Once again - Portland in the news for all the wrong reasons (Gresham: transporting, felony)

[ukiyo-e]

Not that facts ever sway anyone, but:

https://www.salon.com/2022/03/16/dem...in-red-states/

I was just in Portland yesterday visiting my son and some friends. The parts of the city they live in (all east side) don't seem too bad. One of the parks that had a lot of homeless when I was there in November had been cleaned up. But the problem just moved elsewhere in the city, no doubt.

Most large cities have drug and homelessness issues. It's a complex problem with no one-size-fits-all solution, but the lack of drug treatment programs and affordable housing doesn't help. I've read some stats that in many cities, 25% of homeless people actually have jobs; they just can't afford rents.

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by Igor Blevin

Nothing will change until the Portland electorate wakes up and begins voting differently. As long as they put ideology ahead of quality of life and safety, they are going to be on their way to spell Detroit.
.

Detroit is improving rapidly and is now a bada$$ city with a great downtown, a lot of fixed up neighborhoods, and lots of things to do.

[nadnerb]

Originally Posted by As Above So Below...

Detroit is improving rapidly and is now a bada$$ city with a great downtown, a lot of fixed up neighborhoods, and lots of things to do.

Downtown Detroit certainly looks better than downtown Portland.

Though there is no where in Portland that looks even a fraction as bad as any of Detroit's bad areas. Detroit is improving, but it still has a long ways to go.

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by nadnerb

Downtown Detroit certainly looks better than downtown Portland.

Though there is no where in Portland that looks even a fraction as bad as any of Detroit's bad areas. Detroit is improving, but it still has a long ways to go.

That is all true.

Downtown Detroit is leaps and bounds ahead of Downtown Portland in terms of things to do and character, but yeah as a city Detroit is still quite run down in many parts.

[nadnerb]

Originally Posted by As Above So Below...

That is all true.

Downtown Detroit is leaps and bounds ahead of Downtown Portland in terms of things to do and character, but yeah as a city Detroit is still quite run down in many parts.

I don't quite agree with the bolded.

The problem with downtown Portland isn't that it lacks any character or amenities, downtown actually has a lot to offer with its tight tree-lined city streets, intersecting of 4 light rail lines, myriad of local businesses, and beautiful public squares. It's the increases in homelessness and crime and the relative lack of foot traffic compared to pre-covid that is the issue.

[CARas2020]

Downtown Portland is awful. Filthy, full of homeless people(not blaming them). All buildings are still boarded up. Maybe not someone can correct me as it has been a couple months since going downtown. My husband worked downtown and I would go down to have lunch and usually go to the library. Luckily he now he can still work from home.

I have noticed a couple places where homeless camps have been removed. On the right just after exiting the Vista Ridge tunnel and across from Emanuel Hospital. They put up some jersey barriers.

[CamThomas]

Originally Posted by EasyBeezy

I think the moderation of local West Coast politics is already underway, even in Portland. While Republicans are still a third rail, moderate Democrats have been making strong inroads up and down the West Coast. In Seattle, the new mayor, Bruce Harrell, destroyed a much more progressive candidate in the mayoral election. He campaigned on law and order, supporting the police and cleaning up the city. In LA , a former Republican that just switched parties placed in the top two in the primary, and stands a good chance in the general. The mayor of SF is far less progressive than her predecessors. Even here in Portland, the progressives on city council are getting replaced one by one, and the mayor (who is not particularly liberal by Portland standards) defeated his far more progressive opponent in 2020. People seem to be increasingly voting on quality of life issues as the streets have become truly scary in areas that were fun and safe 15 years ago.

Let's go!!

[karlsch]

“New polling research commissioned by the City of Portland and obtained by FOX 12 reveals that most Portland residents fear going downtown.” “Another shocking conclusion shows that most Portlanders are scared to walk in their own neighborhoods, day or night.”

The whole story: https://www.kptv.com/2022/08/25/poll...neighborhoods/

[SyraBrian]

Yes, Portland has a lot of questionable public behavior. Overdose rates are much higher in red states like West Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri and Kentucky.
While Portland has terrible optics, the "back alley" drug behavior of cities in these states is probably much worse.

[Igor Blevin]

Originally Posted by ukiyo-e

Not that facts ever sway anyone, but:

https://www.salon.com/2022/03/16/dem...in-red-states/

I was just in Portland yesterday visiting my son and some friends. The parts of the city they live in (all east side) don't seem too bad. One of the parks that had a lot of homeless when I was there in November had been cleaned up. But the problem just moved elsewhere in the city, no doubt.

Most large cities have drug and homelessness issues. It's a complex problem with no one-size-fits-all solution, but the lack of drug treatment programs and affordable housing doesn't help. I've read some stats that in many cities, 25% of homeless people actually have jobs; they just can't afford rents.

The title of your linked article is Republicans blame Democrats for crime — but new data shows higher murder rates in red states

I like facts. The fact is, that crime is in Democrat controlled cities in red states.

They mention 4 states right off, Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky and Missouri.

City Data's own facts show the following for the largest city in each state, as an example.

Crime, national average = 270.

New Orleans LA = 686 crime, 83% for Biden

Birmingham AL = 876 crime, 56% for Biden

Lexington KY = cannot find crime data on C-D but it is high, 60% for Biden

Kansas City Mo = 615 crime, 60% for Biden


This is off topic to Portland so we don't want to go down the rabbit hole, but I just thought I would add some facts.