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I found in Portland, people had a tendency to drag politics into conversations more often than necessary. I just sort of took it for granted when I was living there.
That is true, it will happen.
Since it's a sin in Portland to ask what you do, what religion you are, what political persuasion you are, Portlanders have found many ingenious ways to find these things out.
But, they can be very transparent.
Since Trump came along, people will mention Trump casually and then judge your reaction.
When stuff like that happens to me, I just turn it around and be very non-committal, and then judge their reaction when they don't receive the answer they expect from ME.
I have got into some great arguments with people that I totally agree with, but I don't let them know that I agree with them.
Can you map me a route to Central Florida as well?
I'm outta the PDX metro soon (lived here all my life).
Leaving for a lot of the same reason Jonathan stated so profoundly.
Lower COL, NO state income tax, allowed to homestead your home for lower property taxes, and moderate politics, which I consider as fiscally conservative, and socially liberal.
Actually a lot of really smart people and smart replies here, you guys make some great points. I'm also moderate in that I'm fiscally very conservative but socially liberal. My "social liberal" thing extends to being able to do what you want as long as it doesn't hurt others (marijuana, gay marriage, etc.) but ends at subsidizing massive social welfare programs.
Maybe Portland aside (I hope I'm exaggerating), but I really believe most people in America are rather sick of the radicals on both sides. I know I am. I don't see the die-hard crazy Trump supporters as any better than the crazy socialists. It's just both crazies to me, not to offend anyone, but I get along well with moderates on either side. It tends to be that you can speak rationally with those people because many of them will vote conservative on some individual issues, democrat on larger candidates, or the other way around, so they're open to debate or discussion and are looking for more information. The radicals on either side are set, their minds are made up, they'll only read things to confirm what they already believe.
I also completely agree with the Portlanders and the other people saying, "If you don't like it, move." No offense taken, I think you're absolutely correct. I have many, many friends and family friends who love Portland, this is a great place for them, and I think that's fantastic. I think we live in a great world where you can actually feel free to pick your city and "find your people." It's an amazing thing, really, it wasn't always as easy as it is now days. You aren't going to change where you live, no matter how hard you try. Especially now, I think you're going to see very liberal places getting even more liberal because they'll attract more of the same, and people like me will just leave, to other places that fit our personalities better. I honestly don't mind that, I mean it's better than being trapped somewhere you feel like an exile.
Portland will always be my birthplace and childhood home, and it'll always have some meaning to me, good memories and whatnot, but it's not really my place. I will always love Portland summers, hiking trails nearby, going out on the river, and walking downtown especially 23rd area. There is a lot to appreciate it just isn't the best fit for me. Everyone has very different preferences and priorities and since my #1 is weather (I don't need a job, I run my company remotely), Portland is an extremely poor fit. When you throw in taxes and politics, those things are not in alignment either. It's also a much better city for morning people as it seems designed to shut down early, very "family friendly," which to me is the worst thing a city can be as a guy who doesn't have / want kids. I totally respect that's important to many people, but since it's not for me, I want a place with more of a fun atmosphere and a 24/7 culture.
Actually a lot of really smart people and smart replies here, you guys make some great points. I'm also moderate in that I'm fiscally very conservative but socially liberal. My "social liberal" thing extends to being able to do what you want as long as it doesn't hurt others (marijuana, gay marriage, etc.) but ends at subsidizing massive social welfare programs.
Maybe Portland aside (I hope I'm exaggerating), but I really believe most people in America are rather sick of the radicals on both sides. I know I am. I don't see the die-hard crazy Trump supporters as any better than the crazy socialists. It's just both crazies to me, not to offend anyone, but I get along well with moderates on either side. It tends to be that you can speak rationally with those people because many of them will vote conservative on some individual issues, democrat on larger candidates, or the other way around, so they're open to debate or discussion and are looking for more information. The radicals on either side are set, their minds are made up, they'll only read things to confirm what they already believe.
I also completely agree with the Portlanders and the other people saying, "If you don't like it, move." No offense taken, I think you're absolutely correct. I have many, many friends and family friends who love Portland, this is a great place for them, and I think that's fantastic. I think we live in a great world where you can actually feel free to pick your city and "find your people." It's an amazing thing, really, it wasn't always as easy as it is now days. You aren't going to change where you live, no matter how hard you try. Especially now, I think you're going to see very liberal places getting even more liberal because they'll attract more of the same, and people like me will just leave, to other places that fit our personalities better. I honestly don't mind that, I mean it's better than being trapped somewhere you feel like an exile.
Portland will always be my birthplace and childhood home, and it'll always have some meaning to me, good memories and whatnot, but it's not really my place. I will always love Portland summers, hiking trails nearby, going out on the river, and walking downtown especially 23rd area. There is a lot to appreciate it just isn't the best fit for me. Everyone has very different preferences and priorities and since my #1 is weather (I don't need a job, I run my company remotely), Portland is an extremely poor fit. When you throw in taxes and politics, those things are not in alignment either. It's also a much better city for morning people as it seems designed to shut down early, very "family friendly," which to me is the worst thing a city can be as a guy who doesn't have / want kids. I totally respect that's important to many people, but since it's not for me, I want a place with more of a fun atmosphere and a 24/7 culture.
I couldn’t have said it better except for your last paragraph.
For that, substitute a 72 year old woman who could no longer afford retirement in Portland on a fixed income. I wasn’t looking for night life but affordable living for senior citizens which Portland does not have and Ohio offers in abundance.
I couldn’t agree more that if at all possible, everyone should live in a place that suits them.
It appears there are a lot of folks that don't live in Portland proper chiming in here.........
There is no news blackout curtain around Portland. The Portland news channels go out all over Oregon, both over the air with repeaters and with cable tv. Some of the radical Portland behavior goes out over the national news. A person doesn't have to live inside the city limits of Portland to know what is going on in Portland. In fact, a person doesn't even have to live in Oregon to know what is happening in Portland.
What happens in Portland is the business of everyone in the state because Portland residents have enough votes to impose their "progressiveness" onto other areas that don't want it. If Portland would confine itself to passing laws that only apply inside the city limits of Portland, nobody else would care what happens there.
But, yes, I agree that OP, should visit and make up their own mind about the city and how well they fit in. Obviously, Portland suits a lot of people because the population is large and growing fast with people moving in.
There is no news blackout curtain around Portland. The Portland news channels go out all over Oregon, both over the air with repeaters and with cable tv. Some of the radical Portland behavior goes out over the national news. A person doesn't have to live inside the city limits of Portland to know what is going on in Portland. In fact, a person doesn't even have to live in Oregon to know what is happening in Portland.
What happens in Portland is the business of everyone in the state because Portland residents have enough votes to impose their "progressiveness" onto other areas that don't want it. If Portland would confine itself to passing laws that only apply inside the city limits of Portland, nobody else would care what happens there.
But, yes, I agree that OP, should visit and make up their own mind about the city and how well they fit in. Obviously, Portland suits a lot of people because the population is large and growing fast with people moving in.
I respectfully disagree in so much that, having worked in TeeVee, the diversity of sourcing and comprehensiveness of hyper-local issues (by this I mean stuff that goes on in your part of town or neighborhood... issues that you're most likely to feel a personal affinity or effect to) is lacking. That's why it's called mass media. It's not part of the business plan.
Even if it were, few would dismiss the value of having boots on the ground at ground zero rather than a shallower pool of bystanders, particularly if they are from afar. If someone seeks the pulse of our city, you'd be better served having a subscription to Willamette Week, The Mercury, The Skanner or Pamplin's Portland Tribune for that matter than news ops run by TEGNA, Sinclair, Nexstar or Meredith.
I have never shared my political sentiments with my neighbors, but I do fly an American flag, so I am now "identified" and a target. I am a 68 year old grandmother and I have been assaulted on the streets, my property has been vandalized, neighbors have had meetings to discuss the danger I am to them for being a Trump supporter, I had two attempted home invasions, I live on a million dollar property and have a homeless encampment behind my home. complete with dirty adult diapers, overflowing pee bottles, syringes, filth and debris and passed out bodies for my grandkids to step over. My grandkids were being use by the school personnel to further their radical political agendas, kids are being trained to be "social justice warriors", the schools are wall to wall political posters about the evils of white people, demanding tolerance and special perks and privileges for Muslims and illegals.
Oh, and we've had violent riots here for five days running. Portland supports these thugs with no end of free everything. I can't find a doctor, all available services are clogged to overflow by the freebie people. And we pay for all of this.
I have never shared my political sentiments with my neighbors, but I do fly an American flag, so I am now "identified" and a target. I am a 68 year old grandmother and I have been assaulted on the streets, my property has been vandalized, neighbors have had meetings to discuss the danger I am to them for being a Trump supporter, I had two attempted home invasions, I live on a million dollar property and have a homeless encampment behind my home. complete with dirty adult diapers, overflowing pee bottles, syringes, filth and debris and passed out bodies for my grandkids to step over. My grandkids were being use by the school personnel to further their radical political agendas, kids are being trained to be "social justice warriors", the schools are wall to wall political posters about the evils of white people, demanding tolerance and special perks and privileges for Muslims and illegals.
Oh, and we've had violent riots here for five days running. Portland supports these thugs with no end of free everything. I can't find a doctor, all available services are clogged to overflow by the freebie people. And we pay for all of this.
I could go on, but you decide.
The ironic thing about this story is that your home is still worth a million dollars. I will never get that.
If I really wanted to, I could afford a million dollar property. The last place however that I would ever buy a million dollar property would be in a city like Portland.
This is for all the crappy things that you site plus others. Further, why on earth would I want to subsidize the loony leftist gov't of Portland via crazy high property taxes.
I will never understand why several hundred thousand people wish to call Portland or Multnomah county home.
It's been a year since I left. When I go back, I can't believe the feeling I get that something is very wrong with the place. I can't say its all because of politics though, as that seems to be more of a symptom than a cause. It sure isn't the place I loved living in the 90's. Seems like it started going downhill around the mid 2000's. Many people arrived who didn't share the culture I had there and changed it into something alien and at times hostile if I did not conform to their ideas of how the world should be run.
I still love Portland, despite its problems. My neighbors are nice, there is plenty to do, the climate is decent (and glorious at this time of year), the surrounding area is beautiful, the economy is strong, the traffic is bad but not ridiculously bad, and unlike the rest of the west coast it is not ridiculously expensive.
It has changed for sure, but America has changed right along with it. Maybe I'm just a little more positive than most, but I just don't see where all the negativity about Portland comes from. If its political scene is really so maddening to some people, why don't they just move to Idaho?
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