What's Actually Happening in Portland, Oregon

[Gaugamela]

[Hulk]

1. "Portland depends on tourism"...is bull shit.

Portland was a vibrant and well kept secret. We had neighborhoods where you could live and feel safe and they were made up of local residents and a sprinkling of new inhabitants from other parts of the country and world.

Today, those neighborhoods are destroyed by a huge influx of AirB&B/investment ownership. Neighborhood business areas are transformed into squatter food joints and businesses that fuel the influx of tourism. No longer are they for the Portland long time# residents. We have been chased out by sky rocketing rental agreements, and the prices locally are insane. If you don't OWN your home, or you don't have a family income of $100K plus annually....you either live in a box or you leave. It's really sad.

This idea that "Portland depends" is bull shit. Tourism has ruined Portland. The loss of family homes for "families" and the unbridled influx of newcomers from CA, the East Coast, and all across the country have turned it in to a dump. The 100 days of demonstrations allowed the antiracists a safe place to set up camp on sidewalks, underpasses, along side freeways, in parks, neighborhoods.....it's deplorable what has happened to a "once quiet, well kept secret" between Seattle and San Francisco.

Portland didn't NEED tourism. It was a catalyst to destroying a once beautiful, friendly city that was safe to live in and enjoy.

[CentralMass]

2. Well there were a lot of different opinions in there and I think people will take what they want to

hear out of it.
I've lived out here for about 6.5 years and have some opinions. The city does apparently have a long history of civil unrest. While the vast majority of the protest and protesters are peaceful the is a small violent contingent bent on destruction. There are some self professed anarchist type groups that have layed claim to some of it. They have caused millions of dollars of destruction and performed some really violent acts like breaking into buildings and starting fires with people inside. In more then one case trying to block the exit of the building.
In my opinion there has been too much acceptance of that behavior here. It tarnishes the effort of legitimate groups because the violence ends up being associated with them.
These acts of violence seem to occur for just about any thing happening in the country. The trashed the city when tRump won. Conversely they trashed the city when Biden won, etc.

Portland is a very unique and beautiful city but having travelled through some of the trouble areas in the April May time frame it's becoming a shit hole.
Three years ago I had family visit and we spent a couple of days in the city. Even then there was a notable homeless population and we ran in to an older homeless guy who saw some New England gear we had on and struck up a conversation with us.. He had lived in the area we are from on MA for decades before his life spiraled out of control and he ended up in Portland. He was an interesting guy with an interesting story and we spent some time with him and gave him some cash as we parted ways.
However I have to say that I would be very selective on where and when I would take guests in the city today.
Like every major city Portland appears to be losing some of its character. It is being gentrified. The cost of rentals and house prices are becoming increasingly unaffordable etc. The number of shootings has also risen sharply.

[Rhiannon12866]

3. Thanks for sharing your personal experiences.

In light of the overwhelming news about the pandemic and the insurrection, all that happened in Portland last year that led the news for so long has been largely forgotten. I'm sure that Ali Velshi did his best to get varied opinions, but, as always, what he got depended on who he talked to.