Michelle Milla

Friends of Couch Park have been at this fight for livability since their inception. Safe programs = safe spaces.

The mayor is sending up the bat signal. Take notice neighbor.

For years Portland said there could be no boundaries around mobile syringe distribution by schools. Now Multnomah County is considering the first formal geographic limit. Who is accountable? #harmreduction #stadiumhood Read “A Line Drawn in Portland” stadiumhood.substack.com/p/a-line-drawn…

City Club’s Health & Public Safety Committee meets to explore ways to be a part of the solutions to local public health and safety issues like gaps in mental health and substance use care, homelessness, community violence, and crime pdxcityclub.org

Portland, what does your data say? *Some* things are improving and beautiful and wonderful here, and these data say some things need improved upon.

@mmcdonaldlewis Thanks and it is sparking some interesting and provoking conversations.

@michellemilla has done an amazing job with this article and her research paper, and we owe her a real debt for the depth, accuracy and specificity she has brought to this work.

Key points from the linked article about the doom-spiralling idiotic Portland: 1. You Are Paying More and Getting Less By a Wide Margin Portland residents now carry the second-highest combined tax burden of any city in the United States, behind only New York City. And what did residents get in return? Police take nearly 20 minutes on average to respond to a high-priority emergency which is nearly double the national standard. Portland Fire & Rescue meets its own adopted response time goal less than half the time. Streets are crumbling under a $6 billion maintenance backlog. Mental health services are so dysfunctional that a sitting county commissioner — herself an emergency room doctor — declared in writing that the system had failed and asked the governor to intervene. In Oregon’s public schools, only 43% of students are proficient in English and just 31.5% in math. These numbers sit below pre-pandemic levels, and well behind neighboring Washington state. 2. Portland is Losing People, Jobs, and Businesses, and the Trend Is Accelerating Portland is shrinking. Multnomah County has lost population every year since the pandemic. The region lost more jobs in 2024 than any other major metro area in the country — while the rest of the nation was growing. People moving to Clark County, Washington — just across the river — earn an average of $105,800 per year. People moving into Multnomah County earn an average of $73,540. Higher earners are voting with their feet. Portland Public Schools lost 6,000 students since 2018 (the equivalent of three high schools) and enrollment is projected to decline for 14 more years. The district has cut $75 million from its budget over three years with $50 million more planned, and up to 10 schools may close by 2027. Office vacancy has climbed to around 37%—among the highest in the nation—while demand has sharply declined, with leasing activity falling to near-record lows. Retail vacancy is also elevated, outpacing most peer cities. At the same time, property values are dropping significantly, While many U.S. cities are beginning to recover, Portland continues to see rising vacancies, falling demand, and declining asset values. 3. We are Not Holding Them Accountable Multnomah County spent over $500 million annually on homelessness — more than $53,000 per homeless person — and the homeless population grew. The Preschool for All program collected hundreds of millions of dollars more than it budgeted, left $485 million sitting unspent at the end of fiscal year 2024, and delivered fewer than 3,800 of the 11,000 seats promised to voters by 2030. The homeless services department violated its own budget rules by funding permanent programs with one-time money — then declared a crisis when that money ran out. Portland Public Schools test scores flatlined and families are left with no plan that has reversed either trend. DATA souce for this article linked in the comments. nwexaminer.com/p/portlands-da…

@TitusRex_ @mmcdonaldlewis Yes, he writes with an edge and sometimes it's a good hurt. Thanks for your note.

@mmcdonaldlewis @michellemilla There are some good people here fighting the fight, thanks for highlighting Michelle. Have you read Max Steel? RecalibratePortland Substack. Another great reporter uncovering the rot of this city and its leadership.

Another grassroots campaign! NW neighbor Autumn Sharp is a candidate for Oregon State Senate District 17. Sharp is running because our legislators killed SB 1573 — a bill that simply asked that needle handouts not happen near schools. #stadiumhood open.substack.com/pub/nwexaminer…

Parents. Neighbors. Small businesses. Teachers. People across Oregon are asking for the same thing: Thoughtful placement of harm reduction services. the "Needle Bill" SB 1573 is a step toward that. - Sign the Petition! c.org/mMP5GyhTzm via @Change

Should free needles and pipes be distributed near schools? Neighbors in NW #Portland say they shouldn't - and they insist the very person they elected to represent them just put their kids at risk. @fox12oregon

From neighborhood to statehouse. Go, Ciatta!

The Oregonian dug into the Great NW Barrier Debate. What looks like a dispute over traffic diverters is really part of Portland’s bigger struggle over safety, livability and neighborhood voice.

Stadiumhood is pleased to announce Portland’s own DARKA DUSTY performing live 7PM Thursday July 3. Come on out for an evening of FREE music at the Firefighters Memorial Plaza.

Right now our Portland City Council has put forth 6 failed motions for council president. Meanwhile, 5 members of the public are kept waiting in the wings to bring their testimony about the real world. They've been waiting for 3.5 hours. youtube.com/watch?v=IzCTc3…

Stadiumhood neighbors one on one with @multco

Good morning PDX. Today we bring you another live overdose at W Burnside @McDonalds . Would you like a side of fentanyl with that Big Mac when you drive thru today? Not McLovin it. Another example of PPOP's legacy in NW. @wweek @tedwheeler

Does health care need to include free distribution of drug paraphernalia with no consideration for addiction recovery resources- which there are many in this city? PPOP’s mission is anti-sobriety and anti-community. @wweek The subscriber's of Give!Guide deserve accountability.

NW Couch + 19 aftermath from PPOP distributing needles, crack pipes, foil, and other enabling tools to our SCHOOL ZONE and NW residential neighborhood. We cannot bear this burden at this time. Funded by @wweek . Tagging @PDXReal1 Please help us @TinaKotek @tedwheeler

The ecosystem that supports the sharp decline in NW PDX livability is one of bottle returns, free meals and harm reduction paraphernalia distributed here. We advocate for and support social services, however, the enabling and tolerance of this doom loop is abusive. @doctormaxine

Reposting: Every Friday night, a documented drug dealer sells drugs to those seeking clean needles given by Portland Peoples Outreach Project in this residential area and school zone. Portland deserves better. @GovTinaKotek @tedwheeler