https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2...lenge.html

"...While most of downtown is tranquil, and nearly all confrontations between protestors and police take place late at night, the nightly protests have given Portland a reputation for upheaval that businesses say is keeping shoppers away.

Office buildings remain empty because of the pandemic and tourists have yet to return, taking away a large customer base for many downtown businesses. More tents have appeared along the sidewalks near downtown as the city has limited cleanups of homeless camps due to the pandemic.

Those factors have limited foot traffic in downtown. TriMet says trips downtown are down more than 75% this summer compared to last year. Parking meter transactions are down a similar amount, and traffic into downtown across the Morrison Bridge has fallen 43% compared to last year, according to the Portland Bureau of Transportation.

The decline in hotel occupancy in the central city is the worst in the state, down 73% compared to last year, according to data provided by Travel Portland.

“The center city is the crown jewel of this magnificent state’s economy,” said Andrew Hoan, president and CEO of Portland Business Alliance. “It’s unique, it’s boutique, it has the best of all kinds of experiences for customers and for employees and for employers, and it’s devoid of that now because of the uncertainty...."”

"The uncertainty"

Ive been to Portland several times on bidness. It was a kinda funky town with kids on skateboards, the occasional pan-handler on the sidewalk and lots of really good beer, bars and hang out places to go. Hotels were nice, never wont for looking over my shoulder.
These conferences brought in millions to the city, hotels, bars, rest etc.

Now? Who on earth would schedule a Library Assoc of America or Baptist Church meet up during this idiocy? Who would go?

Seattle? My cousins and Aunt and Uncle fled the weirdo's in Cali (and yes, they're weirdo's until you talk to them) to go to Samamish. Now?
They skeered. They figure they were better off in upstate NY. Remote.

Now that's saying something.

Was last there in 2004, and have very fond memories from that and several prior visits.

But I will never go back again.

My theory on all of this is that Trump is letting these morons destroy just enough for the rest of America to see. He will send in some feds to slow it down for now. They're gonna go crazy once he is re-elected, and start this up again - at which point, he takes the kid gloves off the military and federal agents and brings the hammer to put an end to it. He cant quite do that now because the gutless, spineless lying fake news will use it against him in the campaign.

(07-27-2020 12:01 AM)JMUDunk Wrote:  "The uncertainty"

Ive been to Portland several times on bidness. It was a kinda funky town with kids on skateboards, the occasional pan-handler on the sidewalk and lots of really good beer, bars and hang out places to go. Hotels were nice, never wont for looking over my shoulder.
These conferences brought in millions to the city, hotels, bars, rest etc.

Now? Who on earth would schedule a Library Assoc of America or Baptist Church meet up during this idiocy? Who would go?

Seattle? My cousins and Aunt and Uncle fled the weirdo's in Cali (and yes, they're weirdo's until you talk to them) to go to Samamish. Now?
They skeered. They figure they were better off in upstate NY. Remote.

Now that's saying something.

The Pacific NW "left" feels different than the Northeast "left."

PNW is the bohemian wing with a simmering underbelly of far-leftism that makes Noam Chomsky proud. I'm not surprised it's the epicenter of antifa mayhem.

East Coast is more establishment Dem/liberal and a bit more aligned with the mainstream (although Vermont is feels Portlandish).

Trump is stoking the protests in hopes of mobilizing his base and recapturing the middle of the electorate; and if the Democratic candidate were Bernie Sanders, it might work. Against Joe Biden, not so much.

(07-27-2020 09:02 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  Trump is stoking the protests in hopes of mobilizing his base and recapturing the middle of the electorate; and if the Democratic candidate were Bernie Sanders, it might work. Against Joe Biden, not so much.

Show your work

What’s been going on in Portland and Seattle almost has to have some very bad economic impacts if it’s allowed to go on long enough. It could make money flee to the point they approach becoming Detroitish........would provide a shining example of reaping what one sows. Will be interesting to see what fallout there is.........glad I don’t have any financial skin in either place......

(07-27-2020 09:24 AM)Crebman Wrote:  What’s been going on in Portland and Seattle almost has to have some very bad economic impacts if it’s allowed to go on long enough. It could make money flee to the point they approach becoming Detroitish........would provide a shining example of reaping what one sows. Will be interesting to see what fallout there is.........glad I don’t have any financial skin in either place......

Seattle has a lot of tourism. I've enjoyed my visits. Mt. Ranier, Olympia National Park, the Space Needle, Puget Sound, Pike St. Fish Market. The last time the drugged out homeless coming and looking at you in the restaurants were perturbing, but that was confined to a couple of areas. I have no desire to ever go back.

good

(07-27-2020 09:02 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  Trump is stoking the protests in hopes of mobilizing his base and recapturing the middle of the electorate; and if the Democratic candidate were Bernie Sanders, it might work. Against Joe Biden, not so much.

Trump will landslide Biden. See ya in November

(07-27-2020 09:02 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  Trump is stoking the protests in hopes of mobilizing his base and recapturing the middle of the electorate; and if the Democratic candidate were Bernie Sanders, it might work. Against Joe Biden, not so much.

Well, from what I've read lots of BLM supporters are now turing against the rioters so it's not just "mobilizing Trump's base". Lots of people that were previously on board with the peacefull BLM protests want these current rioters gone. The current rioters have nothing to do with BLM, etc.

I have done quite a bit of work for a company in downtown Portland. Went A few times a year ending a couple of years ago.
Strangest city I’ve ever been to. Beautiful place though.
The place was loaded with vagrants, all in their 20s and all white. They would come up to you and ask you, not for $1, but $10. Crazy stuff.
Truly a bizarre place, infested with libs.

Never been to Portland. Definitely have no desire to go now. Seattle too.

(07-27-2020 10:48 AM)BuffaloTN Wrote:  Never been to Portland. Definitely have no desire to go now. Seattle too.

I never want to go West of the Rockies again. Been once and see no reason to ever do it again. Let them have it. New country sounds good to me.

(07-27-2020 09:02 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  Trump is stoking the protests in hopes of mobilizing his base and recapturing the middle of the electorate; and if the Democratic candidate were Bernie Sanders, it might work. Against Joe Biden, not so much.

Team Biden can't go into the debates and think a "blame police/make excuses for antifa protestors" will be a winning strategy. He's got to distance himself from that mess.

If this goes on for 100 more nights and Trump successfully lays blame at the feet of Democratic governors and mayors, those Biden leads get much narrower. This will be Trump's Hail Mary pass.

Let him have a Sister Souljah Moment, defined as "a politician's public repudiation of an extremist person or group, statement, or position perceived to have some association with the politician or the politician's party." Worked out fine for Bill Clinton.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sister_Souljah_moment