Forget the bake sale

Our copy of the latest edition of the Irvington neighborhood association newsletter arrived in the mail the other day. What I read on the front page really surprised me.

Now, it's not that publication's usual style to report hard news, or to get too hysterical about things. But in a full-page piece called "Nights on Broadway," the president of the association, Steven Cole, sounds the alarm about the lawlessness now sweeping through the Northeast Broadway retail district (one incident of which I blogged about here).

Some of Cole's comments are quite blunt. 

Some bar owners and residents believe the police are engaging in a “blue flu” so as to send a message about attempting to “defund” the police....

[T]his issue is certainly not confined to the Irvington area. There are other neighborhoods who are experiencing far worse issues (see Old Town). However, our neighborhood is certainly being adversely affected by what many consider a total absence of leadership from government representatives. Many people I have spoken to are aghast at what appears to be a completely dysfunctional local government and representatives who seem unable or unwilling to address the degradation of the quality of life in Portland.

When that's on the front page of little old staid Irvington newsletter, you know something is seriously wrong. You can read the whole thing here.