Letter writer Nathan Oleson and I agree on one thing: downtown is unsafe, (“Readers respond: Only safety will save downtown,” May 21). But not for the reasons he lists, most of which don’t pose actual threats to the safety of downtown visitors and workers like me.
While it’s true that I see people experiencing untreated addiction, mental illness and misery on my daily walks through downtown, my first thought is not that I want them to be arrested or swept out of sight for my comfort. Rather I hope that they can find housing and treatment, which needs to be provided by social service agencies and local government.
I hope that the developers and business leaders who let their properties fall into neglect after displacing businesses and tenants will be held accountable. This fiction that Portland has fallen into disrepair because the city is some sort of progressive utopia should be put to rest. The recent budget approved by the city council shows how untrue this notion is, (“Portland council, with business tax hike, OK’s $5.1 billion budget,” May 16).
And the unsafe conditions I mention? That would be the vehicles speeding through downtown, blowing red lights and driving with no regard for the safety of pedestrians or cyclists.
Katherine Sinback, Portland
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