Portland full page NY Times ad: Everything is OK, come visit.

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

 

The City of Portland has placed a full page ad in the New York Times newspaper implying everything is actually just fine in the City and to “come see for yourself”.  The ad was placed by Travel Oregon a private group that loves to spend taxpayer money to do tourist ads.

• The ad says “Anything can happen here.  We like it that way”.   No one likes what has happened to Portland with near record level downtown vacancies and people afraid to go downtown as proof that people are leaving.
• “This is the kind of place where ideas are welcome”.  Really?  Rioters have attacked people they disagree with and attacked numerous journalists.
• “We’ve always been like this”  Really?  We have a near 40 record in homicides.  It hasn’t always been like this.  The City has to allocate a special $11 million dollars to just clean up the vandalism, trash and graffiti.
• “We wouldn’t have it any other way”  Really?  No one the explosion in homicides, shootings and domestic violence to rescind?
• “We’re building it every day the only way we know how”  You are not building anything but tax subsidized condos paid for by taxpayers from outside Portland.   You couldn’t build a bridge to Washington after spending over $200 million to study it.  You can’t build a simple traffic relieving lane in the Rose Garden arena despite allocated State tax dollars because it the project has been bogged down in eternal political bickering and haggling.  You are not building art but rather losing most of your precious statues during the riots.  You are not building an economy because as the chart below shows, you are the WORST JOB GROWTH AREA IN OREGON because of your tolerance for riots and your near-national high tax rates.

Here is the text of the ad.

“This is Portland. You’ve heard a lot about us lately. It’s been awhile since you heard from us. Some of what you heard about Portland is true. Some inot. What matters most is that we’re true to ourselves.There’s a river that cuts through the middle of our town. It divides the east and west. But it’s bridged – over and over again. Twelve times, to be specific. And that’s kind of a great metaphor for this city. We’re a place of dualities that are never polarities. Two sides to the same coin that keeps landing right on its edge. Anything can happen. We like it this way. This is the kind of place where new ideas are welcome – whether they’re creative, cutting edge or curious at first glance. You can speak up here. You can be yourself here,” it continues. “We have some of the loudest voices on the West Coast. And yes, passion pushes the volume all the way up. We’ve always been like this. We wouldn’t have it any other way. We have faith in the future. We’re building it every day the only way we know how, by being Portland. Come see for yourself. Love”

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