Don't be a racist, Portland is "beautiful" right now

There's a real howler of an op-ed in the O today. It's from three leaders of color who disagree with the "People for Portland" campaign to force the politicians to clean up the city. The writers of the piece declare:

To Mayor Ted Wheeler, Commissioner Mingus Mapps and Commissioner Dan Ryan, we demand you denounce the corrosive tactics of this dark money campaign.

To the secret donors reportedly concerned that Portland’s brand is suffering and is bad for business, we challenge you to have the decency to reveal yourselves and defend why you’re bankrolling a campaign that brands our beautiful, resilient city as dirty and dangerous.

Got it, everybody? Portland is not dirty and dangerous. It's beautiful and resilient. Repeat after me.

They got several dozen others to sign on, here. It looks like they may all be women. Do no men share their views?

Maybe they're confusing us with Portland, Maine.

As for the "dark money" label, with which Willamette Week has also become enamored lately, they make it sound so scary and evil. But it's perfectly legal for organizations like "People for Portland" not to show who their financial backers are. And not only is it legal for the donors to remain secret – it's probably also smart. If the names of the "People for Portland" were made public, you could just see the black bloc-heads paying them a visit one night to break their windows and loot their businesses. The rioters don't reveal their identities, either.

Anyway, bookmark that op-ed. It's an instant classic. And it will help answer why we'll have at least one new City Council member the next time they're elected.