Why is occupy Portland so crazy (Adams: rent, how much, houses)

[PermanentlyLost]

It is hard to believe that the Mayor allows this to happen, Occupy Portland has turned into a homeless camp, full of rampant and open drug use, and fights amongst themselves, the protesters even ran a Christian spreading The word of the bible out of the camp. The message has been lost and it is time for them to clear out the occupiers.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by PermanentlyLost

It is hard to believe that the Mayor allows this to happen, Occupy Portland has turned into a homeless camp, full of rampant and open drug use, and fights amongst themselves, the protesters even ran a Christian spreading The word of the bible out of the camp. The message has been lost and it is time for them to clear out the occupiers.

I have to reluctantly agree. But perhaps people will take the lessons learned and move forward?

After all, how many separate protests happened in Egypt before anything did change?

[mdvaden]

Originally Posted by QuickStudy178

Your thread is entitled: "Why is occupy Portland so crazy?"

What is crazy about fighting for the preservation of the middle-class? Personally, I think it is pretty crazy for Americans not to fight to preserve the middle-class since:

To the 2nd reply in the thread ...

Where's the fight to do anything productive? I noticed that they have caused a huge waste of tax payer funds. Those taxes are also paid by the middle class. Hence, Occupy Portland has triggered an even greater burden on the backs of the middle class.

I need not write more, as your statement or question was cut off at the knees the moment they started to congregate so unproductively.

Now ... they are apparently causing some environmental damage ... here's a new topic from today ...

LINK >>> http://www.city-data.com/forum/portl...l-vs-rope.html

Maybe if the occupy people would spend more time learning, and volunteering elsewhere, something constructive could happen.

[turquoise1]

It sounds like things have devolved into anarchy.

A related question - I know that there is a movement afoot with the goal of establishing 50 or more tent cities all over Portland. What are your feelings about this?

[Deezus]

Originally Posted by turquoise1

It sounds like things have devolved into anarchy.

A related question - I know that there is a movement afoot with the goal of establishing 50 or more tent cities all over Portland. What are your feelings about this?

I think it's insane and stupid... The only one who've really benefited from the current occupation are the police who've been raking in the overtime pay for babysitting this squatter camp. The original protest march had a mix of people of different backgrounds, many of whom were well-intentioned in their intent. Now it's a public health hazard and it's basically drawing Portland's dwindling police resources away from other areas that need police prescence(None of those protestors care about what goes on in the far Eastside these days)...

I work two blocks from Occupy Portland--at this point it's a mix of the hardcore leftist activist subculture(who are basically ready to protest anything and have been for years), street punks, and the chronically homeless including drug addicts and the mentally ill. And once in a while the serious anarchists are involved, who are basically just looking for trouble. A lot of the young twentysomething idealists who've camped there are getting a taste of the reality of the streets of Portland and are getting scared off. Some guy went back in his tent and got stuck by a used hypodermic needle some junkie left in there. That's why some of those protestors want to move the protest to Jamison Square or somewhere else---the downtown camp has become a cross between Dignity Village and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.

My car has been vandalized twice(my passenger-side mirror was ripped off and someone keyed it a week later) in the parking lot close to Occupy Portland since it started. Can't confirm it was someone from the Occupy Portland camp, but I parked downtown for years with no problems--and it's easy to see how the camp is bringing a sketchy element to the area.

All in all, the original message is quickly getting lost as the protest becomes more about squatter's rights and bargaining with an overly sympathetic City of Portland(all the while calling the cops pigs).

[turquoise1]

I agree. I don't think it's a good idea to just turn over the whole city to homeless encampments. Of course, I have no idea how to solve this entrenched social problem, but it seems to me that customers and businesses would really take a hit if camping were allowed on all public spaces. In the end, it is taxpayers who pay for all of the social services.

[danwilsonbsee]

After walking by the camp and watching a person that I can only generously call a vagrant dumping human waste out of a bucket into the sewer grate I have to ask - When will this stop?

[turquoise1]

I don't want to sound pessimistic, but for whatever reason, it seems like it is the mayor's goal to let certain elements have free rein. It is probably not for the best.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by turquoise1

I don't want to sound pessimistic, but for whatever reason, it seems like it is the mayor's goal to let certain elements have free rein. It is probably not for the best.

Considering the alternative was to use the police to come down hard, alienate his parties core voter block, and possibly embroil the city in lawsuits, what choice did he have?

[turquoise1]

His core voter bloc is the camping demographic?

Also, I think there is a happy medium between brutalizing citizens and not allowing antisocial and dysfunctional elements to run the show.