Reeling from months of economic instability, downtown business leaders, together with influential political donors from the Arlington Club, meet privately with Mayor Wheeler, threatening silent financial backing of the recall effort unless action is taken to thwart another downtown riot (e.g., Proud Boys vs. antifa).

Through officer connections with the Proud Boys, Police Commissioner Wheeler and Police Chief Lovell promise the radical right wing group little or no interference in the planned August 22nd event, but only if it's moved from the downtown core (where it had been announced to be at Tom McCall Park) and held instead at a less sensitive area, such as the abandoned K-Mart out on 122nd.

Additional influence to relocate the rally comes from Proud Boy contacts within the police union, still under investigation for conspiracy against African-American City Commissioner JoAnn Hardesty.

The result: The Proud Boys (cash-strapped since the Jan. 6 debacle in Washington, D C.) are allowed to stage their much needed fund-raising event in Portland; downtown business owners are spared more destructive mayhem; the Portland Police Bureau dodges another P.R.-nightmare bullet; and Mayor Wheeler, presenting himself as a measured peace keeper, secures additional political support from business and real estate interests.

Sounds okay, in a Machiavellian way, except it would mean Portlanders are being played like pawns in a racketeering chess game against the mayor, business leaders, wealthy donors, far right groups like the Proud Boys, and the police union.

Far-fetched? I sure hope so.