Downtown real estate investor Barry Menashe has had enough. After two decades of paying his share of the Portland Clean & Safe program, he is now refusing to pony up the $4,000 monthly fee because “Downtown Portland is not clean or safe”.
The Oregonian reports today that wealthy investor Menashe can afford the fees, but is balking becouse the conditions downtown are driving away tenants and their customers. “I plant flowers and people just steal them. We’re tired of people going to the bathroom in our doorways” Menashe said.
While the thirty year old program, first with voluntary fees, and then starting in 1988, mandating participation through a business improvement district, regularly cleans up 25,000 graffiti tags and sweeps up over a million cigarette butts, the city’s battle with panhandlers and the homeless is taking its toll on businesses in the old town area. Although the city passed in May its third attempt to regulate sidewalks by creating a “panhandle free zone” near doorways and ATM’s the littering, aggressive panhandling, drug dealing and permanent encampments continue to be a major problem downtown.
The Clean and safe Program raises over $4 million a year to pay for 17 security guards, 3 police officers and a cleaning crew of formerly homeless people. And while I am sure their presence has some impact, the real problem lies with the city’s continued wink and nod to the bohemians and hipsters, while giving the finger to legitimate businesses, the ones who, through taxes, pay the bills in this city. For instance, while some city’s might promote shopping and dining on the eve of Fathers day, Portland instead hosts the annual world naked bike ride, where, according to the Portland Mercury this morning, “Like last year, the Portland Police escorted the ride, blocking intersections for the entire route” An event sure to keep families away from the downtown core as 8000 nude and semi clad adults ride bicycles through the city. At least it rained on that parade.
