throwaway-PDX

Wage theft doesn't typically involved a gun or a knife. Property crimes, when interrupted intentionally or accidentally by the victim can easily become violent crime.

I live and work in Portland. The article paints a rosey picture of a nasty set of problems.

The government here is experimenting with social justice ideas. We've legalized drugs, empowered homeless camping and defunded our police.

I see and empathize with the reasons to legalize drugs, not demonize the homeless or blame people for their addictions or mental health problems... and I understand the academic case for not viewing all social problems through the lense of "how can more policing fix this."

All that said, our family is moving away... at the minimum to the suburbs if not to Idaho or Texas. Portland can't make these decisions in a vacuum, absent thoughtful national policy Portland has become a magnet for drug dealers and chronic drug users who are often homeless as well.

While the rights of all people matter, Portland is too focused on the rights of the people like the kid in the article who are from other states and come here to destroy their lives and our community. They are not focused on my rights as a taxpayer to enjoy a safe walk around my neighborhood.

We need national solutions to these issues, but until we have that I'm moving away and taking my tax dollars with me because I don't want to live in this experiment anymore. It's just not safe for my family.