Go find yourself a place to live crybabys. They have Craigslist at the library.

I think it's a brilliant move to posit themselves as protesters and not as actually sleeping. I hope this works.

What is actually required to get the Sit-Lie ordinace to be either amended or repealed?

Seems that if they are smart enough to extort a loophole in the law, they could actually read a map and find their way to the Dole processing factory where there are plenty of jobs. But warning, they will actually have to work for their wages there. And they might not get a health care plan that guarantees access to over 10,000 specialists. But you know, it's a start.

#3: Cool! I didn't know Dole figured out how to cure mental illness, crushing debts, drug/alcohol addiction, physical handicaps, and much more.

@3

I'm really happy that you believe that someone excercising their First Amendment rights is somehow intimidating through force the law.

I'm pretty sure that you can't extort inanimate objects.

In other news, the "Boot-Strap Theory" of dealing with homeless issues is such a great idea. Especially if you're white, male, fully-abled and of a sound mind.

The "boot strap" theory is hateful.

Racist!

D,
I am afraid I feel a bit differently. I know when I was homeless that I would have been happy to have an easy opt out like Craigs List for housing... we are dealing with long term failings in the HUD budget (since 1978), a very low minimum wage compared to our median wage here in Portland, and a housing market that does not have space for everyone. In Downtown alone, according to the city's guess, we are 2,000 low-income housing units short of our needs, let alone the rest of the city... also, last time I checked, Portland was one of very few cities (something like 16% of our largest cities) that have a anti-camping law that effects the whole city. progressive indeed!
thanks
Patrick

What a great idea -- I hope it catches on. Perhaps then our city government will stop public/private partering with corporations who define "affordable housing" as housing affordable to people earning 100% of the average mean per capita income.

I meant "public/private partnering."

City hall needs to be taking action on a lot of housing issues that exist right now, rather than planning for the fictional 20 million people predicted to arrive in town from Ohio and Michigan.

Like, ummm, rent stabilization? This town is in dire need of rent control at the moment.

Ship 'em off to Lake Oswego.

@5, nice work at searching for the definition of "extort" and plagiarizing the first result you found. I never even thought of "your" definition. I would suggest you investigate further.

And I didn't know those people there were mentally ill, physically disabled, and/or alcoholic. But since they a) walked there and can sit and stand, b) can make it through their protest without drinking (according to their sign) and c) can write legible signs, I kind of came to my own conclusions. MY BAD.

And MATT DAVIS!!! Next time you're down there reporting on/facilitating social strife at city hall, perhaps you could interview some of the homeless people. It would be really interesting to see an article in The Mercury about why these people are homeless, why they have difficulties getting jobs, what the mindset is for somebody who is in that situation and how it relates to self reliance, etc. You know, the hard-hitting journalist questions that mainstream media tends to ignore.

And I'm not talking about one of your fluff pieces that always seem to include a picture of yourself.

Lets clarify the debate a little bit here. I propose we all agree that there are some people who are basically physically and mentally capable of working, but for some reason cannot hold down a job and otherwise get their lives together.

How many homeless people would fit into that category? I have no idea, except I suspect it is more than a handfull.

Now, can we also agree that of those who fit into the above category, lets call them "otherwise ok except they obviously aren't because for some reason they are homeless" (ooetoabfsrtah), why do they not have jobs?

Homeless people aren't all mentally and physically disabled, and plenty of drug addicts hold down jobs and have places to live.

Personally, I believe that society has failed the majority of ooetoabfsrtah people. Now, we as a society have to step up to the plate and begin to do the work necessary to fix what's wrong with us.

Giving homeless people places free to live might do a little to help, but it also might do a little to harm. We should talk more about real, comprehensive social programs that could do something to cure the problem.

Also, it just sounds bad when you say "they should find some place for us to live". Mostly, people should be responsible for finding their own selves someplace to live. That is part of being a human being.

why are these Portland Patrol
Inc BLACKWATER WANNABE'S doing this unconstitutional harassing homeless people for? If these dudes want real "action" then why don't they get over their fear and go with the real deal (Blackwater) to Iraq, where it is corporate policy to harass people and they can indulge in their perversities all they want?

Are these wannabes a little chickenshit of being the REAL DEAL?

Also, it just sounds bad when you say "they should find some place for us to live". Mostly, people should be responsible for finding their own selves someplace to live. That is part of being a human being.

I was talking to a few of the protesters this afternoon. When they say that city hall needs to find some place for them to live, they aren't talking housing. They're talking about finding some kind of place outside, in the inner-city, where they can sleep with out the cops kicking them awake in the middle of the night.

They had that place in the area under the bridge, but the cops has started cracking down there now. So where are they supposed to go?

@14

I'd also like to point out that many people in the homeless community are in recovery, meeting with their doctors, therapists, job coaches, probation officers...whatever. Many are out looking for work every day, or going to work every day!. Yet they are still denied a warm safe place where their very existence is not criminalized.

I know a man who recently completed his G.E.D. while homeless. A lot of people in our community have brains, motivation, and a modicum of common sense. (and many do not, I'm not blind).

All the folks in front of city hall are asking for is a place where they can be safe, and be treated like human beings. Doesn't really seem too much to ask, does it? A safe camping area? Don't we have at least that much soul and compassion left in our city?

Be interesting to see if which, if any, of the candidates for local office will publicly support the rights of people to exist in Portland, even if they don't have homes.

I don't support the right to "exist" in Portland. Living here, yes. Contributing, yes. Just existing is a waste.

Plenty of safe camping spots out in the woods where people can exist.

I'm tired of the homeless problem in Portland. I've lived here all my life and it's getting to the point where I've had it. Driving over the Burnside bridge this weekend touring some friends from overseas around was an apocalyptic scene - those shelters and soup kitchens are a blight and need to be moved out of the downtown core. Plenty of industrial areas in SE and elsewhere would be more appropriate.

Portland as a whole needs to quit enabling people because of some phantom guilt. Health and employment services are a must, but saying it's okay to do stuff like this is ridiculous.

Need some coffee...

at the risk of sounding like a broken record...
if you have no job you have no place to live... if you have no place to live you have no shower... if you have no shower, you have no job or ability to get a job...
if you have no direct expierence of homelessness I would suggest that assigning negative values to people sleeping out is a bit much.
when our job market can support people with a living wage instead of a mockery of a minimum wage, when our city can recognize that not everyone can afford 120% median income condos in the pearl, when our city realizes that every person needs a place to live in order to be in an emotional and physical spot to be a part of society, then we will start our work at ending our _national_ blight of homelessness...
we need to stop thinking of this as "some guy's" problem or "some city's" problem, this is our national problem, even in good progressive Portland. out of the top 220 cities in America, we are one of the 16% that have a city wide camping ban, not something to be proud of.
thanks
Patrick