Disaffected Liberals: Move To Portland, Oregon

[Lorenzo]

Portland is about to tell Homeland Security they don’t want to be involved in its terrorism task force any longer. NBC News. So, a news report is saying that progressives should move to Portland, Oregon, not Canada! Applegate Oregon News published an article about the virtues of this most progressive of US cities.

• Progressives who are distraught as a result of President Bush's re-election victory should seriously consider Portland, Oregon, as their future home. Portland and Multnomah County, where Portland is located, have shown that they are willing to be leaders in a vast array of progressive causes.

Portland is a leader in Same-Sex Marriages, Opposition To The Patriot Act, Liberal Voting Majority, Tax Support For Government And Education, and more.

But look at some of the responses to the article.

• I can't stand anything about modern day Portland, the city, the crime, the attitudes, the politics, and especially the whining "Progressives". There is no "progress" being made by these people. They have taken a once beautiful city and ruined it. I live in the suburbs of Portland. I work in the suburbs for a great company, whose only sin is being located near Portland. I only travel inside the city limits about once a month if I can avoid it, and that's too often. Send the progressives anywhere but Portland. Canada is nice. Antarctica is even nicer. Really. Go check it out. -Ralph Williams

• I fully agree with the article. I was born in Portland in '35 and spent most of my life living in the area. I remember when it was conservative and mostly Republican. Liberal carpetbaggers moved in and took over the political scene and it's been downhill ever since. A couple of years ago I threw in the towel and my wife and I moved to the coast. I was sick and tired of unending taxes, crime, gangs, stupid planning, "diversity" and the rest of the dreck from the liberals. I dearly miss the old town and what it once was, but I would never consider going back. -Al Martin

[Jack]

Oregon's "death with dignity" stuff scares me a bit.

[IRTradRU?]

It's the same in the 'original' Portland, too. (Maine).

[Jack]

But Portland, Maine is prettier.

[IRTradRU?]

But Portland, Maine is prettier.

Hold on to that memory, and keep away. It would be a disappointing return, IMO.

[Cynth]

Lucky for Portland those two guys left.

[Redwolf]

• I can't stand anything about modern day Portland, the city, the crime, the attitudes, the politics, and especially the whining "Progressives". There is no "progress" being made by these people. They have taken a once beautiful city and ruined it. I live in the suburbs of Portland. I work in the suburbs for a great company, whose only sin is being located near Portland. I only travel inside the city limits about once a month if I can avoid it, and that's too often. Send the progressives anywhere but Portland. Canada is nice. Antarctica is even nicer. Really. Go check it out. -Ralph Williams

• I fully agree with the article. I was born in Portland in '35 and spent most of my life living in the area. I remember when it was conservative and mostly Republican. Liberal carpetbaggers moved in and took over the political scene and it's been downhill ever since. A couple of years ago I threw in the towel and my wife and I moved to the coast. I was sick and tired of unending taxes, crime, gangs, stupid planning, "diversity" and the rest of the dreck from the liberals. I dearly miss the old town and what it once was, but I would never consider going back. -Al Martin

Living in another city in similar straights (Santa Cruz, CA), I agree with these guys. The so-called "progressives" have stalled every aspect of real progress in our city, with the result that we now have an unbelievable crime rate, taxes through the ceiling, no jobs, the worst schools in the state, and precious little future. Our city council spends its time passing resolutions against this thing and that thing happening in the federal government, and ignores the serious problems facing the community they were elected to represent.

Redwolf

[OnTheMoor]

Unfortunately things aren't looking much better here. There is an absolute refusal to deal with problems such as homelessness and drug use because many city councillors believe (and in many cases rightly so) that these people don't want the help. Throw in a chief medical officer who believes that a van travelling the city handing out crack kits is the way to go, and Ottawa has seen better days. The police have just about had it, apparently our Chief is talking with the Crown Prosecutor to see what would happen if he charged city staff for dispensing drug material.

[Walden]

I've stayed in Portland, Oregon. The area seemed pretty to me, especially when we ventured up into the Washington countryside.

[Cynth]

Portland, Oregon is very pretty.

[jGilder]

Living in another city in similar straights (Santa Cruz, CA), I agree with these guys. The so-called "progressives" have stalled every aspect of real progress in our city, with the result that we now have an unbelievable crime rate, taxes through the ceiling, no jobs, the worst schools in the state, and precious little future. Our city council spends its time passing resolutions against this thing and that thing happening in the federal government, and ignores the serious problems facing the community they were elected to represent.

Redwolf

Oh come on now... hello? These changes have nothing to do with the "progressives" being around, places with a lot of conservatives are suffering from the same sorts of things. Everytown USA is suffering from the infrastructure being ripped away because federal funds are being redirected to war (800 billion now) government programs being shut down, the widening gap between rich and poor, tax breaks for the rich etc. etc. To blame it on "progressives" for everything bad that's happening is like blaming the guy whose car you just rear-ended for running into you.

[Lorenzo]

Living in another city in similar straights (Santa Cruz, CA),
I agree with these guys. The so-called "progressives" have stalled every
aspect of real progress in our city, with the result that we now have an
unbelievable crime rate, taxes through the ceiling, no jobs, the worst
schools in the state, and precious little future. Our city council spends its
time passing resolutions against this thing and that thing happening in the
federal government, and ignores the serious problems facing the
community they were elected to represent.

I know what you mean. My aunt and uncle lived in Santa Cruz most of
their life, up Graham Hill Rd. near the golf course. My aunt was
Admisnistrative Assistant in one or two of the high schools for about 30
years. She loved the old town the way it use to be. They finally sold out
because they couldn't afford to live there anymore, and moved up here.
Now, in Walla Walla, there's about 60 new winery and vinyards. Seems
everyone has discovered this lovely place. I just bought 80 acres up near
the Eagle Cap Wilderness of the Wallowa Mts. Soon as I get this house
build next door, I'm selling out and heading up to the mts. of NE Oregon.
Back in the early 80' some county planners decided to rezone all the
country side to 240 minimum ac. p/dwelling. You can drive back up there
20 years later and nothing has changed. Really.

My brother inlaw's brother is building official/ planner/ engineer for the
City of Portland. He says what happened is that the city, and surrounding
communities, all subdivided their land into small lots, with cluster
developments everywhere, and the public works and road depts never
knew what hit them. It takes about one to two hours to drive the
freeways after work to get home. Most people take the side roads to and
from work. Still an hour or more but more pleasant driving. Downtown
has lots of nice little merchant type stores and restaurants but there's no
parking spaces empty, hardly anywhere, except maybe on the roof of the
public parking towers. They do have a bicycle department though and lots
of bike riders.

In the early to mid 90's there was a mass exodus from Portland into
Washington State, just across the river. Some older people were having
to pay from $9,000 to $12,000 property tax, annually. For the same
house, over in Washington, taxes were less than $1,000. That's changed
some since, but still radically different.

Anyone is a fool to walk around Portland after dark.

But Portland, Maine is prettier

Really? (you know lots of Quakers go to a certain college in Portland, I
forget it's name. Reed? Have several friends from there.

Check out this view...
http://www.aphl.org/images/Mt%20Hood%20 ... tland.jpeg

take a little tour

[Jack]

Well, um...I've never been to Maine or Oregon, but I've seen them on TV. And I still think Maine is prettier. Doesn't Martha Stewart live there? It'd have to be.

http://www.quaker.org/colleges.html

There's a list of Quaker schools.

I applied to Earlham, and got accepted and given a scholarship, but it costs $35,000.00 a year so even with financial aid, the scholarship, and various federal grants I still could not afford it (I'm on my own as far as money goes, no parental help at all). I'm already in debt with medical bills, so I did not want to try to get loans.

I feel that it is a contradiction of the Quaker Testimonies of Equality and Simplicity for Quaker schools to cost so much. But, in this Friend's opinion, many Quaker colleges are a lot less "Quaker" and a lot more "college" in their enviroments.

As of August, though, I'm moving into a dorm at a small, cheap, private Christian college, which is less than 2 miles away from a silent Meeting. Woo.

[Walden]

But, in this Friend's opinion, many Quaker colleges are a lot less "Quaker" and a lot more "college" in their enviroments.

That goes for a good many religious-owned schools.

[Cynth]

In my town we have low crime, low taxes, no gangs, poor schools, few jobs, no diversity, and a city council that will close the public library down a few days a week if it does not make a profit. The progressives are few and far between. I don't have any children to educate, so I guess I'm livin' in paradise and just didn't realize it.