The Los Angeles Times has published a piece looking at Portland, Oregen’s crime and homelessness problem, and apparently the reason for that is somewhat of a mystery:
Long hailed as a model of conscientious urban planning and civic engagement, Portland is facing a crisis of confidence. Nearly three years after pandemic lockdowns emptied out the city’s core and protests against police brutality turned a few downtown blocks into a battleground, this city of about 641,000 is dealing with skyrocketing numbers of homeless people, soaring crime and strikingly high levels of public dissatisfaction with what the city is doing about it.
Over the last three years, the number of unhoused people in the metro area has jumped from about 4,000 to at least 6,600. Shootings in the city have tripled. Homicides climbed from 36 in 2019 to 97 last year — a record. Lower-level crimes have spiked too: More than 11,000 vehicles were stolen in 2022, up from 6,500 in 2019.
“You don’t have to watch Fox News to look around Portland and say, ‘This is not cool,’” said City Commissioner Mingus Mapps, a Democrat and former political science professor at Brandeis University.
What’s even more amazing is that the headline of the story answers its own question:
What's the matter with Portland? Shootings, theft and other crime test city's progressive strain https://t.co/IrrdjDuk7R
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) February 10, 2023
Wow… there it is, all nice and self-contained.
It's a mystery staring right at us with the headline itself that will never be solved. pic.twitter.com/7aqESXoF9k
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) February 10, 2023
Gee, what could have caused all that to happen!?
"I just don't know what's happening. Despite our progressive strain, crime is everywhere, buildings are being torched, homeless people are camping in tents on front lawns and Fentanyl is killing everyone."
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) February 10, 2023
Nobody could ever figure out this problem.
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) February 10, 2023
Really surprised they missed the opportunity to use Republicans Pounce™ in the headline.
— Blame Big Government (@BlameBigGovt) February 10, 2023
Maybe the L.A. Times will make “Republicans pounce” tomorrow’s spin.
"What's the matter with Portland?"
Commies. It's commies. https://t.co/gcLRSzmXD9 pic.twitter.com/w1RtQ8TPWy
— Jeremy Redfern (@JeremyRedfernFL) February 10, 2023
https://t.co/XDnDL77URb pic.twitter.com/wJej3Cp0tf
— Pavement (@Pavement1999) February 10, 2023
Perfect.
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Related:
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler’s effort to ‘fundamentally reimagine police’ takes an ironic turn
