RE: “Shake Up the City” [Feature, April 27], the Mercury‘s May 2016 endorsement guide.
Thank you for your well-presented recommendations for the May election, a very important one for Portland and America.
You don’t serve your candidates well, however, when you negatively refer to “NIMBYs” several times in the article. Who are NIMBYs? Are you referring to your readers—neighborhood renters and homeowners—who are out every day sweeping up hipsters’ trash from fancy ice cream stores and to-go boxes from restaurants made famous by the New York Times? Who ride their bikes and support local businesses and try to live within the law and always vote for schools and libraries?
Are you referring to those of us who believe that un-sheltered camping on the streets in Portland has no place in America and that we must build shelters to provide basic dignity and safety for today’s homeless? And that maybe if we stopped fighting meaningless wars, there would be money to help the nearly 40 percent of our homeless population who are drug addicted and/or mentally ill?
When you carelessly use the NIMBY brush without looking in the mirror first, you risk a surprisingly large backlash that dilutes your otherwise thoughtful candidate recommendations.
Frank DiMarco
