IN 2020, 74% of Portland, Oregon’s voters approved decriminalizing drugs.
Since then the city has been plagued by drug use, homeless camps, violent protests, and a spike in murders. The tourists are gone, businesses have closed, and thousands of residents have left for greener pastures.
“Portland’s once bustling downtown is nearly empty, and a negative national reputation clouds its economic future,” Politico says (read article here). A Democratic congressman says parts of Portland’s downtown look “like Dresden in World War II.”
Politico says, “Even Portlanders who voted for decriminalization and believe in a compassionate approach to homelessness didn’t feel as safe in their own neighborhoods.” Now, it appears, those who remain are ready to vote out their entire city government.
