The City should just rent the fucking warehouse, even though nobody else is interested in it and that deadline is just high pressure sales bullshit.

Just make it nice and cozy.

If it's such a good idea, then people will be happy to take advantage of the opportunity for a roof over their heads. After the lease is up, the campers will just go where ever else they want. If it's a bad idea, then the mayor's political rhetoric will come back to bite him in the ass.

There is no reason for the City to have to buy any high priced real estate, or make a deal with any unincorporated, unofficial spokes people, in any event.

I think we should just purchase every R2D2er their own home, and pay property taxes and utilities for them too.
Throw in a hot tub for the hell of it.

It's not about doing something nice for the homeless, it's about getting the homeless out of sight. The City cleans the streets and provides public trash cans, too.

Frankieb makes a fair enough point, so how about soliciting donations for the warehouse from anybody who's in favor of it? In fact, lets take up a collection from those who care about public trash cans and street sweepers.

If the City can't collect enough to maintain sanitation, then they fire all the City laborers, don't sign the lease for the warehouse, and refund the donations. Civil servants are just glorified welfare recipients, anyway; including the mayor and the president of Portland State University.

Portland State University has plenty of high rise parking structures that are vacant at night, and Peter Stott Center has showers. Chicken wire storage lockers could be easily constructed, but space during the day is tight at PSU.

"And if Kramer's counterproposal doesn't lead to a deal? He'll sue."

I'll ask again, as has been asked 100 time here, why do R2D2 or Wright have the grounds to sue for anything at all? What standing do these people have? They've been violating city code for years.

This is like a thief saying, if the City doesn't provide me with a suitable substitute for all of the merchandise I stole, I'm going to sue!

Sue for what? The City has ceded a bunch of power to R2D2 and the property owner FOR NO REASON. They've given them legitimacy they don't deserve just by "negotiating" with them. Just kick them out already. Come in with 150 cops and a dump truck to clear the lot.

I hope that this is a ploy from Hales to get them to turn down the warehouse, and then just say "fine, then you get nothing at all." I pray he's got the smarts and balls to do that, but we'll see.

Frivolous lawsuits are often cheaper to settle than to fight. Ten grand will usual suffice. In any event, the goal is to clear the sidewalks and get the homeless blight out of sight. Ignoring them won't make them go away.

The real problem is that there is no place for the campers to store their stuff during the day, and they don't want to lose their spot for the night. The City could clear the tents and shopping carts and then the campers would have learn that they really don't need all that crap anyway.

The most that anyone really needs to live comfortably on the streets, is a warm sleeping bag, a thin, cheap, tarp, one change of clean cloths, a razor, toothbrush, and nail clippers. A light weight one man hiker's tent and small gym locker to store it all in, would be a luxurious option.

The Blanchet House, Julia West, and Saint Francis Dining Hall proved enough to eat.

As long as it's permissible to sleep in doorways of closed businesses at night, and there are public restrooms to clean up in, that works just fine.

A warm, water repellent coat with hood and decent pair of boots makes a big difference, too. Portland ain't exactly Honolulu.