Wow! Portland Just Keeps Getting Worse

Adriana Stone 0 2 min read

Portland’s Fall: From Chic To Shabby

Portland used to be the city everyone bragged about. Markets, bikes, quirky shops, and a vibe people paid to visit. That image is fraying fast.

Earlier this winter, David Sedaris walked through town and ran into the city’s darker side. He wrote about passing addicts and then being bitten by a dog. He asked a blunt question: “How did allowing dogs to bite people become a Democratic point of principle? Or is it just certain people’s dogs?”

That line landed. It exposed something most locals already felt: many problems in Portland aren’t accidents. They came from choices. Choices by leaders who downplay law enforcement and push policies that sound compassionate—but have failed on the street.

Crime is up. Fires are up. Homelessness and drug use are visible in neighborhoods that used to feel safe. Portland now ranks near the top of big-city crime lists. Businesses are leaving. Office towers sell for a fraction of their value. Powell’s had multiple layoffs. The Ritz-Carlton condos barely sell. This isn’t a blip. It’s a downward spiral.

One big turning point was Measure 110. Voters turned drug possession into a civil violation. The result was predictable. When the penalty is a $100 ticket, addicts keep using. Help calls barely happened. Overdose deaths jumped dramatically. The law was later rolled back, but the damage was already done.

Public safety also took hits during the months of unrest in 2020. The city cut police budgets and tolerated long stretches of lawlessness around the federal courthouse. Arrests didn’t always lead to prosecutions. That sent a signal: some crimes wouldn’t be met with consequences.

The fallout reaches into the economy. High earners are moving away. Companies have considered moving operations out of state. Columbia Sportswear’s CEO publicly warned state leaders they risk losing businesses and talent. Nike closed a big outlet because of theft and safety concerns. Those are not small warning signs. They are alarms.

There are also complex and troubling criminal schemes hidden under the surface. Investigations and reporting have linked fraud and organized crime to shady welfare or recovery operations. Local officials and some reporters say they’ve seen only the start of what might be larger scandals.

Not everyone shrugs. Council member Dan Ryan told reporters, “I hear those concerns every day, and I take them seriously. My priority is improving livability and public safety, and cultivating a vibrant economic environment in Portland.”

Meanwhile, resentment is growing across the state. Rural counties say Portland-imposed policies don’t fit their communities. Movements like Greater Idaho speak to that anger. And statewide politics are getting messy: unpopular tax increases and spending bills have energized grassroots opposition.

What’s the takeaway? Portland’s beautiful setting hasn’t changed. The mountains and rivers are still there. But the city’s reputation has. Fixing it will mean tougher choices. Not just band-aids. Real enforcement. Real accountability. Real reforms to attract jobs and customers back.

Some people want to double down on progressive experiments. Others want law and order restored first. Voters are starting to pick a side.

For now, the city lives with both a gorgeous backdrop and growing dysfunction. That contradiction is hard to ignore.

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