More Local Oregon/Portland 2024 Lowlights

More Local Oregon/Portland 2024 Lowlights

Portland and Oregon continue to struggle in 2024. While some of these numbers may be normal for bigger cities, all of these mark dramatically decreased quality of life for a city that used to have very few of these problems and only population of 600,000 people in the entire metro area.

  1. Port of Portland’s attempt to restart container traffic failed and Portland, ironically, loses it’s port.
    • I’ve written about this before, but the illegal activates of the ILWU Teamsters Union (that resulted in a record setting fine and their bankruptcy) also destroyed shipping business to the Port of Portland. After attempting for several years to woo shippers back, the port admits the shippers will not come back and all remaining container traffic will end Oct 1, 2024. This affects many local businesses like Les Schwab, Jeld Wen, Bob’s Red Mill and Pacific Seafood.
  2. Portland schools continue to be some of the worst in the nation (previously written about here)
  3. Portland net population continues to decline – lead by middle and high earners fleeing the state
  4. Overdose deaths go down by 10% everywhere across the country – but not Oregon. Demonstrating that legalization and harm reduction has increased the problem, not made it better.
  5. Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) continues its mismanagement
  6. Portland has some of the most cost-burdened renters in the country
    • 50-57.9% of renters in Portland are considered cost-burdened – needing more than 30% of their income for housing.
    • Cost-burdened residents are not just the poor – but across all middle-income households. The median income required to live in Portland is $86,000/year.
    • Portland, despite having no need for water treatment plants and ample hydro-electricity, has some of the highest utility rates in the country.
    • 40% of renters do not have enough money after housing to cover basic expenses.
  7. Oregon ranks nearly last (47 out of 50 state) in mental health and care
  8. Half of public transit riders do not feel safe on public transit
  9. Portland restaurant closures continue to hit hard. Especially Oregon’s breweries
  10. Blame the victim
  11. Nearly half of Portland residents have expired plates
    • Since it was made illegal to enforce traffic laws during BLM riots, it turns out that 460,000 vehicles, or nearly HALF of Portland drivers, have let their tags expire. This is cited as one of the reasons for a $32 million shortfall at the Portland Bureau of Transportation.
    • That’s if they have plates at all.
  12. Misc

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