Comments on: Livability and Downtown

By: Arne

Arne — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 04:10:22 +0000

I’ve been working downtown for twenty-five years and from my perspective it has gotten worse, especially in the last couple of years. We have panhandlers downtown only because people give them money. No money: no panhandlers. The solution, therefore, should be to criminalize the giving of handouts.

By: DJ

DJ — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:25:32 +0000

If you think it is worse now than 10 years ago you haven’t been paying attention or you have an agenda.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 03:20:25 +0000

I’ve already taken your advice, Arnold. I took my six figure salary and moved to Vancouver. My property taxes are lower and the schools are better. I don’t pay to park at work. I don’t have to worry about a new city/county income tax, or real estate transfer tax, or URD. My neighborhood has sidewalks without any drug addicts begging for spare change or shooting up or keying cars. And our Police/Fire pensions are funded in advance.

Y’all can buy my house when you finally wake up and escape the insanity that is the City of Portland. I’ll be retired by then, and living in Hawaii.

By: Jack

Jack — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:55:06 +0000

Your,”READ” of PDX is perfect, and look not one block more then city hall for the reasons, yet these LEMMINGS, will continue the road over the cliff until we all lay in ruin.

By: RJBob

RJBob — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:37:16 +0000

I’ve worked downtown for the last 15 years. Your assessment is spot on. It’s a toilet down here. The pit bull-dragging gutter punk element has never been more pervasive and needs to be addressed. The mentally ill and chronically homeless will always be here but they’re not the problem.

By: Arnold

Arnold — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 21:56:43 +0000

There’s a place for people like you. It’s called the suburbs. Move and work there already.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 17:34:53 +0000

If you think they are actually wishing you a good day, I have a slightly used Sellwood Bridge to sell you.

“Have a good day” (often said with a smirk), is (at best) a passive aggressive “thanks for nothing”, and a class-warfare “fuck you” at worst.

It’s not unlike when you’re greeting your ex-wife with your new wife on your arm: she’s not actually glad to see you.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 13:14:59 +0000

Why not move to Beaverton, Lake Oswego or Vancouver? That’s the only choice we have once we realize that Portland’s only getting worse (traffic/street urchins/parking fees). That’s what I’m doing, even though I had to take a small pay cut to find a job near my home.

By: Mac

Mac — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 12:45:45 +0000

It’s a beautiful thing when these are the problems that raise the ire of the community.

By: Matt C

Matt C — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 01:40:16 +0000

Coming from the east coast, I have never seen an “aggressive” panhandler in Portland. I’ve found folks out there to be extraordinarily polite. You don’t get have a “have a good day” from someone after you turn down their request for money when you’re in NYC or Boston.

In my opinion, the real number one “livability” problem in downtown Portland is the canvassers. They’re on every corner, and they are relentless.