EVERY
EVERY NIGHT IS BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IMPORTANT TOPICS
LIKE THIS ONE IN OUR BIG STORY
TONIGHT AND WE'RE GOING TO KICK
THINGS OFF WITH A BIG STORY
AND PERCEPTIONS OF DOWNTOWN
PORTLAND RIGHT AWAY.
I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING.
>> WELL, OK, DARK TURN TO
MONDAY BUT BEAR WITH ME.
YOU'RE RIGHT .
FIRST OF ALL.
OK, WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS WE
HAVE DOWNTOWN AND IT'S BEEN A
VERY TOUGH YEAR FOR THE CITY
RIOTS, VANDALISM, FIRES,
HOMELESSNESS SEEMING OUT
OF CONTROL, A SPIKE IN DEADLY
SHOOTINGS.
SHOOTINGS. I'M GOING TO STOP THERE.
>> I CAN KEEP GOING.
WE HEAR FROM YOU ABOUT THESE
PROBLEMS EVERY SINGLE NIGHT BUT
NOW THERE IS SOME NEW DATA TO
BACK UP THESE ANECDOTAL
PERCEPTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE
AND THE QUESTION REMAINS WHAT
DOES THE CITY DO WITH THAT
INFORMATION?
INFORMATION? >> HERE'S MAGGIE VOSPER.
NO CITY IN AMERICA IS AT ITS
BEST RIGHT NOW.
TWENTY TWENTY MADE SURE OF THAT
.
.
. >>
. >> BUT
. >> BUT PORTLAND HAS HAD A
PARTICULARLY ROUGH GO MONTHS
OF NIGHTLY PROTESTS, A BOOMING
HOUSING CRISIS AND TRASH
PROBLEM AND A DEADLY SPIKE IN
GUN VIOLENCE ALL SEEM TO
COLLIDE IN THE CITY'S DOWNTOWN
CORE NOW AS VACCINE RATES RISE
AND OREGON OPENS UP, A NEW POLL
IS SHINING A LIGHT ON JUST HOW
MUCH DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE TO
THE AREA'S RAP.
>> AND BEFORE YOU ASK, DID
THESE FINDINGS SURPRISE YOU?
>> THE RESULTS WERE PRETTY MUCH
WHAT YOU'D EXPECT NOT
NECESSARILY A SURPRISE.
>> JAMIE GOLDBERG IS A BUSINESS
REPORTER WITH THE OREGONIAN
OREGONLIVE THE PAPER
COMMISSIONED THIS POLL WITH THE
HELP OF PORTLAND BASED RESEARCH
WHO SURVEYED SIX HUNDRED PEOPLE
ACROSS THE METRO AREA A.K.A.
THE PEOPLE WHO PRE PANDEMIC
CAME DOWNTOWN TO WORK, GO OUT
TO EAT AND FRANKLY SPEND MONEY
ON A REGULAR BASIS.
>> THERE'S BEEN POLLS AROUND
WHAT BUSINESS OWNERS THINK
ABOUT DOWNTOWN.
ABOUT DOWNTOWN. THERE'S BEEN POLLS AROUND ABOUT
TOURISTS PERCEIVE OF DOWNTOWN.
BUT WE REALLY WANT TO LOOK AT
WHAT THIS MEANT FOR PORTLANDERS
AND PEOPLE IN THE METRO REGION
IN GENERAL WHEN ASKED ABOUT
SAFETY 42 PERCENT OF PEOPLE
POLLED SAID DOWNTOWN WAS MUCH
LESS SAFE THAT IT WAS A YEAR
AGO.
AGO.
AGO. ANOTHER TWENTY ONE PERCENT SAID
IT WAS SOMEWHAT LESS SAFE WHEN
ASKED ABOUT WHY PEOPLE DON'T
COME DOWNTOWN AS OFTEN ANYMORE
,MORE THAN 60 PERCENT LISTED A
COMBINATION OF PROTESTS,
HOMELESS CAMPS AND GENERAL
CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY.
GOLDBERG SAYS THE FINDINGS
ABSOLUTELY MIRROR WHAT SHE'S
HEARD IN HER REPORTING.
>> BUT THERE WAS SOME NUANCE
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE
AND PEOPLE THAT TOOK THIS POLL
THAT DON'T THINK DOWNTOWN IS
UNSAFE, THAT REALLY THINK THAT
THE ISSUES THAT MAY BE FACING
DOWNTOWN NEAR ISSUSED
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY
AND AREN'T ANY DIFFERENT HERE
IN PORTLAND.
IN PORTLAND. >> SOME BUSINESS OWNERS DON'T
CARE ABOUT THAT DISTINCTION.
I'M NOT PLEASED AT ALL NOR MY
COLLEAGUES.
COLLEAGUES. EVERYONE IS WONDERING WHAT'S
GOING ON.
GOING ON.
GOING ON. >> GEORGE SCHWEITZER IS THE
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE BENSON
HOTEL.
HOTEL.
HOTEL. IT'S NO SECRET TOURISM HAS
PLUMMETED SINCE COVID HIT BUT
HE ADDS THE BUSINESSES AROUND
HIS HOTEL ARE HURTING TOO.
>> WE WANT OUR CITY BACK, YOU
KNOW, WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE
TO ENJOY THEMSELVES AND COME
DOWNTOWN AND NOT BE FEARFUL.
>> ENTER PORTLANDER CITY
COUNCIL KGW REACHED OUT TO THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE ABOUT THIS POLL
BUT GOT NO RESPONSE.
THAT SAID, THE ENTIRE COUNCIL
DID RELEASE A JOINT STATEMENT
TO THE OREGONIAN SAYING QUOTE
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR PORTLANDERS
PATIENTS SHARE THEIR SENSE
OF URGENCY AND ARE ACTIVELY
WORKING ON FURTHER POLICY
CHANGES THAT WILL MEET THE
COMMUNITY'S NEEDS.
COMMUNITY'S NEEDS. COMMISSIONERS ALSO POINTED TO
THE LATEST CITY BUDGET PASSED
LAST WEEK.
LAST WEEK. IT POURS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
INTO TACKLING KEY ISSUES NAMELY
HOMELESSNESS AND TRASH IT DOES
NOT GIVE ANY MORE MONEY TO THE
CITY'S STRAPPED POLICE BUREAU
BUT DOES DEVOTE MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS TO COMMUNITY GROUPS
WORKING TO COMBAT GUN VIOLENCE.
WHETHER IT WILL WORK AND HOW
QUICKLY CHANGE MAY COME REMAINS
TO BE SEEN.
IT'S WORTH NOTING THE POLL ALSO
ASKED HOW PEOPLE FEEL COUNCIL
IS HANDLING ISSUES LIKE
HOMELESSNESS AND THE PROTESTS.
IN BOTH CASES MORE THAN 70
PERCENT SAID THEY DISAPPROVED
OF THE JOB OFFICIALS ARE DOING.
MAGGIE VOSPER KGW NEWS.
>> NOW I KNOW YOU LOVE WHEN WE
TALK ABOUT SOLUTIONS SO LET'S
TALK ABOUT SOLUTIONS.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?
WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE DONE
TO SOLVE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS
IN THE CITY OF PORTLAND OR
MAYBE YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY THAT'S
ALREADY OUT THERE DOING SOME
GOOD SOME PROGRAMS THAT WE
SHOULD BE HIGHLIGHTING ON THIS
SHOW?
SHOW?
SHOW? PLEASE LET