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Just about everyone still living in Portland had an opinion about last week’s cover story featuring those who left (“They Left,” WW, Feb. 1). We received a flood of emails, comments and Twitter dunks. Some readers were gratified to hear reflections of their own frustration regarding high taxes and a declining level of civic services. Others felt WW was too credulous regarding the complaints of high-income Portlanders who would like a lower tax burden. Here’s a sample of what readers said:
John Donnerberg, via wweek.com: “Finally, a realistic story about what people are actually doing in response to the mess in Portland. My family was born and raised in the Portland area for several generations. I owned a business, a rental property, and a house in Portland. I sold everything in Portland over the last two or three years. It simply broke my heart to have to leave. We moved just outside of Sandy. In hindsight, it was the best decision I’ve ever made. I do miss the old Portland (except the traffic), but on my occasional visits to town for a Blazer game, dinner or a show, I’m glad I don’t live in the middle of the chaos. I still root for my old city, and was happy to see life starting to creep back to downtown two weeks ago near the Crystal Ballroom. Unfortunately, it looks like there is a lot of work left to be done before Stumptown returns to her old glory. Here’s to a brighter future. I just hope I live long enough to see it.”
Miguel, via Twitter: “All I learned from this article is that a bunch of developers and ‘asset managers’ are pulling up stakes and skipping town based on feelings and vague concerns, so good! Maybe this means I can afford to get a house here one day, or a mayor who doesn’t suck.”
Jason Notte, via Twitter: “For the duration of my time here, the ‘Why I Left Portland’ letter has remained a constant.”
Patrick Carrico, via wweek.com: “Moving away from my hometown was hard; however, it was nice to travel to places with thriving, joyous music and art communities like Louisville. It took a while to detoxify myself of my dour self-obsessed Portland attitude. Working with the homeless in other states, it was eye-opening to see how twisted ideas on ‘confidentiality’ and ‘professional boundaries’ had fostered the negative feedback loop that perpetuates Portland’s crisis. Things are only going to get worse in Portland; schools in crisis lead directly to homelessness. Every special needs student who drops out frequents ERs and shelters for decades until they get on SSI, no mater how groovy the nonprofit’s social media presence is.”
lexuh, via Reddit: “A lot of folks came here when Portland was the shiny place to escape the small town they grew up in or the high cost of living in S.F. They stayed here long enough to realize that Portland isn’t a playground—just like every other city—and now they’re moving on.
“Also, when you look at the demographics of who’s leaving Portland, it tracks with a nationwide trend toward people leaving cities for suburban, exurban and rural areas when we get older. The insane stock market and housing boom gave UMC folks enough cash to ‘pre-tire’—move to their retirement dream location early.
“It’ll be interesting to see how the demographics here shake out in the future, but this doesn’t really feel like a compelling narrative about crime or taxation to me.”
Wilson Mokrzycki, via email: “Of all the articles I have read in the last year, yours rang true; you had the stories and the raw data to paint a very real picture that we all are living in. “Thanks for being brave, for being honest and for including the important data to back up.”
Cam, via Twitter: “Some people might go to an ‘alternative weekly’ newspaper and expect them to interview people other than reactionary homeowners that are interviewed on local TV stations literally every day. Not in Portland.”
cortmorton, via Reddit: “Two Saturdays ago, at 6 am, my house was hit by a bullet. It hit a foot and a half from my head where I was lying. I live on 58th and Belmont. It took eight minutes to reach 911, 40 minutes before the police came. By which time they were long, long gone. My partner and I might be long, long gone from this city before long too.”
Autry, via email: “WW, to be direct, is far from my favorite. Poor sources, overly opinionated columnists that don’t seem to fully understand the topic being written about, etc., is one reason I rarely, if ever read it.
“Your article is high-quality journalism the city needs as it confronts the issues it’s facing.
“Thank you for sharing the stories of those that have been flustered and fed up to the point of not feeling welcome any longer.
“Lack of welcome, not because of their race, gender or gender identity, but because of a basic failure on city leadership.
“It was a story that long needed to be told, and your telling it is deeply appreciated.”
Letters to the editor must include the author’s street address and phone number for verification. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to: PO Box 10770, Portland OR, 97296 Email: mzusman@wweek.com