Letter to the editor: Portland faces prospect of another short-sighted referendum

Re: “Portland residents pursue referendum to block 200-bed homeless shelter” (April 21):

Portland is in danger of shooting itself in the foot again with another referendum that seems to smell OK on the surface but is rotten underneath. When the actual cause-and-effect is the opposite of the advertised emotional appeal, your vote for a happy soundbite does not serve you, or the people you want to help.

Do you like the word “Green” associated with your affordable housing? Too bad, developers don’t want to swallow new costs, so we get less affordable housing of any kind.

Do you like the phrase “increase minimum wage”? Too bad a sudden, unexpected increase would cause small businesses to cut back on staff or site themselves elsewhere, so fewer people can find any attractive entry-level Portland jobs.

Do you like “small” emergency shelters? Well, as the mayor correctly points out, that means fewer beds than demonstrated need, not to mention grandfathering inadequate infrastructure, rather than offering the proven strategy of providing wrap-around services.

Do you want to “decriminalize” homelessness? One of the signatories of the micro-shelter initiative is also co-sponsoring state legislation that would reduce the ability to manage impacts of drug activity, disorderly or indecent conduct, trespassing, public elimination, etc., thereby eroding the entire community’s dignity, housed and unhoused alike.

So in sum: We’re hobbling new housing and job options, preventing improvements to homeless services and basically saying we’re OK with people languishing on the streets instead. Is that really the progressive plan for Portland? If so, it stinks.

Jim Hall
Portland