Mayor Wilson is certainly working on other projects than his “end” to homelessness… wedged between the Portland Diamond Project and the Metro Chamber President he sure looks to be in the same delusional mindset as the council and county with regards to the current state of our community. Both are millions in the hole, that will result in layoffs and program cuts, in addition to the ongoing lack of critical services so under staffed.. police and fire.. and monies gone and unaccounted for with any real measurable metrics, to lack of funding to house criminals despite plenty of jail beds, homelessness money going down the proverbial black hole with such a poor to none improvement and let’s not forget the rampant drug issue that has now been conveniently pushed from downtown and the central east side to east of 205.. Hazelwood, Lents, Gateway, etc.. ring a bell anyone. And on top of it all, businesses and people are leaving Portland, a trend that the elected seem to conveniently forget. My point is that projects such as this baseball stadium merely provide a “FEEL GOOD” distraction to the actual problems plaguing us that require FULL attention from the elected and will in some way end costing us whether it’s financially, or by way of putting all those livability issues that many of us have an up front and in your face view of everyday as we merely try to live our lives in a city that has totally forgotten who is actually paying the bills. The amount of garbled word salad talking is so intolerable and insulting to me. A phrase my mom used often comes to mind.. “ Shit or get off the pot!”
Politicians and bureaucrats need some sort of government mandated license and malpractice insurance that they need to pay for individually.
With the license, they would have to demonstrate basic math and accounting skills.
The malpractice insurance should be a $1B/$3B policy limit (can you imagine the premium because you know these idiots are going to get sued daily because of their gross incompetence).
If your blood pressure spikes when progressives threaten to have "conversations," you had better have an EMT standing by when they escalate to having conversations "around" this or that bleeding-heart topic.
Mayor Keith "Off the Streets by 12/31" Wilson must have as many arms as a Hindu deity. Every time I open the newspaper with two names, he's taken on a new responsibility. Now he's stuck to the city's budget-deficit tar baby. Who knew his turf was that expansive? How is Keith ever going to find the time to make good on his one and only campaign promise, which is to get the houseless off our streets by year-end?
I am sad to admit even I overestimated the intelligence and good sense of the Great Sages of Portlandia; but I gotta admit, as someone outside the clutches of Metro, the Comedic value and drama are gonna be hard to beat
DOGE appears to be capitating lots of fraudulent NGOs. A lot of these Portland homeless projects have to be funded via grants through these organizations. When those $$ dry up, who’s going to be on the hook? Two guesses. Nice knowing ya Portland.
Thank you, Richard, for taking a bullet for us. I think if I had to watch that, it would be like that old SNL skit about driving steel needles into the eyes of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Portland desperately needs our own Elon and instead we get The Clowns.
"I forced myself to watch the city’s show on YouTube so you wouldn’t have to (root canals have been less painful)...." Thank you! Thank you for the snippets! You deserve to be nominated for the Nobel Prize for doing that.
"We’ll all be working for the government pretty soon…" LOL yes, I think taxpayers already are, we just have to work twice as much to pay these Little Caesars.
And I see from the end of the Avalos' video that the new city council chamber looks like a mini-UN, except the UN doesn't close off the Circle.....
I cannot write the word, but I'll give the Urban Dictionary's definition, which is what I mean anyway: The act of constantly sharing the same opinion in a forum full of people who are obviously known to have the same opinion as yours, therefor granting you free upvotes to said opinion, while gathering downvotes to anyone that opposes you on the matter.
That’s why Candace Avalos long ago blocked me on Twitter. She cannot tolerate a dissenting opinion. She tends to use social media to brag about herself. She’s big on “self-care.” Like other people who have migrated to Bluesky.social (looking at you Jack Bogdanski) Avalos needs her ego stroked regularly.
I don't know any Portlandian personally that agrees with any of what these elected people are doing. I wonder how long it will take for this regime to be overturned. 10-20 years, I'm guessing maybe. Maybe more. Maybe never, given the run-off voting.
Maybe this hearing is a preparation for the 2025-2026 budget cycle, preparing with the state for grant requests. A win-win for government. They want to eliminate the kicker, but all voters love it. This way the state can find a 'legit' way to not pay out so much kicker in 2027 - spend it.... I will leave off my opinion on the Homeless Governmental-Industry Complex.
It’s discouraging how illiterate they sound. Though I do have the most confidence in Loretta. But Candice, wow, just a lot of Word Salad.
And the moron Steve blaming SAM ADAMS???? Where did that maliciousness even come from??? What an ignoramus!!
So many of these people seem so inept, unqualified and incompetent, including the puppet mayor. THEY are what’s bleeding Portland dry.
We have to pay for THEM! And for what? This is going to lead to nothing but chaos and stonewalling on important decisions because more “discussions” will be needed.
Great article Richard. These cretins need to be held accountable. Loretta is the only one who really has a grasp of the bigger picture and what is at stake. Can’t wait for her to put Candice in her place, and you know it’s gonna happen!
But for now, I think I’ll email that moron Steve, who insulted Sam Adams! HE is now on my shit list. He’s back to being an arrogant ass hole.
The “Elephants in the room” in our little “Circus”, are the voters, people who the rest of us have no recourse against when they continue to elect their idiot darlings and applaud the social ideals that are destroying our City and County. The damage inflicted by these “feeling”, but not “ thinking”, voters is never discussed in the no longer Main Stream Media, and is completely forbidden from being discussed intelligently at any time in Council and Board Meetings 😢
How is it that former Mayor Charlie Hales (aka “Choo-choo Charlie) has managed to escape criticism? He’s the one who first invited the homeless to camp out. Why doesn’t Novick target him? They served together on the City Council.
He and the others on his Council should definitely be hung in effigy permanently in Old Town! I agree that they have not been credited with the blame they deserve for destroying Downtown Portland, an event that started the death spiral we have been in for the past soon to be 9 years 😠
Good point. I expect Stevie doesn't target Hales because he figures it's just easier to go after Sam Adams. Steve likes to come off like this brilliant guy, but he's really not that bright. Not at all. I wager Sam Adams has tons more political savvy than Novick, but he got lucky this last election cycle and he was the perfect token guy to vote in again, to represent disabled folks. Trust me, Novick couldn't care LESS about the disenfranchised or the marginalized of society. Loretta Smith has done more for those populations than Novick ever has or will.
I only became involved in Portland politics in my haphazard way back in 2016, when I watched "Clover Delight" Eudaly make a fool of herself at that tedious PSU Panel discussion, wherein I also watched Aaron Mesh of Willy Weak bully my pal Fred Stewart and yell at him, after Chloe told Fred SHE understood "black concerns" better than HE did. That was one joke of a panel discussion... And the way Mesh catered to Chloe like she was a little girl with a skinned knee was nauseating. I wish I'd taped it, it was hilarious.
LGBQTQIA2++++ ONLY shelter units??? When will the Portland ACLU support our mentally ill drug addicted homeless cis white males and sue for discrimination?
Yes, there has been a "LGBTQIA2S++++" homeless shelter for quite some time. My guess is that the guests run heavily to the TQIA2S end of the spectrum. They're the alternative lifestyle crowd, and what's more fun that queering the streets? Also, they're the ones who often work hard at looking the part, so they might be safer among their own kind.
The city's racially segregated shelters are a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Mayor Wilson is certainly working on other projects than his “end” to homelessness… wedged between the Portland Diamond Project and the Metro Chamber President he sure looks to be in the same delusional mindset as the council and county with regards to the current state of our community. Both are millions in the hole, that will result in layoffs and program cuts, in addition to the ongoing lack of critical services so under staffed.. police and fire.. and monies gone and unaccounted for with any real measurable metrics, to lack of funding to house criminals despite plenty of jail beds, homelessness money going down the proverbial black hole with such a poor to none improvement and let’s not forget the rampant drug issue that has now been conveniently pushed from downtown and the central east side to east of 205.. Hazelwood, Lents, Gateway, etc.. ring a bell anyone. And on top of it all, businesses and people are leaving Portland, a trend that the elected seem to conveniently forget. My point is that projects such as this baseball stadium merely provide a “FEEL GOOD” distraction to the actual problems plaguing us that require FULL attention from the elected and will in some way end costing us whether it’s financially, or by way of putting all those livability issues that many of us have an up front and in your face view of everyday as we merely try to live our lives in a city that has totally forgotten who is actually paying the bills. The amount of garbled word salad talking is so intolerable and insulting to me. A phrase my mom used often comes to mind.. “ Shit or get off the pot!”
Surprise surprise, even the Oregonian Editorial Board has jumped on the anti-Vega Pederson bandwagon.
https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2025/03/editorial-vega-pedersons-solo-act-hits-all-the-wrong-notes.html
About time! The rest of us have known it for 2 years.
Politicians and bureaucrats need some sort of government mandated license and malpractice insurance that they need to pay for individually.
With the license, they would have to demonstrate basic math and accounting skills.
The malpractice insurance should be a $1B/$3B policy limit (can you imagine the premium because you know these idiots are going to get sued daily because of their gross incompetence).
If your blood pressure spikes when progressives threaten to have "conversations," you had better have an EMT standing by when they escalate to having conversations "around" this or that bleeding-heart topic.
Mayor Keith "Off the Streets by 12/31" Wilson must have as many arms as a Hindu deity. Every time I open the newspaper with two names, he's taken on a new responsibility. Now he's stuck to the city's budget-deficit tar baby. Who knew his turf was that expansive? How is Keith ever going to find the time to make good on his one and only campaign promise, which is to get the houseless off our streets by year-end?
I am sad to admit even I overestimated the intelligence and good sense of the Great Sages of Portlandia; but I gotta admit, as someone outside the clutches of Metro, the Comedic value and drama are gonna be hard to beat
DOGE appears to be capitating lots of fraudulent NGOs. A lot of these Portland homeless projects have to be funded via grants through these organizations. When those $$ dry up, who’s going to be on the hook? Two guesses. Nice knowing ya Portland.
Thank you, Richard, for taking a bullet for us. I think if I had to watch that, it would be like that old SNL skit about driving steel needles into the eyes of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Portland desperately needs our own Elon and instead we get The Clowns.
"I forced myself to watch the city’s show on YouTube so you wouldn’t have to (root canals have been less painful)...." Thank you! Thank you for the snippets! You deserve to be nominated for the Nobel Prize for doing that.
"We’ll all be working for the government pretty soon…" LOL yes, I think taxpayers already are, we just have to work twice as much to pay these Little Caesars.
And I see from the end of the Avalos' video that the new city council chamber looks like a mini-UN, except the UN doesn't close off the Circle.....
I cannot write the word, but I'll give the Urban Dictionary's definition, which is what I mean anyway: The act of constantly sharing the same opinion in a forum full of people who are obviously known to have the same opinion as yours, therefor granting you free upvotes to said opinion, while gathering downvotes to anyone that opposes you on the matter.
That’s why Candace Avalos long ago blocked me on Twitter. She cannot tolerate a dissenting opinion. She tends to use social media to brag about herself. She’s big on “self-care.” Like other people who have migrated to Bluesky.social (looking at you Jack Bogdanski) Avalos needs her ego stroked regularly.
One of the worst politicians ever to call Portland home 😡
Too funny. But not surprising.
I don't know any Portlandian personally that agrees with any of what these elected people are doing. I wonder how long it will take for this regime to be overturned. 10-20 years, I'm guessing maybe. Maybe more. Maybe never, given the run-off voting.
Remember when MultCo was claiming it had millions unspent in homeless money?
Or the lies told voters that the new mega-government in PDX would only cost $1 million in infrastructure?
Maybe this hearing is a preparation for the 2025-2026 budget cycle, preparing with the state for grant requests. A win-win for government. They want to eliminate the kicker, but all voters love it. This way the state can find a 'legit' way to not pay out so much kicker in 2027 - spend it.... I will leave off my opinion on the Homeless Governmental-Industry Complex.
It’s discouraging how illiterate they sound. Though I do have the most confidence in Loretta. But Candice, wow, just a lot of Word Salad.
And the moron Steve blaming SAM ADAMS???? Where did that maliciousness even come from??? What an ignoramus!!
So many of these people seem so inept, unqualified and incompetent, including the puppet mayor. THEY are what’s bleeding Portland dry.
We have to pay for THEM! And for what? This is going to lead to nothing but chaos and stonewalling on important decisions because more “discussions” will be needed.
Great article Richard. These cretins need to be held accountable. Loretta is the only one who really has a grasp of the bigger picture and what is at stake. Can’t wait for her to put Candice in her place, and you know it’s gonna happen!
But for now, I think I’ll email that moron Steve, who insulted Sam Adams! HE is now on my shit list. He’s back to being an arrogant ass hole.
The “Elephants in the room” in our little “Circus”, are the voters, people who the rest of us have no recourse against when they continue to elect their idiot darlings and applaud the social ideals that are destroying our City and County. The damage inflicted by these “feeling”, but not “ thinking”, voters is never discussed in the no longer Main Stream Media, and is completely forbidden from being discussed intelligently at any time in Council and Board Meetings 😢
How is it that former Mayor Charlie Hales (aka “Choo-choo Charlie) has managed to escape criticism? He’s the one who first invited the homeless to camp out. Why doesn’t Novick target him? They served together on the City Council.
He and the others on his Council should definitely be hung in effigy permanently in Old Town! I agree that they have not been credited with the blame they deserve for destroying Downtown Portland, an event that started the death spiral we have been in for the past soon to be 9 years 😠
Good point. I expect Stevie doesn't target Hales because he figures it's just easier to go after Sam Adams. Steve likes to come off like this brilliant guy, but he's really not that bright. Not at all. I wager Sam Adams has tons more political savvy than Novick, but he got lucky this last election cycle and he was the perfect token guy to vote in again, to represent disabled folks. Trust me, Novick couldn't care LESS about the disenfranchised or the marginalized of society. Loretta Smith has done more for those populations than Novick ever has or will.
I only became involved in Portland politics in my haphazard way back in 2016, when I watched "Clover Delight" Eudaly make a fool of herself at that tedious PSU Panel discussion, wherein I also watched Aaron Mesh of Willy Weak bully my pal Fred Stewart and yell at him, after Chloe told Fred SHE understood "black concerns" better than HE did. That was one joke of a panel discussion... And the way Mesh catered to Chloe like she was a little girl with a skinned knee was nauseating. I wish I'd taped it, it was hilarious.
Novick was the ORIGINAL Portland police defunder in 2014. What do you expect?! :(
https://www.portlandtribune.com/news/novick-wants-to-cut-police-drug-and-vice-division-funding/article_8054b7d8-f875-5fe4-b250-30d401267e8b.html
Novick is a fraud and a fool. Total tedious fool. I can't stomach him...LOL...
LGBQTQIA2++++ ONLY shelter units??? When will the Portland ACLU support our mentally ill drug addicted homeless cis white males and sue for discrimination?
Yes, there has been a "LGBTQIA2S++++" homeless shelter for quite some time. My guess is that the guests run heavily to the TQIA2S end of the spectrum. They're the alternative lifestyle crowd, and what's more fun that queering the streets? Also, they're the ones who often work hard at looking the part, so they might be safer among their own kind.
The city's racially segregated shelters are a lawsuit waiting to happen.
I visited the Queer Affinity Safe Rest Village on Naito Parkway when it first opened almost three years ago. It appeared safer than my neighborhood:
https://portlanddissent.substack.com/p/behind-the-veil-of-queer-affinity
Only the best for the marginalized freeloaders in Portland.