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thatchickencoopguy's comments:
on Food Access
Interesting discussion today. But, I must take issue with the shortsighted thinking in the past decade of the city of Portland in relation to landowners and high density housing.
In the older neighborhoods of this fine city many lots are larger and very suitable to huge gardens however in the recent past developers were allowed to come in and push for high density dwellings and bingo there goes the land. Yes I know people need to live somewhere and we're trying to limit sprawl but think for god sake you build a mcmansion and you have occupied good growing culture.
On the point of taxation and expanding high density housing many of the family farms still in existence I.E Rossi , cereghino and guisto have been squeezed by the county to take their land out of production and sell for high density housing. taxes on these large plots which do indeed feed hundreds if not thousands of people have gone up and these families are finding it more and more difficult to even keep their way of life going. OK lets say these families sell out and in comes the apartments and high density dwellings ok where will your food come from now?
On Sam adams point regarding the lents and Parkrose neighborhoods not having access to grocery stores within a mile. Well I can't speak for lents but as for Parkrose Mayor Sam has once again shown how incredibly disconnected he is. We have 2 count them 2 WINCO stores one on 102nd and one on 122nd a fred meyer just across from the winco on 102nd I realize these are in the gateway district but they are in fact less than a mile from the maywood park/ parkrose area. To add insult to his statement theres a beuatiful pan asian market on Prescott and 97th in a former sentry market. The staff are wonderful and the produce is relatively low priced and fresh fresh fresh local mostly.
posted 2 years, 2 months ago
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on Obama's Popularity
Well it seems we all gave him rope and he hung all of us out to dry. Granted the media has not highlighted the positive things Obama has done that said he himself gets on the bully pulpit and tells us "well it's complicated" then goes into policy wonk mode and drones for minutes on end carefully crafting his words so as to completely confound and confuse all present. I understand this is a tough time to find a job and the economy is in the toilet. But, don't stand there and tell me about it while capitulating to the minority partys demands for their rich patronage. This is not to say the dems. don't have their rich patronage as well they do. Pull a quarter out of your pocket if you are lucky enough to have one look at it label one side D and the other side R. Regardless of how you look at it it's the same coin. The ultimate answer lies with us "we the people" has never meant more than this day and every day after that allows politicians to decide what is best for us. Don't you yourself know what is best for you? Take back your power and use it for god sakes. This last election cycle I voted for just issues and will continue to do so for some time to come as I am tired of any politician just glad handing it by making promises they do not ever intend to keep
posted 2 years, 5 months ago
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on Somali Communities
Sadly, as long there is fear for people to live in , there will always be extremism.
posted 2 years, 5 months ago
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on Frashour Fired
Years ago this was indeed the training they received. Speaking as a child growing up in a police family (father, two uncles and both grandfathers) The thinking behind the shoot to wound training was it's easier to make someone think about and change their behavior if they live to do so. and besides the paperwork involved in a fatal shooting was unimaginable. Seems just saying "i feared for my life and safety" has taken the place of any further decision making procedures and further seemingly absolves the involved officer almost completely. this sadly reinforces the idea that hey I can act with impunity and will only get a slap on the wrist and maybe some sensitivity training. Officers basically go by this playbook of situations that has no wiggle room for independant thinking I.E. suspect did x now I must do y. Back when my family was in law enforcement. If they had a sketchy stop they would 1. tell a driver if it was a car involved stop to shut off their vehicles engine and drop the keys out of the car window. 2. exit the vehicle move 5 paces back to rear of vehicle and lay down in a prone (face down) position. This while it may appear extreme completely took the driver out of his protected enviroment and away from any possible weapons hidden. they did this via the p.a system they had installed in their vehicle they still have em installed in vehicles but sadly they are rarely used in this creative manner. end result? no one hardly ever got hurt no gun fire was involved and everyone lived another day.
now sadly it's escalate beyond comprehension and someone loses a life or at least this is the perception
posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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on Frashour Fired
Ok, first off I'm going to apologize if this comes off as a bit of a rant. That said here are my comments ,queries and concerns.
First off I want to address the seeming lack of emotional/adrenaline checking . More and more as of late I see this thick wall of blue at incidents and I'm sorry that much blue at a scene can only add to the confusion and not have a positive outcome.
This goes back to basic traiining. You are or should have been trained to lead with your training not your emotions. The minute you allow fear or adrenaline to make up your mind for you you have failed to perform your duties as you have been sworn to do.
In my estimation having poured over every available piece of information in the Campbell case I feel that every officer in this matter should be terminated. We can no longer allow the excuse of fearing for ones life or safety to be the defacto excuse for deadly force. Hardly any protocols were followed in this case and the citizenry of Portland has been left dangling as this case has been dragged out. The PPB union is now seeking to block the disciplinary action via the suspensions. EXCUSE ME? Don't get me wrong unions are a good thing in large part but when you seek to assist officers who were wrong, did not follow incident protocol and basically took it upon themselves to handle the situation you don't have a leg to stand on and standing up for them only sends the message to other rank and file officers that they can act with impunity.
You screw up as a police officer and you should consider yourself lucky if the least you lose is your job.
For too long now we have allowed the Bureau to ride rough shod over the citizenry in general and the black community as a whole. Duly sworn officers of the law work for the citizens. Not the union and not each other.
I see by in large decent hardworking individuals in the Police rank and file but these high profile cases only erode what little faith we originally had in the bureau when the union seeks to stonewall or point accusitory fingers of blame at anyone other than themselves this only adds to the loss of faith on the citizenries part.
posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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