ODOT warns more highway homeless camps over cuts (here’s the truth)

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

The media is reporting that due to funding concerns, you can expect to see more homeless campsites along highways within the city limits of Portland.  The city gets special attention through the Impact Reduction Program, which ODOT has ceased with the city.

There is more to the story.

Portland has a unique homeless problem because when they clear a homeless camp, they turn around and give away free brand-new tents and tarps to the same homeless, and the problem repeats itself.   This is why Portland just built new shelters for thousands, and they remain near half-empty because the homeless don’t want to move and why would they since they get rewarded for staying homeless.

ODOT funds have been used to clean graffiti on the highway walls of Portland.  When a graffiti vandal gets caught, they easily get quickly released with little punishment.  They go back to vandalizing hundreds of sites until they get arrested again.  Why are state taxpayers paying for Portland’s cleanup when they perpetuate the problem themselves?

People are trying to get homeless addicts off of drugs, but the City’s free-drug supply program keeps people hooked.

This is all a threat to people signing the petition referendum to stop the $4.3 billion gas tax.

If Portland wants their highways clean and safe they simply need to do the basic clean-up efforts and law enforcement efforts that most other American cities utilize.

Post script: We remind people that ODOT raised gas taxes 5% last year and doubled some DMV fees last year as well.  Where is the money going?

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