Portland backtracks on pro-drug policies in a bid to create a ‘more conducive business climate’

Well, it’s official—the Democrat left (as a whole) will never eat crow. Instead, it will beclown itself over and over, even going so far as to appropriate our common sense policies and ideas grounded in reality, the very ones it labeled as [insert ad hominem attack], rebranding them as “pragmatic progressivism.”

Context? Well Portland, Oregon has just backtracked on its lenient drug policies that have directly contributed to the shocking degradation of the city over the last few years, in the hopes that businesses might consider returning; here’s the story, from an opinion piece by Monique Claiborne out at Fox News today:

In the new Portland, legalized hard drugs are out, business is in

After three years of legalized hard drugs and rampant overdose deaths in Portland, Oregon, lawmakers this month rightly said enough is enough. There is a better option: strong progressive economic policies and ending untethered drug use promises to help repair the Portland image, attract new businesses and retain others downtown. This new more pragmatic progressivism we see shows a major shift in our state.  

Governor Tina Kotek and the Democratic-majority legislature decisively steered away from ultra-progressive drug policies this year. The state’s evolution reflects an increasing recognition among bipartisan policymakers of the need for practical solutions to address challenging social issues while becoming a more business-friendly state. And I have seen this work before. 

Rampant overdose deaths? Sounds like the crime and vagrancy problem was kind of solving itself; but Claiborne is referring to the repeal of Measure 110, which is a “reversal” of the “legalized open-air hard drug use” previously permitted by voters and their elected officials.

So now criminalizing drugs, and a government not taxing a business out of existence—or being  “business-friendly” as Claiborne says—are progressive policies? What an Orwellian twist, because that’s exactly what we conservatives have been promoting for years. And, as Claiborne also states, she’s seen pro-business and anti-drug policies “work before.” Yeah, no kidding, because again, these are actually conservative policies.

Who knew that strong economic policies, like the temporary elimination of property taxes (one of the incentives mentioned by Claiborne), is the way to promote business? I mean, certainly the progressive Democrats didn’t understand that, because they didn’t listen to us when we told them that progressive taxation is burdensome and prohibitive.

And who knew that zero tolerance policies for drug-addled, pants-pooping, thieving vagrants would make the streets safer, and businesses more secure in their investments? Again, definitely not the progressive Democrats who voted that refuse into code and statute.

Yet, I’m not so sure Portland can come back from its slow suicide—if it were me, I certainly wouldn’t do business in the city, even with the ostensible criminalization of drugs and a measly little tax incentive. Do I need to remind anyone of San Francisco, the home of Silicon Valley and a former hub for all things tech? That was, until “ultra-progressive” policies broke everything, the bums took over, and the techies fled—the city has yet to recover.

Sure, doing away with the open-air drug markets is a good start, but who’s going to enforce it? The severely understaffed Portland police? And yes, a temporary elimination of burdensome taxation is also a good start, but what happens when that waiver expires?

Take it from the real pragmatic progressives (which is apparently just code for political conservatives), and heed our direction on all our policies if you truly want prosperity for the people.

Or, is this just election year talk and posturing?

Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required.

Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required.

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