recreating the black ghetto, when a few bucks could liberate not only PDX.Real but other pirate media to pry open the mysteries of the progressive machine.
The only way to diminish homelessness, there is no fix because a portion of the homeless choose to be homeless, is to repeal M110 and cut the head off the homeless industrial complex snake.
Portland is perhaps the most beautiful city in the country. The human scale of the various business districts; the distribution of small-scale "villages" that comprise the city; the sheer volume of brick structures, which brick becomes nearly translucent in the western light; the careful rehabilitation and improvement of the 19th century buildings; the seamless meld of steel bridges and natural waterways.... However. The city itself is locked in a perverted prisoner's dilemma, where average citizens always cooperate while their "leaders" and their feral charges always defect. Strategic exits, to starve the beast and kill off the parasites, is the only way to return Portland (and Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, etc.) to any semblance of an actual civic jewel. Come back when you can buy the dip.
The physical look of the place, with all the pine trees and hills, is literally why some of us stick around. Rain and a (thus far) solid water supply goes along with that.
Too many residents, mostly newer, are naive about how societies actually function. It's good to be kind and non-Trumpy but they push it too far and are smug about it. Endlessly feeling sorry for criminals over identity & class shows a weak grasp of human nature.
Well, I voted but i didn't vote for any of them, and I don't deserve what I got stuck with. We seem to have a super majority in PDX who control the election outcomes.
Yep the far left unions (PAT, SEIU) and the non-profits have an outsized influence in Portland elections. They spent a lot of money and time electing their people. (Kanal, Morillo, Green, Koyama-Lame, Novick, Avalos, Morillo, etc).
"People" is a generic word, you know. Portland people who are criminals themselves or perpetuate crime (via misplaced compassion) have earned heaps of scorn. They've literally gotten others killed by obsessing over race & class rather than personal behavior, which they keep forgiving.
It should be self-evident that bad guys aren't just "misunderstood" because they were born black and joined gangs, or took up "the disease" of drug addiction and its associated homelessness & crime. Adults are supposed to contribute, not leech off society.
The article pushed the line with the word "lispy" but it's true that the new Mayor sounds even more mealy-mouthed than the previous one. Wheeler could at least emote like a semi tough guy in moments of higher stress. But he took a shameful amount of grief from Antifa, abandoning his own condo rather than arresting them with no mercy.
Great column.
If this city ever pulls out of its doom loop, it will be because of the brave (and unremunerated) work of folks such as PDX.Real. Where else will we read lines such as, "Wilson always sounds like he is trying to sell us something that I never really want to buy. He also has this certain quality of wide-eyed positivity that almost comes off as pathological. He’s not quite Nero fiddling…but you get the idea."
Jeff and Angela have skated on the thin edge of financial crisis for years--it drives me nuts that moneybags such as Phil Knight drop $-millions on recreating the black ghetto, when a few bucks could liberate not only PDX.Real but other pirate media to pry open the mysteries of the progressive machine.
Someone needs to step up to the plate.
The only way to diminish homelessness, there is no fix because a portion of the homeless choose to be homeless, is to repeal M110 and cut the head off the homeless industrial complex snake.
Portland is perhaps the most beautiful city in the country. The human scale of the various business districts; the distribution of small-scale "villages" that comprise the city; the sheer volume of brick structures, which brick becomes nearly translucent in the western light; the careful rehabilitation and improvement of the 19th century buildings; the seamless meld of steel bridges and natural waterways.... However. The city itself is locked in a perverted prisoner's dilemma, where average citizens always cooperate while their "leaders" and their feral charges always defect. Strategic exits, to starve the beast and kill off the parasites, is the only way to return Portland (and Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, etc.) to any semblance of an actual civic jewel. Come back when you can buy the dip.
The physical look of the place, with all the pine trees and hills, is literally why some of us stick around. Rain and a (thus far) solid water supply goes along with that.
Too many residents, mostly newer, are naive about how societies actually function. It's good to be kind and non-Trumpy but they push it too far and are smug about it. Endlessly feeling sorry for criminals over identity & class shows a weak grasp of human nature.
Portland voters elect the leaders they deserve. My hope is that similar to Detroit, this will result in increased prosperity outside Portland.
Well, I voted but i didn't vote for any of them, and I don't deserve what I got stuck with. We seem to have a super majority in PDX who control the election outcomes.
Yep the far left unions (PAT, SEIU) and the non-profits have an outsized influence in Portland elections. They spent a lot of money and time electing their people. (Kanal, Morillo, Green, Koyama-Lame, Novick, Avalos, Morillo, etc).
Let’s not wish ill on those that live in Portland…just not cool.
"People" is a generic word, you know. Portland people who are criminals themselves or perpetuate crime (via misplaced compassion) have earned heaps of scorn. They've literally gotten others killed by obsessing over race & class rather than personal behavior, which they keep forgiving.
It should be self-evident that bad guys aren't just "misunderstood" because they were born black and joined gangs, or took up "the disease" of drug addiction and its associated homelessness & crime. Adults are supposed to contribute, not leech off society.
The article pushed the line with the word "lispy" but it's true that the new Mayor sounds even more mealy-mouthed than the previous one. Wheeler could at least emote like a semi tough guy in moments of higher stress. But he took a shameful amount of grief from Antifa, abandoning his own condo rather than arresting them with no mercy.