As someone who grew up in Portland, this is so painful and sad to see.

Portland was, until recent years, the cleanest, most orderly city I'd seen outside of Germany. #Portland
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It wasn't by accident. Portland was a leader in the country with Downtown, Clean & Safe, which had roving people in bright vests to give directions to tourists as well as pick up trash. It used to amaze me how a cigarette butt didn't sit around in Pioneer Square for more
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Than 5 minutes before it was picked up.

People over a certain age know the term "white flight" which referred white families leaving cities barren in the 1960's and 70's. But somehow, Portland bucked the trend.

They chose to reallocate freeway funds to a light rail train
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downtown. Set up a Saturday market downtown to give people a reason to be there out side of M-F business hours. Its common now but it wasn't back then. These things drew me there as a teenager in the 80's. Downtown Portland was my playground. Underage dance clubs kept me there
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into the night.

By the early 90's anyone who took MAX would see gaggles of visitors from other cities eager to see what made Portland so different.

Californians, used to poor governance were amazed by the cleanliness of the city, its small blocks and its friendly people.
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But in just a handful of years, 40 years of work has been undone. Those left wing radicals who were first priced out of San Francisco, then Oakland, moved to more affordable Portland. They brought their incivility and radicalism with them. And look what they have wrought?
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But know that it does not have to stay this way. Those of us descendants of the pioneers who settled in Oregon still hold the same Oregon values. But we must stand up and we must stand together.
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