Whose Fault is the Mess in Portland?

On April 19, 2021 the Portland Business Alliance declared that enough was enough:

“It is time to acknowledge that the hate groups and violent actors that commit bias crimes, destroy homes and businesses, threaten public officials and use violence as their sole means of expression are beyond the limited resources of our local public safety providers.”

Really? For over a year the same groups have vandalized, torched and destroyed Portland, but now its time to acknowledge that wanton and mindless destruction? And in doing so they have once again given a pass to Mayor Ted Wheeler and the Portland City Commission (most of whom the members of the Portland Business Alliance have supported over the years). For over a year the mayor and the city commission have tied the hands of the police in responding to the ongoing siege of the city but it isn’t their fault. For over a year, the local prosecutors have made a revolving door game for the rioters with quick, no bail releases and dismissal of hundreds of cases of trespass and property damage, but it isn’t the city government’s fault. Having freed the city government of responsibility, the Portland Business Alliance is calling on other “regional elected officials” to solve the problem for them.

Here’s a suggestion for the Portland Business Alliance. How about demanding that the city politicians do their jobs? How about refusing to provide funding and support for their election and re-election campaigns? How about stop making excuses for them and the rioters? How about “growing a pair” (gonads or ovaries) and do what is right for a change?

This kind of careless misdirection of responsibility echoes the recent comments of Mayor Ted Wheeler. Lately he asked Reed College to expel students involved in breaking windows during the daily riots. Mr. Wheeler, how about you arresting these miscreants, prosecute them quickly and urge the maximum sentences for their crimes? That’s your responsibility. Quit trying to shift the blame to Reed College for your lack of courage to do your job.

And then Mr. Wheeler called upon all citizens of Portland to reject the violence, reject the violent protestors, reject the arson, looting and property damage. What a weenie. Mr. Wheeler, how about you reject the violence? How about you stop marching with these cretins? How about you unshackling your police force and support them in their mission to keep Portland’s streets safe and free from violent protestors and looters? How about you admitting that you have been wrong from the beginning and that your actions and the actions of the other public officials in Portland have given license to the rioters to do as they wish without fear of recrimination? How about you just resigning and leave the city and the state?

Will peace come anytime soon to Portland? Not as long as the business community continues to remain silent. Not as long as the business community continues to support the current crop of woke politicians running the once beautiful Portland into the ground. Portland is no longer Moscow on the Willamette. It’s gone way beyond that. Portland is now Camden on the Willamette, or Detroit on the Willamette or even Baltimore on the Willamette. It’s a mess and getting worse every day.

If you can, leave. If you can’t, we’ll pray for you.