NEWS.
FROM THE PANDEMIC TO THE
PROTESTS PORTLAND HAS CHANGED
DRAMATICALLY IN THE PAST YEAR
AND SO HAS ITS REPUTATION.
THIS IS NOT THE CITY HE
ONCE KNEW BUSINESSES ARE
BOARDED UP AND DYING CRIME IS
SKYROCKETING AND THE HOMELESS
CRISIS HAS REACHED A BREAKING
POINT.
WELCOME TO KOIN. 6 NEWS AT
6. I'M ELIZABETH DINH AND I'M
JEFF GIANOLA. STARTING TONIGHT
AND ALL THIS WEEK WE'RE TAKING
AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE ISSUES
PLAGUING OUR CITY AND WE ASKED
THIS QUESTION IS PORTLAND
OVER.
VIOLENCE. VANDALISM.
DESTRUCTION.
AS PORTLAND STRUGGLES TO
THE PANDEMIC VIOLENT PROTESTS
HAVE DAMAGED THE CITY AND
CONTINUE TO DESTROY ITS
REPUTATION I'VE BEEN TO
PORTLAND IS IMPORTANT. I THINK
IT'S A FANTASTIC CITY
CURRENTLY IF YOU ASK ME GO TO
PORTLAND. IT WOULD BE ON MY
LIST.
AND NO PERSON TRAVELING FOR
THEM WHATSOEVER USED TO LIVE
IN OREGON THAT I DON'T THINK
IT'S AS SAFE AS IT USED TO BE.
WELL, I WAS RAISED PORTLAND,
OREGON.
SO TO ME, I THINK OF THE
OLD PORTLAND. I KNOW NOW IT'S
CHANGED TREMENDOUSLY AND
THERE'S A LOT OF TROUBLE UP
THERE.
PEACEFUL PROTESTS HIJACKED
BY VIOLENCE CITY LANDMARKS
DEFACED IN TORN DOWN
UNCONTROLLED VANDALISM THAT
HAS FORCED BUSINESSES TO CLOSE
AND THE MAYOR AND OTHER
LEADERS WHO SEEM OVERWHELMED
INEFFECTIVE AN ILL-EQUIPPED TO
MINISTRATION TO BACK IN
AS PORTLAND EMERGES FROM
THE PANDEMIC. WE'RE LEFT WITH
THE DOWNTOWN FENCED OFF
BOARDED UP AND DYING HOMELESS
PROBLEM. THAT WAS BAD, BUT
IT'S GOTTEN WORSE AND THERE'S
THIS EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK, THE
CITY OF ROSES HAS BECOME THE
CITY OF TRASH AND FILTH.
IT WAS JUST A LITTLE
DISAPPOINTING TO SEE HOW ON
CAMPED THE CITY WAS AND THE
HOMELESSNESS WAS IN A BAD WAY.
IT WAS WORSE THAN I THOUGHT IT
WAS GOING TO BE.
WHAT'S HAPPENED TO OUR CITY
ARE DOWNTOWN. MAYBE YOU DON'T
CARE WHAT PEOPLE IN OTHER
PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. SICK.
WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO LIVE
HERE. THERE'S NO REASON THAT I
WOULD GO DOWN THERE ANYMORE.
LOOKS AND SAYS PRETTY SAD.
WHAT'S BECOME OF DOWNTOWN THE
HEALTH THERE'S REALLY NO
REASON TO GO DOWN THERE
ANYMORE. UNFORTUNATELY, YOU
SEE SYRINGES AND STUFF LEFT
OUT TRASH AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
THE PORTLAND THAT I SEE NOW IS
NOT THE THAT THEY USED TO BE A
LOT OF RIOTING AND THE CITY
ITSELF HAS.
IT SHOWED THE SIGNS OF ALL
THE PROBLEMS THEY'VE HAD THEIR
CITY. THIS DOESN'T HAVE A SAY
FEELING WHEN I WALKED THROUGH
DOWNTOWN NOT DO MY BEST TO
DEAL WITH IT. BUT SOMETIMES I
DON'T WANT TO COME OUT SOME.
IS PORTLAND OVER CAN WE
RECLAIM AND BUILD BACK BETTER.
WE LOSE THIS DEEP WILL TAKE A
LONG TIME TO HEAL.
IT STARTS WITH A PHONE CALL
FROM THE ALARM COMPANY. THE
ALARM COMPANY TELLS ME WHAT
ZONES OR HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED.
ALEX HOF BERG HAS SPENT 30
YEARS BUILDING HIS WATCH
BUSINESS. HE INVESTED AND
BELIEVED IN DOWNTOWN. IS ALEX
AND HIS WIFE RUSHED TO THE
STORE THAT NIGHT. LOOTERS WERE
INSIDE, MAKING OFF WITH
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
DOLLARS WORTH OF MERCHANDISE.
MEANWHILE, THERE ARE 15 OR
SO PORTLAND POLICE OFFICERS
STANDING OUTSIDE OF THE TARGET
COM. A STARBUCKS ON THE CORNER
OF 10TH AND LARSON AS ALEX
STOOD OUTSIDE HIS VANDALIZE
BUILDING AFRAID TO GO INSIDE.
HIS WIFE ASKED THE OFFICERS
FOR HELP.
SHE.
GETS OUT OF THE CAR AND
TRIES TO PERSUADE SOME POLICE
OFFICERS TO ASSIST.
AND. THE PURSE PROMISES
FORCE WHICH THEY POLITELY
DECLINED TO DO. SO. I WENT IN
ALONE ALEX AND HER HIS DAMAGED
STORE WAITING THROUGH THE
BROKEN GLASS AND SMASHED
JEWELRY CASES AT LEAST
$400,000 WORTH OF WATCHES AND
OTHER ITEMS WERE GONE EVEN
WORSE. THE LOSS OF FAITH AND
WHAT PORTLAND HAD BECOME, WHAT
IT STANDS FOR. THIS WILL TAKE
A LONG TIME TO THAT'S NOT
GOING TO COME BACK VERY
QUICKLY. ALEX BOARDED UP HIS
SHOP AND LEFT DOWNTOWN. SO DID
MANY OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES.
EVEN I GET CAMERON'S BOOKS
HAD SURVIVED 80 YEARS
DOWNTOWN. THEY STRUGGLED WITH
MONEY PROBLEMS. THEN THE
VIOLENT PROTESTS THAT FINALLY
TOOK ITS TOLL.
WAR ZONE DOWN HERE. MUCH OF
THE CIVIL UNREST STAR SALONS
HERE. THE WHOLE WORLD SEES THE
BOOKSTORE HAS BACKED OFF OF A
WHERE USA.
AND IT'S NOT JUST SMALL
BUSINESSES AND SHOPS JUST LAST
MONTH, PROTESTERS SMASHED
WINDOWS AT 2 DOWNTOWN CHURCHES
AND FOR A SECOND TIME DAMAGED
IN VANDALIZED. THE OREGON
HISTORICAL SOCIETY WILL NOT
ONLY WERE WE VANDALIZING THIS
INCIDENT, BUT SO WAS A NEARBY
CHURCH WHICH IS VERY ACTIVE IN
HELPING THE HOMELESS AND THE
FACT THEY WOULD BREAK WINDOWS
THERE AND BREAK OUR WINDOWS
JUST.
QUESTION WHAT THE MESSAGE
IS. IF THERE IS ANY MESSAGE,
THE MESSAGE HAS BEEN LOST.
IT'S A SIGN OF THE TIMES
AND THE SIGNS ARE EVERYWHERE.
PEOPLE DON'T WANT COME
DOWNTOWN. THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE
AND AND EVEN MORE OVER THE
SMALL SHOPS AND THE LOW FOLKS
ARE REALLY GETTING HURT BY
THIS PROTESTS AND AND THE
DAMAGE JUST. KILLING DOWNTOWN
PORTLAND.
DOUG BEING HAS BEEN
MANAGING AND LEASING
COMMERCIAL OFFICE SPACE FOR
MORE THAN 40 YEARS IN
PORTLAND.
NOT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE
FUTURE. THE DOWNTOWN CORE
WITHOUT A CHANGE OF HOW WE
HANDLE THE PROTESTS AND HOW WE
HANDLE. THE AND FIJI.
AND THE CENTRAL BUSINESS
DISTRICT. THE HEART OF THE
CITY IS EMPTY. PORTLAND'S
DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL VACANCY
RATE HAS NEVER BEEN HIGHER.
IT'S A STAGGERING 17 AND A
HALF PERCENT AND PROJECTED TO
KEEP CLIMBING. PORTLAND'S
REPUTATION HAS FALLEN
DRAMATICALLY AMONG INVESTORS.
ACCORDING TO THIS YEAR'S URBAN
LAND INSTITUTE'S REPORT ON
TRENDS IN REAL ESTATE IN 2000,
17 PORTLAND WAS THE 3RD MOST
DESIRABLE REAL ESTATE MARKET
IN THE COUNTRY. THIS YEAR.
IT DROPPED TO 66 OUT OF 80
CITIES SURVEY.
IT'S NOT JUST THE AFTERMATH
OF THE VIOLENT PROTESTS DURING
THE PANDEMIC. PORTLAND'S
HOMELESS POPULATION EXPLODED
ON THE CITY STREETS AND IT
CONTINUES TO GROW ALONG WITH
THIS PILES OF GARBAGE TRASH
AND GRAFFITI. IT'S BECOMING
EPIDEMIC. SPREADING INTO
NEIGHBORHOODS. THIS IS A
STRETCH OF SELFIES FOSTER ROAD
NEAR 100 AND 20TH IMAGINE
YOU'RE PICKING UP VISITORS
HERE AT PDX. THEY'VE ARRIVED
IN PORTLAND FOR VACATION.
POSSIBLY A BUSINESS MEETING
YOU HEAD TO THE CAR TO HEAD
INTO DOWNTOWN. AS YOU DRIVE
WEST DOWN INTERSTATE 84. THIS
IS WHAT YOU'RE GREETED WILL ON
BOTH SIDES OF THE FREEWAY AS
YOU MAKE YOUR WAY ACROSS THE
MORRISON BRIDGE INTO DOWNTOWN.
IT GETS WORSE. BUT PERHAPS THE
MOST SHOCKING SCENES OR ALONG.
I 5 JUST NORTH OF PORTLAND.
WHAT YOU SEE FROM THE FREEWAY.
ONLY REVEALS A GLIMPSE OF THE
HUMAN TRAGEDY AND THE DEBRIS
LITTERING THE LANDSCAPE. THE
FULL EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM IS
CAPTURED FROM ABOVE GARBAGE
LITTERING THE GROUND FOR AS
FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE.
PEOPLE LIVING AMONG THE
TRASH. THE RESULT OF A
HOMELESS CRISIS THAT HAS
SPIRALED OUT OF CONTROL IT'S A
REAL PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN
YOU'RE BRINGING PEOPLE IN TO
SHOW OFF YOUR CITY GETS TO THE
POINT. WERE YOU.
WORK YOUR ROUTE.
AS YOU'RE TAKING PEOPLE ARE
OUT AND YOU MAY NOT TAKE MOST
DIRECT ROUTE FROM POINT A TO
POINT B GYM AT SEOUL IS HEAD
OF SPORT, OREGON. IT'S HIS JOB
TO HELP BRING MAJOR SPORTING
EVENTS IN GAMES TO PORTLAND.
WHAT DECISION MAKERS SEE
WHEN THEY VISIT TO PORTLAND
MATTERS. YOU CAN'T HIDE AT
ALL. AND LET'S FACE IT, YOU
IT'S A HUMANITARIAN PROBLEM,
BUT IT'S REAL AND IT AFFECTS
PEOPLE'S DECISIONS ON, YOU
KNOW, PLACING AN EVENT HERE.
PORTLAND WAS IN THE RUNNING
FOR THE NCA TOURNAMENT.
WOMEN'S FINAL 4.
AND THE MILLIONS OF LOCAL
DOLLARS ASSOCIATED WITH IT IN
THE END.
TEMPO WAS AWARDED THE 2025
GAME, KNICKS WON THE BID FOR
2000. 26.
PORTLAND'S DOWNTOWN NEEDING
LIFE SUPPORT RESIDENTS WHO
DON'T YOU'LL SAVE THE
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS OF PEOPLE
LIVING ON THE AND TRASH THAT
KEEPS PILING UP. IS PORTLAND
OVER.
I THINK THAT FOR PORTLAND
TO NOT BE OVER. THERE NEEDS TO
BE A CHANGE IN ATTITUDES AMONG
THE LARGE COMMUNITY OF OF
LEADERS. ECONOMISTS BILL
CONNERLY IGNITED A FIRESTORM
LAST JANUARY WHEN HIS ARTICLE
DEATH OF THE CITY APPEARED IN
FORBES MAGAZINE.
IS POINTED WORDS ABOUT
WHAT'S HAPPENED TO PORTLAND
STRUCK AND ARE THEY SAID YES,
SOMEBODY IS NOW SAYING WHAT
WE'VE BEEN THINKING. BUT THERE
WAS ALSO A LAYER OF PEOPLE WHO
WERE VERY ANGRY.
THAT I CRITICIZE THE CITY.
NO, I DON'T BELIEVE PORTLAND
IS DYING. I THINK WE'VE GONE
THROUGH A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT
PERIOD.
WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF
CHALLENGES AHEAD OF US THIS
ISN'T THE TIME TO FOLD UP THE
TENT WALK AWAY WHEN YOU DRIVE
IAN ON INTERSTATE 84, MAYBE
YOU'RE COMING UP FROM THE
SOUTH FROM I 2. '05,
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE COMING
DOWN. I 5 FROM THE NORTH, FROM
WASHINGTON. AND YOU SEE THE
TENTS, THE PILES OF GARBAGE
AND FILTH AND THE GRAFFITI.
HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL.
AS MAYOR. BREAKS MY HEART NOT
NOT AS MAYOR BUT AS SOMEBODY
WHO WAS BORN AND RAISED IS
LIVE MY WHOLE LIFE HERE. THOSE
RIGHT OF WAYS OR IN PARIS. TO
ALL OF US. IT'S AN AFFRONT TO
OUR SENSIBILITIES AS
OREGONIANS.
ASK FOR THE HOMELESS
CRISIS. I ASKED THE MAYOR
ABOUT SOMETHING, A DIRECTOR OF
A SUCCESSFUL HOMELESS PROGRAM
IN ANOTHER CITY SAID ABOUT
PORTLAND'S FAILED EFFORTS IN
PORTLAND. YOU HAVE CONFUSED
COMPASSION WAS TOLERANCE.
THERE IS A VERY FINE LINE.
BETWEEN COMPASSION. AND
ENABLING. IT'S REALLY HARD FOR
MEANING.
MORAL PEOPLE.
IN THE CITY OF PORTLAND
PROGRESSIVE TO COME TO THE
CONCLUSION.
THAT'S SOMETIMES THE BEST.
LOVE THAT YOU CAN GIVE SOMEONE
IS TOUGH LOVE.
CONFUSING COMPASSION AND
TOLERANCE WHEN IT COMES TO THE
HOMELESS WITH VIOLENT PROTESTS
AND DESTRUCTION.
WITH THE DECAY. THAT IS
INFESTED. HER CITY. IS
PORTLAND OVER. IT'S ONLY OVER
IF WE LET IT BE OVER. AND DO
NOTHING.
THAT IS PART ONE OF A LOOK
AT OUR CITY IS PORTLAND OVER
SPECIAL SERIES THAT CONTINUES
TO RUN ALL THIS WEEK. YEAH. WE
TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO SO MANY
ISSUES. AS YOU MENTIONED, IN
PART ONE HERE. AND COMING UP
TOMORROW AT 6.
THAT'S WHEN WE TAKE AN
IN-DEPTH LOOK AT PORTLAND'S
LONG HISTORY OF PROTEST SAYS
NOT A NEW ISSUE AND KNOW THAT
YOU CAN ALSO GO TO KOIN, DOT
COM RIGHT NOW TO LEARN WHAT
LOCALS ARE ACTUALLY SAYING
ABOUT THE CITY'S REPUTATION.
PLUS, WE HAVE MUCH MORE AT
KOIN DOT COM NOW TUNE IN NEXT
MONDAY AT 7 FOR AN HOURLONG