The Times of London published a profile of Portland that comes down hard on the city. Some of this is true and familiar. Overdosing addicts are everywhere. Businesses are struggling because of that. Downtown real estate is in decline. Cue the headline:
This city defunded its police. As vigilantes roam, now it’s changing course.
Portland, Oregon, decriminalised drugs and stopped prosecuting low-level criminals. Voters appear not to appreciate the results.
But the claims are sensationalized (“Vigilantes roam”?) and contradicted by their own nuanced reporting. I think the underlying premise is wrong and outdated. They don’t mention that overdose deaths are skyrocketing everywhere else. It’s the fault of liberalism, which is mentioned alongside communism.
Is this “swing to conservatism” accurate? Or is liberal Portland a straw man, set up here just to be knocked down?
The title is a bit sensationalized, but that's just to get folks to click and read. I think the coverage was mostly fair, and I didn't disagree with it on the whole. Our city has been hurt deeply by far left, poorly implemented ideals, and weak leadership. I do think many people have swung more center. People want to keep Portland weird, yes, but they also want a safe economically viable community.