Clark County Today Editor Ken Vance says the problem in downtown Portland is that years and years of progressive politics and anti-law enforcement policies have created a situation that needs intervention
Ken Vance, editor
Clark County Today
There was a time in my life when I visited downtown Portland on a regular basis. I enjoyed the restaurants and opportunities to attend social, entertainment and sporting events. Today, however, it is an extremely different situation. I pretty much have to be dragged kicking and screaming across the Columbia River let alone venture into the cesspool that downtown Portland has become.
Like the rest of you, I have watched downtown Portland turn into a bastion of homelessness, crime and political protests. Many of the businesses have left. Buildings are vacant with boarded windows. Restaurants are virtually empty. It’s downright sad and in many ways disgusting.
Yet, elected officials and community leaders in the city of Portland and state of Oregon are fighting tooth and nail to prevent President Donald Trump from sending in National Guard troops to restore order in the city. For the life of me, I can’t wrap my head around what, or whom, they are trying to protect. From my perspective they are only protecting the ones who have caused all the damage.
Don’t get me wrong. As a conservative, I absolutely believe in a smaller, less intrusive government. I’m not sitting around waiting for the feds to jump in and solve all of our problems. It’s much better if we solve them ourselves. The problem in downtown Portland is that years and years of progressive politics and anti-law enforcement policies have created a situation that needs intervention. I know if Vancouver ever reaches the depths that Portland and Seattle have, I would be pleading for the president to intervene.
The state of downtown Portland
Andrew Hoan is the president and CEO of the Portland Metro Chamber. I’m guessing there’s very little he and I agree with when it comes to the current state of the city. Like many politicians and community leaders, he says the problem is under control and things are getting better. However, in a recent forum held by KATU-TV, Hoan delivered some startling news about just how bad things still are in the city in terms of economic crisis, job losses and high taxes.
Hoan said the region has faced nine straight quarters of job losses, ranking near the bottom nationally for real estate investment and consumer confidence. He warned that declining business activity is driving city budget deficits and eroding public resources. Hoan emphasized the need for economic reforms, including tax changes, to support growth and prevent further negative perceptions in the community.
“We’re in nine straight quarters of job losses in our community. It’s most particularly located here in Multnomah County,’’ Hoan said. “We are 80 out of 81 communities in the country in terms of real estate investment attractiveness and our consumer confidence, which is tracked sort of like a leading indicator for how people feel about the economy.
“We’re last in the nation. And so these are not things that are good,’’ Hoan said. “And the reality of what it does – we see happen literally today or yesterday – when they announced another major deficit on the city budget as business activity declines. So do public coffers also shrink?
“We’ve got to have a vision to execute on these plans,’’ Hoan said. “We have to take care of the basics. And while we’re doing that, we have to acknowledge we’re in an economic crisis as well. And if we don’t have an economy and we don’t have jobs, we will not have the resources to be able to do these things, and we’ll be compelled to do things like raise parking rates, which infuriate people and lead to that ongoing negative perception that we have in our community. So it’s time to also acknowledge that the economy matters, and it’s in everyone’s interest to have a thriving business ecosystem.
“The taxes here are absurd,” he added. “It’s debilitating our economic growth. And while they may feel good and there are things that we may care about, we’re going to have to have a hard conversation about the reality of the future of this community.’’
How can anyone suggest city and state officials are “taking care of the basics” when businesses are being shuttered right and left and folks like me don’t feel safe even stepping foot in your city?
A Facebook friend recently posted the following: “The Trump Administration is putting our lovely city on the world stage by sending in troops.’’ Lovely city? What decade are they living in? And, instead of focusing on preventing the ugliness to be exposed, focus on fixing the problem.
Also read:
- Letter: Upcoming meetings will help ‘shape the future’ of Clark County
Margaret Tweet urges residents to participate in several Nov. 18 meetings that will influence C-TRAN board composition, transit funding and Clark County policies. - Opinion: Shrinking UI Trust Fund could cause businesses — and their workers — more pain
Elizabeth New (Hovde) warns that Washington’s UI fund is weakening and that SB 5041 could increase costs for employers and workers. - Opinion: You did it Democrats!So bravo, Democrats — you saved democracy, all right; you just forgot to save the people living in it.
- Opinion: TriMet needs ZERO new light rail vehicles for the I-5 Bridge replacementThe column details TriMet’s large spare MAX fleet, revised ridership projections, and cost comparisons with C-TRAN buses in the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program.
- POLL: Should Councilor Michelle Belkot be reinstated to the C-TRAN Board following the Skamania County findings?Clark County Today’s latest poll asks whether Councilor Michelle Belkot should be reinstated to the C-TRAN Board after a Skamania County investigation found rule violations in her removal.
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