A break in the fog

It's rare, but it does happen. Every once in a while, grownups momentarily take control of the local government in Portland.

We find ourselves at such a moment as this holiday season begins. The mayor, Keith Wilson, has kept his campaign pledge to make hundreds of additional overnight shelter beds available. So many new cots are on line that now there are actual vacancies in some of the shelters.

Those of you who have been following the legal side of the West Coast's street camping crisis doubtlessly recall that at one point, the federal judges ruled that a city could not legally force a street dweller to move on if there weren't enough free shelter beds for everyone living on the sidewalks, along the roads, and in the parks. Now that Portland has available beds every night, the mayor has a contractor, backed up by the cops, conducting cleanout "sweeps" of illegal camps. I assume that the idea is that maybe this will pass muster with judges when new challenges are brought. One would hope.

At the same time, the county district attorney, Nathan Vasquez, has announced that his office is taking the re-criminalization of hard street drugs seriously. Addicts who are "deflected" out of the criminal justice system (like drunk driving "diversion," but everything needs a new cutesy name) will have to pursue treatment. If they don't, they will be prosecuted for hard drug possession. This is how "deflection" is supposed to work, and apparently how it's going to be conducted in Muoltnomah County for the foreseeable future.

Both Wilson and Vasquez are doing exactly what they said they'd do when they ran for their prospective offices. The election presented clear choices between "tough love" and continued mollycoddling of the street squatters, and the voters chose the former.

But of course, Portland's far left is up in arms against both men. The half-dozen brainiacs with working control of the City Council have already taken a run at defunding Wilson's initiative, and although they lost the first skirmish, they'll be back. As far as the d.a. is concerned, the feckless county commission chair and a couple of her colleagues are sure to take swipes at any attempt to force people into treatment. And the media can't be expected to provide much by way of common sense, especially those writers who seem to have issues with anyone of the white male persuasion.

To Portland's far-lefties, a cot in a shelter is not good enough for the tent-and-zombie-RV crowd. Until we have a free apartment and concierge medicine for every squatter, the norm on the streets should continue to be anything-goes. And "deflection" is just another word for amnesty without accountability. In this unreal world, until we have eliminated capitalism and all its resulting evils, no one should ever be told what they can and can't do.

When the adults take the reins in Portland, it usually doesn't last long. In a place where the "moderates" are Mensa members like Steve Novick, the descent back into fantasy is usually right around the corner. Which is too bad. If you gave Wilson and Vasquez the sincere benefit of the doubt for even six months, I'd bet you'd notice real improvement.

The most important thing at this point is to send the message to the world that the drug party is over in Portland. It's encouraging that at least a few people are trying to do that.