I, Anonymous
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Fake Left, Pushing Right
[Got an anonymous confession or rant you just have to share with the world? Submit it to I, Anonymous HERE!—eds]
About a year ago, The Guardian celebrated Portland’s new “progressive” mayor and left-leaning council. A year later, that promise feels hollow.
Mayor Keith Wilson has governed like a manager of optics, not a progressive. He opened temporary shelters, claimed progress on unsheltered homelessness, then shut down facilities and ended contracts with organizations doing the actual work. That is not a housing strategy. It is political theater.
We are told there is never enough money for basic infrastructure, city services, or union jobs. Portlanders see the results every day in crumbling systems and hollowed-out services. Yet there always seems to be money when private interests are involved ($120 million to help a billionaire gentrify the Moda Center)
And now we can all see the budget maneuvering for what it is: amendments after the fact so Wilson can play tie-breaker. The real question is which amendment gets his support, the one that protects city workers and social services, or the one that sends even more money to an already bloated police budget? Stop acting like every social problem requires more money for policing while workers and services are put on the chopping block.
Portland does not have a revenue problem because ordinary residents are not paying enough. It has a political problem because too many leaders refuse to tax concentrated wealth. PCEF showed Portlanders will support taxing the rich for public good. So why are we reaching for regressive fees and budget gimmicks instead of another targeted tax on capital gains or other forms of wealth to stabilize the general fund?
A progressive city should fund housing, services, infrastructure, and workers, not protect wealth, expand policing, and call it pragmatism. Portlanders are paying attention. Your actions (and inaction) speaks volumes.—Anonymous
Stop Gatekeeping the Bathroom!
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I’m not sure who the manager is at your grocery store, but whoever you are, you suck. You put lock on your bathrooms so whenever I work in your store, I have to track down the one employee that can put in the code, because you don’t let them give it to vendors and you don’t have any other bathrooms. I can’t even find another bathroom in a nearby business for a mile in any direction. Sometimes I can’t find that employee. Sometimes your cleaner takes an hour or two to clean the bathrooms and they are unavailable even if your employee with the code is available. I understand you have security concerns, but I am just trying to do my job and you are adding unnecessary obstacles.
Your staff is rude. Your forklift drivers have no communication. Your whole building is at least ten degrees hotter than anywhere else I have to work.
It’s only three or four days a week, and I will definitely change routes as soon as I can, but I don’t think you should get a pass.
I am doing my job. I do a good job. You have no right to treat people this way. I should not have to go several hours at a time without access to a bathroom when I need it. This is not a petty issue. This is your responsibility and you are failing to meet it.
You will see no consequences. You won’t get a write up or a coaching session. You will make excuses and try to solve the problem by rooting out anyone who complains.
Even in the best case scenario, where you realize you are wrong, you still had to allow it to get this far before you could do anything yourself. We will not see the best case scenario.—Anonymous
Priorities
[Got an anonymous confession or rant you just have to share with the world? Submit it to I, Anonymous HERE!—eds]
Half the water fountains in our parks don’t even work and probably a lower percentage of you exclude those in the nicer neighborhoods. But for some reason we can find $300 million to give to millionaires and billionaires. As if the people couldn’t come up with better ways to spend our money. Stupid oligarchy.—Anonymous
The Courtesy Flush
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For the love of God, some of you people need to learn the art of the courtesy flush. I’m all for the conservation of water, but we have enough in this region to allow you to flush the toilet more than once when you go number 2.
After your first bowl movement you should immediately flush, regardless of whether or not you think there’s more coming out. The fact that you managed stink up not just the bathroom, but the entire eating area of a grocery store should not be a point of pride.—Anonymous
The Reflecting Pool
[Got an anonymous confession or rant you just have to share with the world? Submit it to I, Anonymous HERE!—eds]
I know there is a deluge of news being sprayed into our faces from a fire hose. So I apologize for contributing to the problem. But have you seen the story of the reflecting pool? It’s like a Grimm’s Fairy Tail. For America’s 250th birthday, Trump wanted to paint over the body of water that holds a mirror to our country. But nature rejected the makeover. First it sprouted an algae bloom that turned the whole pool green. He tried to kill it with bleach, but it only worked around the edges. then he tried to scrub it clean, but now the paint he used to cover it is being scraped off. It’s a Shakespearean Masterpiece. The hilarious and tragic tale of Donald the First. No wonder the gallery voted for him.—Anonymous