Comments

1
A better question would be one asking how the polices of Portland contribute to the high(est) rates of unemployment and homelessness. Another good one would be to ask if people are specifically coming to Portland knowing full well that they can lay around and get everything for free. Asking how people can be even better accommodated in their laziness is not a tough question.
2
Hey now Logan 5 - let's not forget the State of Oregon's fine work to help make all the economically dependent slaves to the state.
3
I am at the edge of my seat waiting to hear all those with homes ...Give their pompous opinions, and show their true spirit *which is an oxymoron beings that their callous attitudes revel they actually "have no spirit" (or heart.) Most will be overtly passionate, angry and mean. The "hate" will pour from their words like holy water.
The disinformation and the stereotype propaganda will flow like a fabricated WMD faux news story.
4
joeanybody - You post is largely incoherent, but what I can draw from it is that you want public policy to have 'heart and spirit.'
Government and laws cannot do that. Only humans can do that.
All we ask for is fiscal responsibility, opportunities and solutions that enable and encourage people to help.
Not fake compassion written into law that ends up making problems worse.

5
Logan, we had this conversation last year. Street Roots did a great article about the percentage of people that their last housed address is in the city or metro area where they are homeless. if I recall correctly, it was somewhere around 80%.
The answer to homelessness is not leaches (sit/lie laws), or a band aid ( a shelter bed), the answer is long term. lets have more affordable housing, more jobs, health care...
Our city council, in 1985 said that the downtown core of Portland needed about 5200 low income housing units, something that we are about 2000 short of right now. (Northwest Pilot Project's Downtown Affordable Housing Inventory). I know many people who are homeless who have a job, but just cant afford housing, health care and a day to day life.
last year I did a bit of research, (as I recall the numbers)
it was about 1000 dollars just to stay the night in a the hospital, not counting tests or the like... This when people who are homeless have no other way to deal with a medical problem besides going to the ER.
it was 6-700 dollars to stay the night with Portland's police... and we have laws that can imprison people for the crime of sleeping on public property...
a mat on the floor is something like 45 dollars... it has been proven that people get tickets for camping far less when they have access to housing... and that they use the ER far less if they have access to housing and health care, the answers seem obvious...
how about we save us all some money and start building housing. I don't know how much longer I can afford to help pay for bad ideas like sit/lie from the PBA and their ilk.
thanks
Patrick

Please wait...

Comments are closed.

Commenting on this item is available only to members of the site. You can sign in here or create an account here.


Add a comment
Preview

By posting this comment, you are agreeing to our Terms of Use.