The common sense rationale behind the so-called “broken windows” approach to law enforcement has never been so clear. Give lawbreakers an inch, and they will take a mile.
When it comes to the career homeless in Blue cities, that has (d)evolved well past a necessary evil that decent people must tolerate, into a full-fledged entitlement mentality.
Life is so difficult in Portland, and our American institutions so unjust (!), that accepting rampant filth and violent crime from duly-credentialed victims is a form of social penance.
In the end, such indolent rationalizations reflect modern Western decadence. Marx himself would marvel at the sheer navel-gazing ignorance of those who would conjure him.
And yet one could argue that trickle-down economics works. Nowhere in the world do compunctionless idlers and takers have it so good. The streets are paved with gold.
I didn't put this in the story, but one camper (mate of the dude with the full drum-set, which he got from a "friend," walked up to me, chest to chest and screamed, "Get off my property!!!"
These are not the folks who will troop obediently into "transitional housing." Or Commish Ryan's cute "villages."
Nor are the folks profiled by the Tribune's Joseph Gallivan in his "Street Lives" series. As you and others have noted, Gallivan has a good, spare, and plainspoken journalistic style. Nevertheless, his portraits to date have been filled with untruths, half-truths and crucial, seemingly inexcusable omissions. The latest is perhaps the most laughably bad example yet. There is little to no incentive for your two campers here and others to change their conduct one jot. Quite the contrary, and DA Schmidt is IMO the biggest current culprit.
I remain one of Gallivan's fans. The "facilitator" interview didn't preach--but that dude put himself, for all practical purposes, in the can. Facts speak for themselves--Gallivan gets it.
All true, including--especially--facts speaking for themselves, when permitted.
Seriously, how can any legitimate portrait, given what is affirmatively claimed or implied therein, omit the easily-obtained facts that per public records the protagonist just last month had first-degree burglary (so, a dwelling) and other charges, including resisting arrest, receive the long-familiar "No Complaint" treatment upon review by DA Schmidt's office (the true "facilitator!). Small wonder he hasn't done anything "serious enough" to warrant prison (despite numerous arrests and convictions that did stick, dating from his arrival in PDX).
Never mind also that even the father after being released to the streets, actually has, as earlier this very month, through today, brand new live felony warrants for his arrest for (allegedly) breaking the terms of that release. I'm assuming (?) Gallivan knew this when he completed his piece for publication, and either agreed to it or otherwise didn't want to get anyone into (more) trouble. Humanity (no small consideration) aside, what that says about the journalistic integrity of the duly-published content? Up for debate.
One time on Nextdoor I referenced the Broken Windows policy and was promptly lambasted. When I doubled down I was met with accusations of racial profiling and a complete denial of any BW policy success, even in NYC! When I went to Google to source some of the studies I quickly understood. Google had buried/removed any articles, studies or reference to broken windows except for those that claimed it was unsuccessful and blatantly racist. I switched over to duck duck go and there were all the well known articles I was looking for. This was 6ish years ago when many people hadn’t even heard of duck duck go.
Unless it's a really routine query (ie., "how long to cook salmon?") I never (italicize that) go to Google. DuckDuck--whoever came up with that name should go up against the wall--is marginally better; and another go-to (recommended by a Dissenter) is presearch.com.
Remember...a click on a web site is a vote.
That's why I'll post to Twitter (Substack drops a post there semi-automatically), but never ever ever do any Tweeting.
I lived in a pleasant home on the corner of Hodge and Vincent in North Portland. Hodge was rather like an upscale alley with no sidewalk but a lovely grass verge with a rich raspberry bush my wife and I had cultivated for several years.
One morning I looked down from the upstairs window and a bum RV was parked on that lawn in front of the raspberries. It took 60 seconds to be at his door. Took the mfer 90 - minutes to get gone. I wont put up with it.
I'm sorry Richard that you had to deal with this. You know, it's funny, when they see anyone who clearly isn't homeless, they become aggressive, then you get the "what you lookin' at asshole!" attitude. Has happened to me and my husband several times, when we're just driving by the many shit hole camps that dot 82nd and even farther east. You live up the street from us. We're out in the numbers, but frankly, it's not a bad area. I'm so tired of these shameless drug addicts who shoot up in broad daylight. They know who they are and what they're doing. Many of these people are also prostituting young teen girls and boys. They'll do anything to score more dope. They know what they're doing is wrong and they don't want anyone to challenge them. They want to pass out, fuck, piss, and shoot up in their filthy, damp, disgusting germy tents. They don't care. They don't want sobriety. They want to live like animals. And most of these degenerates are from out of state, that's what really irks me. They're mostly from out of state. I really hope Betsy Johnson wins the race for Governor, and Rene Gonzalez wins for seat three. We need some intelligent leaders, not illiterate cop hatin' basket cases like good old JoAnn and her ilk.
I'm trying to deal with my emotional response to the arrival of the social disease close to my doorstep--and I wonder about people of good will who have been driven to rage, frustration, fear by the inability of the political class to live up to its most basic responsibility: protect the city.
Exactly. We agree on so much. But if the world knew how I really feel about things, they might be surprised. I'm so fed up. It's all I can do to not go outside and start screaming profanities at the sky. LOL...
All the mayor wants to talk about is housing thereby ignoring the flood of homeless we are getting who are attracted to our city cuz of the decriminalization of drugs and the easy access to govt handouts. They dont want housing they want drugs and a complicit city government that allows for the destruction of my once beautiful city.
Moved out of the cesspool known as Portland five years ago this month. Prior to that I liked to ride my bike from Johns Landing west along Tom McCall park up to the RR bridge and then along the east side past that statue of Vera. (who I now realize was a stupid bitch) and up to Sellwood and back across the river. It was all I could do to not throw camp debris down into the Willamette. It really galled me to ride past encampments after supposed sweeps-- one with a newer generator just south of Ross Island S and G. It was all I could do to NOT throw all this shit over the bank and into the Willamette. I am thankful we are gone otherwise I would be shooting up these encampments with a paint ball gun to make a point of what I assume some crazy beyond me would really like to do.
I’ve been there - totally get it. I really would like to see those most vocal in their defense of the homeless, those most compassionate as you say, to offer up their property to the next down-on-their-luck group. Will never happen. Glad the Rapid Response team cleared out your block; I presume you slept well that night.
Having left Portland recently, it is definitely less of a problem outside the city although homeless camps throughout the country tend to be close by to many people's homes, even if they're unaware of them because they're quieter and more out of sight. I don't care how many times we're told it's a recession, it's a depression.
The common sense rationale behind the so-called “broken windows” approach to law enforcement has never been so clear. Give lawbreakers an inch, and they will take a mile.
When it comes to the career homeless in Blue cities, that has (d)evolved well past a necessary evil that decent people must tolerate, into a full-fledged entitlement mentality.
Life is so difficult in Portland, and our American institutions so unjust (!), that accepting rampant filth and violent crime from duly-credentialed victims is a form of social penance.
In the end, such indolent rationalizations reflect modern Western decadence. Marx himself would marvel at the sheer navel-gazing ignorance of those who would conjure him.
And yet one could argue that trickle-down economics works. Nowhere in the world do compunctionless idlers and takers have it so good. The streets are paved with gold.
I didn't put this in the story, but one camper (mate of the dude with the full drum-set, which he got from a "friend," walked up to me, chest to chest and screamed, "Get off my property!!!"
These are not the folks who will troop obediently into "transitional housing." Or Commish Ryan's cute "villages."
Nor are the folks profiled by the Tribune's Joseph Gallivan in his "Street Lives" series. As you and others have noted, Gallivan has a good, spare, and plainspoken journalistic style. Nevertheless, his portraits to date have been filled with untruths, half-truths and crucial, seemingly inexcusable omissions. The latest is perhaps the most laughably bad example yet. There is little to no incentive for your two campers here and others to change their conduct one jot. Quite the contrary, and DA Schmidt is IMO the biggest current culprit.
I remain one of Gallivan's fans. The "facilitator" interview didn't preach--but that dude put himself, for all practical purposes, in the can. Facts speak for themselves--Gallivan gets it.
All true, including--especially--facts speaking for themselves, when permitted.
Seriously, how can any legitimate portrait, given what is affirmatively claimed or implied therein, omit the easily-obtained facts that per public records the protagonist just last month had first-degree burglary (so, a dwelling) and other charges, including resisting arrest, receive the long-familiar "No Complaint" treatment upon review by DA Schmidt's office (the true "facilitator!). Small wonder he hasn't done anything "serious enough" to warrant prison (despite numerous arrests and convictions that did stick, dating from his arrival in PDX).
Never mind also that even the father after being released to the streets, actually has, as earlier this very month, through today, brand new live felony warrants for his arrest for (allegedly) breaking the terms of that release. I'm assuming (?) Gallivan knew this when he completed his piece for publication, and either agreed to it or otherwise didn't want to get anyone into (more) trouble. Humanity (no small consideration) aside, what that says about the journalistic integrity of the duly-published content? Up for debate.
One time on Nextdoor I referenced the Broken Windows policy and was promptly lambasted. When I doubled down I was met with accusations of racial profiling and a complete denial of any BW policy success, even in NYC! When I went to Google to source some of the studies I quickly understood. Google had buried/removed any articles, studies or reference to broken windows except for those that claimed it was unsuccessful and blatantly racist. I switched over to duck duck go and there were all the well known articles I was looking for. This was 6ish years ago when many people hadn’t even heard of duck duck go.
Unless it's a really routine query (ie., "how long to cook salmon?") I never (italicize that) go to Google. DuckDuck--whoever came up with that name should go up against the wall--is marginally better; and another go-to (recommended by a Dissenter) is presearch.com.
Remember...a click on a web site is a vote.
That's why I'll post to Twitter (Substack drops a post there semi-automatically), but never ever ever do any Tweeting.
I lived in a pleasant home on the corner of Hodge and Vincent in North Portland. Hodge was rather like an upscale alley with no sidewalk but a lovely grass verge with a rich raspberry bush my wife and I had cultivated for several years.
One morning I looked down from the upstairs window and a bum RV was parked on that lawn in front of the raspberries. It took 60 seconds to be at his door. Took the mfer 90 - minutes to get gone. I wont put up with it.
The encounter illustrated:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpPip4Zs_PTJhRw7b0JsSZCiABai5y7nsXLUAH8UyYdIdhmTNerXq5cONr7_gBhpnlfnYt8L-SS0V5N8axai-IYAVtkD6vJqDZw_0_byz3eCeuYQ80QknhgyEXgS-Pr88zfy0j41EwUPmLEVmOaKzxwvKvrCW7weLyVye-AfjzLjRUwJvqIr6FTTZ/s400/90DFECDF-87CD-492D-ABF6-361287F50F81.gif
I'm sorry Richard that you had to deal with this. You know, it's funny, when they see anyone who clearly isn't homeless, they become aggressive, then you get the "what you lookin' at asshole!" attitude. Has happened to me and my husband several times, when we're just driving by the many shit hole camps that dot 82nd and even farther east. You live up the street from us. We're out in the numbers, but frankly, it's not a bad area. I'm so tired of these shameless drug addicts who shoot up in broad daylight. They know who they are and what they're doing. Many of these people are also prostituting young teen girls and boys. They'll do anything to score more dope. They know what they're doing is wrong and they don't want anyone to challenge them. They want to pass out, fuck, piss, and shoot up in their filthy, damp, disgusting germy tents. They don't care. They don't want sobriety. They want to live like animals. And most of these degenerates are from out of state, that's what really irks me. They're mostly from out of state. I really hope Betsy Johnson wins the race for Governor, and Rene Gonzalez wins for seat three. We need some intelligent leaders, not illiterate cop hatin' basket cases like good old JoAnn and her ilk.
I'm trying to deal with my emotional response to the arrival of the social disease close to my doorstep--and I wonder about people of good will who have been driven to rage, frustration, fear by the inability of the political class to live up to its most basic responsibility: protect the city.
Exactly. We agree on so much. But if the world knew how I really feel about things, they might be surprised. I'm so fed up. It's all I can do to not go outside and start screaming profanities at the sky. LOL...
All the mayor wants to talk about is housing thereby ignoring the flood of homeless we are getting who are attracted to our city cuz of the decriminalization of drugs and the easy access to govt handouts. They dont want housing they want drugs and a complicit city government that allows for the destruction of my once beautiful city.
Moved out of the cesspool known as Portland five years ago this month. Prior to that I liked to ride my bike from Johns Landing west along Tom McCall park up to the RR bridge and then along the east side past that statue of Vera. (who I now realize was a stupid bitch) and up to Sellwood and back across the river. It was all I could do to not throw camp debris down into the Willamette. It really galled me to ride past encampments after supposed sweeps-- one with a newer generator just south of Ross Island S and G. It was all I could do to NOT throw all this shit over the bank and into the Willamette. I am thankful we are gone otherwise I would be shooting up these encampments with a paint ball gun to make a point of what I assume some crazy beyond me would really like to do.
I’ve been there - totally get it. I really would like to see those most vocal in their defense of the homeless, those most compassionate as you say, to offer up their property to the next down-on-their-luck group. Will never happen. Glad the Rapid Response team cleared out your block; I presume you slept well that night.
One swallow does not...One night does not...
Having left Portland recently, it is definitely less of a problem outside the city although homeless camps throughout the country tend to be close by to many people's homes, even if they're unaware of them because they're quieter and more out of sight. I don't care how many times we're told it's a recession, it's a depression.