Did I Just Hear You Say You Want To Go Live In Portland, Oregon? What’s A Matter Fa You?

 (First 4 paragraphs only of an online news article)

Article Headline:

Going into 2022, Portland still has no answer for its record-breaking homicides

January 04, 2022

“Several cities are no doubt hoping to leave their surging homicides in 2021 as the new year begins. If that is the hope for Portland, it is off to a rough start.

Portland saw its first two homicides of 2022 just hours into the new year. Those victims have now been identified as Andre Foster and his nephew Quayan Foster. A third person was also shot but is expected to survive. The next day, another person was shot and killed in the city.

In 2021, Portland saw more homicides than San Francisco and more than double the amount of Seattle, despite having a smaller population than both. According to the Portland Police Bureau, the city saw a record 90 homicides last year. Oregonian reporter Shane Kavanaugh (reporting preliminarily before three more murders were added to the official count) pointed out just how severe the increase in shootings and people wounded in shootings has been for Portland over the last few years.

The worst part is that this was entirely predictable. Portland, a city that tolerated rioting for years, folded before the “defund the police” movement in 2020, slashing police funding by $15 million and disbanding several specialized units, including one that investigated gun violence. The city did all it could to neuter its own police department, including preventing officers from using riot-dispersal tools, while Multnomah County repeatedly declined to prosecute rioters.”

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Has it gotten any better? The answer is no. Here are a couple of examples from recent news articles...

(First two paragraphs only)

Article Headline:

Businesses vandalized after weekend protest in NE Portland

April 18, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — After a weekend protest left behind a path of broken glass, graffiti and a burned dumpster, the head of the Portland Police Association says there needs to be a frank conversation in the city about accountability. 

“Wanton destruction and arson have no place in a functioning society. Whenever we ignore it, we fan the flames. Wherever we excuse it, we acknowledge its legitimacy,” Sgt. Aaron Schmautz said in the letter posted Sunday night.  

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Article Headline:

A Running List of Portland’s Restaurant, Bar, and Food Cart Closures

April 19, 2022

I counted the list for you... 24 Restaurants and Bars closed January 1, 2022 until April 19, 2022.

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However, if you get shot or knocked down or decided you want to lie flat and cover your head with your arms, Portland apparently provides clean ground to lay down on...Or do they? 

According to The Discoverer Blog Portland is one of the 10 Cleanest Cities On Earth...

https://www.thediscoverer.com/blog/10-cleanest-cities-around-the-world/XvHyVpKgiwAG5atl?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1497599708

(There was no date on this article.)

10 Cleanest Cities Around the World

Reykjavik, Iceland

Vancouver, Canada

Cape Town, South Africa

Copenhagen, Denmark

Singapore

Adelaide, Australia

Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

Zurich, Switzerland

Calgary, Canada

Portland, Oregon

The Bolded Words below were placed there by Fella...

Consistently ranked among the greenest cities in the United States, Oregon’s largest city is known for its progressive ways (Is it a “progressive” for a city to burn itself down* most any day of the week?) and quality of life (Is it a “progressive” for a city to burn itself down* most any day of the week?). It’s no surprise then, that the laidback citizens of Portland (LaidBack?!...The guy who wrote this article has got to be kidding!) are proud to keep things clean (Must use leaf blowers to blow the ashes off). Take the Portlanders’ penchant for biking. In 2017, more than seven percent of commuters in the Rose City commuted to work by bike, according to the Portland Bureau of Transportation. For those who don't want to bike, excellent public transportation is also available (Fella recommends equipping their busses with tracks so they can climb over last night’s debris). Although already a leading city in renewable energy use, Portland leaders recently joined a global pledge to transition to 100% clean energy by 2050 (If there is a Portland in 2050).

*Reminds me of the old joke...

Does a house burn down or does a house burn up?

*The new joke (not really a joke)...

Does Portland burn down or does Portland burn up?

Would I kid u?

Smartfella