Multnomah County’s Latest Move Will Make the Homeless Crisis Worse

Your governments in Multnomah County have plans to make the homeless problem even worse than it already is. Over the last few years, the County handed out literally tens of thousands of tents and tarps to drug addicts living on the streets. This led to a lawsuit against Portland by disabled individuals who face a gauntlet of homeless camps blocking sidewalks. They sued, and it cost Portland more than $20 million to settle.

Now, the county has budgeted to hand out even more tents and tarps without commissioners even taking a vote. They didn’t want to sign their names to that foolishness! I imagine uber-successful attorney John Dilorenzo is already drafting his new lawsuit against the County as we speak. Except that, since the “joint office of homelessness” makes Multnomah a contractor for the city, the suit already settled with the city puts the same requirements on MultCo, which puts the city in default of its settlement.

Meanwhile, Portland has announced it will tow vehicles that lack license plates. But before you celebrate the removal of those zombie RVs — you know, the ones that bring human waste and drug dealing to your neighborhood — the city promises it won’t tow any of them. People living in their vehicles won’t be towed. That’s not the problem the city is working to solve.

PBOT, the agency that ignores potholes in Portland, is short of cash by about $32 million. So, it’s a revenue move. They aren’t going to bother towing vehicles owned by folks who spend every dime they have on fentanyl and meth. They’re after workers like you and me who can actually pay the tab. And when the County has to pay millions to settle its violation of the city’s lawsuit settlement agreement, taxpayers get to foot the bill too!

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