My visit to Portland, OR

[BJHay]

My wife and I ended up in a downtown Seattle condo for a week last summer.

Beautiful natural surroundings and an interesting city. Wonderful place, but, as you know, there was plenty of homelessness. I'd get up early and go for coffee. There were sleeping bodies, tents and the occasional syringe and feces. The city had must of had a program in place that got the loose stuff picked up before the tourists hit the streets.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Every boat/ship can sink... ONCE.

what about the u505. It's in the basement a basement level of the Museum of Sci & Industry campus in Chicago?

FIFY.

 

[loudpedal]

I don't understand. If I was homeless I could surely find a warmer drier city to squat in.

 

[rob63]

It really is unbelievable stuff like what you see in this video is happening in the United States.

I don't even think many third world countries would allow this level of open drug use, crime, filth, etc.

Just in case anyone is thinking the video is over-blowing the situation, that pretty much looks like the city I visited. I didn't see an overdose situation, but I was only there a few days and saw everything else in that video.

Also, it's not in some rundown area. We went to a nice steakhouse downtown, the kind where you wear a jacket and tie, and you had to step around the junkies in the street to get in the door.

 

[tmcindy]

Beautiful pictures. There in the early 80’s

Albuquerque is now sanctioning special areas for the homeless camps. I drive out of north of town and go home heading east. I often cut down thru city streets to get to I-40 and miss the Big I traffic jam. All the sidewalks under the overpasses are pretty much blocked by tents and shopping carts.

I don’t see this plan working well for the businesses in the area. Lots of broken windows and now I guess they are breaking into hair salons and stealing some product they use to either get a fix from, or use in the drug making process.

Stopped at a gas station to use the air hose and it had been cut and stolen by the meth heads.

Glad I live 22 miles out of town, all uphill. My theory is the zombies will walk downhill when TSHTF. Crossed fingers….

Our terminal is surrounded by a 50,000 volt electric fence. Have to lock yourself inside until ready to leave like Mad Max stuff.

Albuquerque city planners approve first sanctioned homeless encampment

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque city planners have approved the city’s first sanctioned homeless encampment. The newly formed non-profit Dawn Legacy Point will establish the site …

www.krqe.com

I've been to Albuquerque (we have a terminal there too). First time, I was clueless. Guess I had higher expectations. Yikes! Reality shock. But, in Albuquerque? Really?

 

[blain]

Portland does look like a beautiful place to live. Of course there are a lot of ongoing societal issues.

IF I had a conspiracy mindset, I might think...
1. Target an attractive and valuable local.
2. Push through changes in the enforcement of laws (flip the funding switch towards more lax enforcement), resulting in higher crime rates.
3. Higher crime rates causes a degradation in "quality of life" for residents.
4. Residents with means eventually migrate out of the area, disrupting the tax base and lowering property values.
5. Purchase properties at much lower prices than before elevated crime rates.
6. Push for stronger enforcement of laws (flip the funding switch towards enforcement).
7. Stronger law enforcement lowers crime, raises "quality of life" for residents.
8. With substantial property improvement, tax rates rise.
9. With gentrification and high tax rates, poorer residents are priced out of the market.
10. Properties become highly sought after and valuable.

Of course that fictitious scenario is all a speculation and not a plan for dominance and wealth.

 

[jamil]

Kinda looks like a basement.

 

[Pepi]

What a beautiful place turned to SH|T

 

[Leadeye]

USS Blueback (SS-581) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Curious if there are any nuclear powered museum ships, or if there will be any. I read that the navy is very particular about nuclear propulsion.

 

[actaeon277]

Curious if there are any nuclear powered museum ships, or if there will be any. I read that the navy is very particular about nuclear propulsion.

USS Nautilus

The Submarine Force Museum - USS Nautlius - Museum Near Me, Submarine Museum Near Me in CT, Things To Do Groton CT, Attractions Groton CT, Things To Do Mystic CT, Things To Go New London CT, Attractions Mystic CT, Attractions New London CT

The Submarine Force Museum is home to the Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear powered vessel. Located on the Thames River in Groton, Connecticut. Plan your visit museum near me, things to do groton ct, attractions groton ct, things to do mystic ct, things to go new london ct, attractions mystic...

ussnautilus.org

 

[Leadeye]

USS Nautilus

The Submarine Force Museum - USS Nautlius - Museum Near Me, Submarine Museum Near Me in CT, Things To Do Groton CT, Attractions Groton CT, Things To Do Mystic CT, Things To Go New London CT, Attractions Mystic CT, Attractions New London CT

The Submarine Force Museum is home to the Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear powered vessel. Located on the Thames River in Groton, Connecticut. Plan your visit museum near me, things to do groton ct, attractions groton ct, things to do mystic ct, things to go new london ct, attractions mystic...

ussnautilus.org

Good to see they kept that one around, figured they would do the same with the Enterprise, but was told that removal of all the reactors would compromise the structure.

 

[actaeon277]

Good to see they kept that one around, figured they would do the same with the Enterprise, but was told that removal of all the reactors would compromise the structure.

I don't think that's the reason, though I could be wrong.
Bigger ships, require bigger amounts of $$$ to maintain them.
So, while they may be less likely to museum a nuke, the fact Nautilus is a small vessel worked for it.
Also, it was the first. Not the first of a type, but the first.
So, denuking it, and maintaining it is a LOT more manageable.

 

[actaeon277]

On a YouTube channel for the Battleship New Jersey, they talked about getting a museum ship from the Navy.
One of the things the Navy wants, is the organization to show they have money to take care of the vessel.
BBs and CVs are expensive to take care of, even as a floating museum.
A nuke CV?

 

[Wstar425]

I've been to Albuquerque (we have a terminal there too). First time, I was clueless. Guess I had higher expectations. Yikes! Reality shock. But, in Albuquerque? Really?

A couple of “conservatives” got elected to city council and the other three planned homeless encampments got shelved, at least for the moment. They went thru and tried to clean out the trash for Balloon Fest, but looks like it came back with a vengeance? We have a woman living in a pile of trash right outside the fence of our yard who yells at us for disturbing her sleep, when hooking up doubles.

Who do you drive for? I’m just east of I-25 at Comanche. Pretty scary around there after dark lately. I almost hit a guy pulling into the gate last night, just standing on the road in the shadows, from what I could tell.

 

[tmcindy]

A couple of “conservatives” got elected to city council and the other three planned homeless encampments got shelved, at least for the moment. They went thru and tried to clean out the trash for Balloon Fest, but looks like it came back with a vengeance? We have a woman living in a pile of trash right outside the fence of our yard who yells at us for disturbing her sleep, when hooking up doubles.

Who do you drive for? I’m just east of I-25 at Comanche. Pretty scary around there after dark lately. I almost hit a guy pulling into the gate last night, just standing on the road in the shadows, from what I could tell.

We are at 900 64th St NW.

 

[tmcindy]

I’m just east of I-25 at Comanche.

Ok, I know who you drive for.

 

[Wstar425]

Ok, I know who you drive for.

Brown is across the street just north of our yard.

 

[manifest destiny]

I'd love to see Oregon. But since I'm powerless to fight the insanity known as 'progressive', I'm left with only my spending dollars to object. I object to spending my dollars there. It sucks for me. But it was fun living vicariously through your trip. Awesome pics, thanks for sharing.

 

[88E30M50]

It's cool to see SS 581 as a museum ship. Back in the 80s, I got to tour the SS Barbel. I was in the Air Force at the time at Hickam on TDY. Back then, there was no security between the Hickam and Pearl, so after work, I'd walk over to the navy base and wonder around. One night, I was walking down the peer at the sub base when retreat was played and the flag on the Barbel was the closest to me, so oriented towards that one during retreat. After the flag was lowered, the OOD asked if I wanted a tour, which I certainly did.

Things I remember were the crew watching a movie on an old film projector that night, him showing me which were war shots and which torpedoes were practice, one engine running on charge and the sonar room which was blocked with no admittance allowed. I still have the brochure he gave me. It was quite cool for a 22 year old submarine enthusiast in the Air Force.

The sub base had a small museum and in the memorial park dedicated to the 52 boats still on patrol, was the superstructure from the Parche. You could climb it and standing in the same spot as Red Ramage did during the surface attacks that got him the Medal of Honor was incredible.

 

[Libertarian01]

It is interesting to me that in Amsterdam much drug use is also decriminalized, and yet no real homeless issue. I know the two (2) are linked here to a degree in the USA with legal and cultural connections, but am mostly ignorant as to what and how those links influence.

"Homelessness" is an extremely nuanced issue. In many situations homelessness is linked to serious mental health issues. In others it is economic. I recall reading of a full time school teacher responding to one of her students who's father had said all the homeless were lazy and didn't want to work. The teacher explained, "I am homeless." Both the teacher and her husband worked FULL TIME professional jobs, she as a teacher and he as a police officer. Yet due to where they lived in California they could not afford an apartment to rent or a home to buy. For others it may be temporary unemployment.

Many mentally ill try to self medicate using illegal drugs. it doesn't work, but they don't like being controlled by the mental health care system.

I don't believe the extreme conservative "just lock them up" solves anything. It just moves the problem from the street to inside a prison, and once released back on the street. The ideological liberals are equally as bad. You cannot stick your head in the sand and ignore the real issues "normal" citizens endure. This creates a system where the problem only grows.

For those who aren't aware (and I wasn't until a year or so ago) finding good mental health treatment is freaking HARD! My goddaughter has some issues, and finding a psychiatrist or psychologist even willing to take a new patient can take weeks. After that, first interview in a few MONTHES! After that, weeks and monthes to "try" to get to the right combination of mental health drugs. Oh, and the last time the same doctor prescribed multiple medicines that had serious side effects when combined. Don't like it? Great. Start all over again. Maybe in a year or two you'll find someone who is #1) willing to see you, #2) gets you fit in, and #3) gets the drugs right. All the while watching your loved one suffer with a problem they cannot control. Also note that all of these real issues have been in Fort Wayne, a city with reasonable(?) access and fair to good resources. Not out in the rural areas with limited to no mental health care, nor in an urban area that is massively overrun with problems.

Regardless of the cause(s) of homelessness, the other absolute reality is that part of the governments job is to provide law and order. All citizens should be reasonably safe in their own homes and not expect their vehicles to be broken into on a regular basis. On this basis alone the government of Portland is failing to perform a basic requirement. I am probably one of the more socially liberal folks out here, but I DO expect public sidewalks to be available for, well, PUBLIC use. This means they should be reasonably clear at all times for the silly notion that some of the public might actually want to walk on them. And to walk on them without fear of being accosted or attacked. While I do not believe homelessness should be criminalized, I do not believe this gives a homeless person immunity from the crime of throwing garbage everywhere, or going to the toilet in public places.

If we're going to solve these problems we have to accept several realities. #1) The problem is extremely nuanced, this means that #2) there is no single silver bullet to solve them. #3) The solutions will have to be multilayered. #4) When the solutions don't work they will need to be quickly adjusted.

Therefore, we won't solve the problem(s). We cannot because politicians spout BS soundbites to make their constituents happy. Whenever politicians do come up with a solution(?) they lock it into a very tight law, which means we remove any hope of flexibility from the equation. Politicians also resist being flexible because it will mean admitting that their BS soundbite solution was wrong, and they can never be wrong. That's just not acceptable.

Regards,

Doug