Never saw that coming…


Oregon leaders have declared a 90-day state of emergency in Portland to battle the city's debilitating fentanyl crisis three years after decriminalizing possession of all drugs.

Governor Tina Kotek, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson made the declaration and are directing their agencies to work with first responders in connecting people addicted to the synthetic opioid with resources including drug treatment programs and to crack down on drug sales.

Fentanyl addicts who interact with first responders in Portland's downtown in the next 90 days will be triaged by this new command center. Staff can connect people with various resources from a bed in a drug treatment center to meeting with a behavioral health clinician to help with registering for food stamps.

'Our country and our state have never seen a drug this deadly addictive, and all are grappling with how to respond,' Kotek said.

The declaration is a recommendation from a governor-established task force that met for several months last year to determine ways to rejuvenate downtown Portland.

Oregon leaders have declared a 90-day state of emergency in Portland to battle the city's debilitating fentanyl crisis. Drug users pictured in downtown Portland, Oregon on August 10

Fentanyl addicts who interact with first responders in Portland's downtown in the next 90 days will be connected to resources including drug treatment programs

'We cannot underestimate the tremendous value of bringing leaders from different disciplines in a room on a daily basis who all account for a different part of the solution,' Wheeler said.

Mike Myers, the director of Portland's Community Safety Division, will head the city's command team. Nathan Reynolds, deputy policy chief at the state's Office of Resilience and Emergency Management, will be the state's incident commander.

The effort also extends the Portland Police Bureau's partnership with Oregon State Police to jointly patrol downtown streets for fentanyl sales. It additionally kicks off information campaigns centered on drug use prevention and recovery programs across the region. The county will expand outreach and training on how to administer Narcan, an overdose-reversal drug.

The program doesn't establish any goals to measure success. Kotek said the next 90 days will provide a road map for the next steps.

The synthetic opioid addiction and overdose crisis that has gripped the U.S. for over two decades has left governments at the federal, state and local levels scrambling for solutions.

Oregon became the first state in the country to decriminalize the possession of all drugs including heroin and cocaine in 2020.

But residents have since demanded for politicians to take action on the open-air drug markets that surfaced and fueled a homelessness crisis.

Opioid deaths in Oregon more than tripled from 280, before the de-criminalization of drugs was voted in, to 955 in 2022.

Oregon became the first state in the country to decriminalize the possession of all drugs including heroin and cocaine in 2020. Pictured a man smoking crack in downtown Portland

According to the City of Portland, overall homelessness increased by 65 percent from 2015 to 2023.

Downtown Portland has experienced a mass exodus of big-name employers carried out by owners who have taken issue with the rising crime levels and homelessness.

According to the Oregon Healthy Authority, there were 21 non-pharmaceutical fentanyl deaths in Multnomah County in 2019, before decriminalization was passed. The data has not been updated since.

Oregon lawmakers have introduced a new bill that would undo a key part of the state's drug decriminalization law. Public opinion has soured on it as public drug use has become more visible because of growing homelessness.

Portland Democrats were slammed for enforcing strict regulations on where people can and cannot smoke.

Despite passing key ordinances within the past year to tackle drug use and homelessness , the city faces impediments as it deals with addiction and unsanctioned camps.

Portland City Council unanimously approved in September an ordinance prohibiting public drug use, yet implementation hinges on state legislators passing supporting measures.

In response to the ordinance, the Oregon Law Center filed a lawsuit, alleging the restrictions violate the state constitution and existing laws - resulting in a circuit court judge blocking the city from enforcing the rule.

Downtown Portland has experienced a mass exodus of big-name employers carried out by owners who have taken issue with the rising crime levels and homelessness.

According to the City of Portland, overall homelessness increased by 65 percent from 2015 to 2023, with 6,297 homeless people counted in the latest Point in Time Count.

In March, Walmart announced it was permanently closing all of its locations in Portland months after CEO Doug McMillon warned of a historic rise in theft at its stores.

Portland officials cut millions from its police budgets in June 2020 following the Black Lives Matter protests and the growing 'defund the police' movement.

But following a rise in crime, homelessness and drugs in the city, Portland officials reversed course and increased its $230million police budget by $5.2million a year later.

However, more than half of voters in Portland would still consider leaving the city if they could afford to, according to a poll commissioned by the Portland police union.

It found that almost two-thirds of people believe the city is 'on the wrong track' and 68 percent say it is 'losing what made it special.'

While 74 percent are worried that either they or their family members will be victims of crime in the city, as 87 percent are dissatisfied with the state of public safety.

Roughly 70 percent said the city needs more police officers and nearly 80 percent said crime has increased in Portland.

I hated getting in and out of Portland - the highway on/off ramp locations were confusing to get to. But otherwise, it used to be a nice city with nice restaurants.

No sympathy for where they ended up - they brought it upon themselves.

Every Dem-run city needs to learn this lesson:

I know the reality or perceptions that the left is irrational, ill-informed, mis-informed, etc.

But boggles the mind that these outcomes are unanticipated. Surely these outcomes are not desired. I just don't get it.

Made their bed.
Now lie in it.

F*** ‘em…

It’s as if Portland is being run by 7 yr old children.

I go to Portland about once every 2 weeks. Whatever you hear about Portland, it's MUCH WORSE than what you have heard.

You really need to see it first hand to believe it.

Tents and homeless everywhere. Trash everywhere.

The previous generation of homeless would ask for money as you walked by. The current generation of homeless is so far out of it that they don't even ask any more.

Plus they get TONS of benefits. Did you know that a large number of these homeless are on SSDI? Did you know that they get free healthcare thanks to the Oregon Health plan thing.

No way they are going to go away when they are getting all this free shit.

And, no, it's not "just the downtown area" It's all over the city. East side, West side, North Portland, it doesn't matter.

Portland, the county and Oregon the one-party state are totally under the control of progressive democrats. Their political philosophy is devoid of rational thinking and their ideas are those of the lunatic left. Portland once a beautiful and safe city is a garbage dump crawling with junkies. Now that "legal meth, heroin, fentanyl"have proven to be an insane concept the democrats want to make the drugs a Class C misdemeanor. Yet another idiotic idea. Until there is a total collapse nothing will change. If you visit consider a 10mm carry option.

SSDI = Social Security Disability Insurance. I didn’t know.

Nobody could have possibly seen these repercussions coming, right? These idiots are saddled with the cretin now. They’re never going away, getting jobs, or getting sober.

These alleged voters will learn nothing from this and they believe the problem is that they do not have enough of everyone else’s money.

couldn't have happened to a better place

zero fucks given for these people

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
SSDI = Social Security Disability Insurance. I didn’t know.

Yup. I was shocked when one of the crime prevention ladies told me that there is an "outreach" program to help them apply, and get an established "address" etc.

Something to think about when you see these guys at the intersections with their cardboard signs.

I suppose not all are all on SSDI, but it's a fair number.

'We cannot underestimate the tremendous value of bringing leaders from different disciplines in a room on a daily basis who all account for a different part of the solution,' Wheeler said.

When was the time when bureaucrats held meetings that actually solved problems?

Silent

quote:

However, more than half of voters in Portland would still consider leaving the city if they could afford to, according to a poll commissioned by the Portland police union.

It found that almost two-thirds of people believe the city is 'on the wrong track' and 68 percent say it is 'losing what made it special.'

While 74 percent are worried that either they or their family members will be victims of crime in the city, as 87 percent are dissatisfied with the state of public safety.

Roughly 70 percent said the city needs more police officers and nearly 80 percent said crime has increased in Portland.

That’s what they voted for, now they’re bitching because they got it?
Sorry, CHOKE ON IT!!!! Get it ALLLL down your throats!
When you’re done choking on it, politely fuck off.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

I see what you did there.
One would have to know how oregon uses bicycles and their obsession with them, almost cultists.
Cars just get in the way.