Forgot to note, for folks who don’t know… “Standard CEO” means the CEO of Standard Insurance. One of the largest employers in downtown Portland.
Standard Insurance Building here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Insurance_Center
Oh good a CEO is going to save us all. This will totally work.
At least he has an interest in improving Downtown. 99% of Oregon’s population never even goes Downtown, assumes it’s literally on fire, and is fine with that.
Yeah 25% of Oregon lives in the area surrounding Portland. So that definitely isn’t true. The people who believe it’s in fire are the Republicans in rural Oregon and honestly fuck all of them. They are racists with a huge Nazi problem and want to return Oregon to being a white only state like it was. 20 years ago 30% of Oregon voted to keep the black exclusionary laws in the state constitution.
Even 95% doesn’t wreck my argument. Most folks who live “in the area surrounding Portland” never go downtown (by which I just mean inner west side, not the literal neighborhood). How many folks who live in Gladstone or Estacada are spending their free time at Powell’s or Yamhill Pub?
That said, I absolutely agree with everything else you said.
Oregon’s problems can be fixed, but by my estimate it’s going to take funding an institution more or less the size of OHSU which means $4.9 billion.
Here’s what needs to happen:
- Repeal measure 110.
- Pass a law or constitutional amendment making it easier to commit people against their will.
- Build and staff an institution that does the following:
a) Diagnose and treat long and short term drug addiction issues.
b) Diagnose and treat long and short term mental health issues.
c) Provide assistance for job seekers, resumes, addresses, phone numbers, email, clothing, laundry, and shower facilities.
d) Provide assistance for housing, applications, fees, etc.
e) Within c and d there needs to be specialists who work exclusively with people who have criminal records but have served their time. - Once the facility is in place and the laws are in place, you sweep the streets. Take everyone into custody and get them the appropriate help they need.
- People who have active warrants or are committing crimes in their campsites get arrested and sent to jail.
- People who are otherwise sound of mind and body but are homeless because “I ain’t part of your system, maaaann…” get housing in return for cleaning up homeless camps.
Man still obsessed with other people using drugs huh?
When “other people using drugs” are trashing the state I love? You bet.
@jordanlund @TurblesCelbor the us vs them mentality does not help, I’m bettin there are a lot of people livin on the street that love this place as much as you. I hope the strategies you mentioned are framed from the perspective of addiction being a health epidemic
They love having a state that lets them get high with zero consequences, that’s not the same thing.
https://twitter.com/kevinvdahlgren/status/1609300954112987137
When people tell you who they are, believe them.
The thing is? You’ve told us who you are, time and time again. We get it. Now, shut the fuck up and keep your little man fears to yourself, please. The adults are actually trying to do something worthwhile.
The ones who passed 110? Gee, and that’s going OH so well… They aren’t adults, they are children in adult bodies going “But, but, I wanna get high!”
You’re right, we should totally base policy on what one person said.
She’s not the only one…
https://www.wweek.com/news/city/2017/08/16/whats-the-drug-of-choice-for-portlands-homeless/
Drug culture is pervasive here. Just take a look at how many bars and liquor stores there are. We like our drugs and we like easy access to them. No different for alcohol, meth, cannabis or opioids. Some, like alcohol, meth and fentanyl are just more destructive than others.
Incredibly more destructive, but I wouldn’t say Oregon has more of an alcohol problem than other states, in fact, the way the OLCC operates, it’s probably the opposite.
According to here, there are only 280 liquor stores in Oregon:
https://www.oregon.gov/olcc/liquorstores/Pages/distilled-spirits-sales.aspx
With a population of 4.2 million, that’s 1 store for every 15,000 or so people.
Which is nothing compared to a state like Illinois which has 1,326 on a population of 12 million, or approximately 1 store for every 9,710 people.
I had a job, oh, 25 years ago or so now, where I commuted back and forth between Portland and Chicago.
Chicago was strange, even in the suburbs, because it was super hard to find a grocery store, but there were liquor stores on every corner. I had to go way out to East Jesus to find a Super Walmart or a Winco.
I still remember my favorite name: “Binnie’s Beverage Depot” - So fancy!
Wow, they’re still a thing - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binny’s_Beverage_Depot
You did the math for liquor stores (without really quantifying density, given there are dry countries and large swaths of empty land), but what about bars, wineries and distilleries? What are we up to for deaths related to alcohol (addiction and DUI killings) every year, have we exceeded 150,000 yet? It was just under 100k a few years ago, but covid might have changed it. Probably what meth/fentanyl/opioids do combined.
Some quick numbers from the NIH, 93k is the number from all non-alcohol related overdose deaths in 2020, versus just over 140,000 alcohol related deaths.
I’m curious why folks seem to harp on some drugs, but not others?
@jordanlund I’m taking that as an unfortunate and cyclic no
