Blue City State Schadenfreude - Elections have Consequences

[GURPS]

It’s spreading. First Portland, now yesterday the Chicago Sun-Times ran a griping story headlined, “Walmart Plan to Shut 4 Stores by Sunday Leaves Customers Perplexed: ‘You Came in and Filled a Void — Now You’re Taking It Away’.”

The controversy burst into flames after Walmart announced on short notice that it was immediately closing four unprofitable stores located in crime-ridden Chicago. City officials, including lame-duck mayor Lori Lightfoot, bleated like sheared sheep, said it was all Walmart’s fault, not theirs, no, never, and accused the for-profit retailer of a lack of charitable instincts.

Local resident Regina Dickey, 38, told a Sun-Times reporter she regularly shopped at the Kenwood Walmart. Regina doesn’t think closing the story is fair. “It’s like they didn’t even give a thought to the people in these communities,” she complained bitterly.

Regina had no complaints about city governance, apparently, which is why she probably voted for incoming marxist mayor Brandon Johnson, who will surely make things worse, I mean better. Or something.

“Unceremoniously abandoning these neighborhoods will create barriers to basic needs for thousands of residents,” soon-to-be Former-Mayor Lightfoot said in a statement. “Walmart also needs to ensure that our residents in these communities that have been left behind will continue to have a reliable source for their everyday necessities.”

Makes sense. WALMART — not the City — needs to make sure that residents live in an environment that provides a reliable source of everyday necessities. Okay, then what’s the GOVERNMENT for? And, will they let Walmart manage the police and set the zoning regulations?

Maybe — and I’m just spitballing here — maybe the CITY OF CHICAGO needs to make sure that retailers can operate without being robbed blind by criminals that will be released the same day they’re arrested. But what do I know, I’m just a lawyer, not a mayor.

☕️ CRAZY EYES ☙ Thursday, April 13, 2023 ☙ C&C NEWS 🦠

NPR rage-quits Twitter; BBC outs Biden lies; Sy Hersh shatters more Proxy War Narrative; red states rally to Florida; anti-CBDC bill; Walmart now fleeing Chicago; unneeded mask advice, and more.

www.coffeeandcovid.com

Walmart needs to do X ......

 

[GURPS]

Portland's 'Controlled Demolition' Into Dystopia May Be Unrecoverable Thanks to George Soros and Dumb Voters​

You can’t say Portland had good intentions because they should have known that what they were trying to do wouldn’t “solve” the drug and homeless problems in the metro areas. Free-wheeling drugs and government tents have never worked anywhere they’ve been tried. Never. Not in San Francisco, not in Los Angeles, not in San Diego, and not in Seattle. But the we’re-smarter-than-you set just threw millions more at it, ignoring that Portland doesn’t just have a homeless problem; it’s got a drug problem. And predictably, things are worse.

Oregonians can blame their “progressive” leaders, George Soros, and the voters staring back at them in mirrors for this mess.

The governmental equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle — state progressives, Multnomah county actors, and Portland activists — have worked together to dispirit the people through their lawlessness, destroy their once beautiful metro area with tents and bodies strewn about, and make it a hospitable place, as a local photographer put it, “for people to come to our city to kill themselves.”

These progressives have chased out several retailers. On Monday, Pacific Northwest outdoor outfitter REI told its members it would close its doors in NW downtown, citing break-ins and thefts.

 

[GURPS]

It would be funny were it not so incredibly pathetic. A county-run drug counseling center for homeless drug addicts in Portland had to be shut down and some of its employees were dumped because of drug use and “inappropriate relations” between employees. In other words, a drug and sex scandal shut down the Multnomah County Behavioral Health Resource Center.

The punchline writes itself. But the joke’s on the voters.

Willamette Week reports that at first, Multnomah County lied about why the center was temporarily closed, saying “the county insisted at the time the closure was prompted by the need for more staff training to deal with clients in mental distress and for building improvements.”

“Staff training”? It turns out that contractors with the Behavioral Health Resource Center needed training in how not to do drugs and have sex on the job.

The center has now reopened but only after Multnomah County coughed up the real reason why it had to shut down the behavioral center.

How Bad Is Portland's Drug Problem? So Bad That It Closed a County Drug Center.

pjmedia.com

 

[GURPS]

 

[glhs837]

We guess the people working for all the NGOs getting grants to do the county’s job have fallen victim to Oregon’s free-wheeling access to drugs. If everyone’s on drugs then why bother to be sober? It’s not like the high, homeless addicts will notice, right?

And this is a thing. You form yourself a non-profit, then apply for the grant money and pay lip service to the problem while enriching yourself. I would say its a cottage industry, but the article at PJ refers to it as the "homeless-industrial complex".

 

[GURPS]

but the article at PJ refers to it as the "homeless-industrial complex".

like Gov funded climate research .. if you solve the problem, you lose your job

 

[vraiblonde]

Regina doesn’t think closing the story is fair. “It’s like they didn’t even give a thought to the people in these communities,” she complained bitterly.

On the contrary, they are absolutely thinking about the people in these communities, which is why they're running away.

It's interesting how Democrats blame all their troubles on everyone EXCEPT those who actually cause the trouble.

 

[OccamsRazor]

like Gov funded climate research .. if you solve the problem, you lose your job

Or like Big Pharma that claims to spend millions on [choose ailment here]-cure research. There is no money to be made in CURING anything. Only BILLIONS to be lost when they can no longer "treat" said ailment

 

[Clem72]

Or like Big Pharma that claims to spend millions on [choose ailment here]-cure research. There is no money to be made in CURING anything. Only BILLIONS to be lost when they can no longer "treat" said ailment

Probably good money to be had in curing Pharmacophobia

 

[Grumpy]

With the summer coming and the heat rising, mark my words, violence and mayhem is gonna be off the charts. Maybe you thought the years after the Floyd riots were bad but this summer will be far worse.

 

[Kyle]

With the summer coming and the heat rising, mark my words, violence and mayhem is gonna be off the charts. Maybe you thought the years after the Floyd riots were bad but this summer will be far worse.

They’ve had five years of practice.

 

[Monello]

Local resident Regina Dickey, 38, told a Sun-Times reporter she regularly shopped at the Kenwood Walmart. Regina doesn’t think closing the story is fair. “It’s like they didn’t even give a thought to the people in these communities,” she complained bitterly.

A businesses fidelity is to its' shareholders or owners. Then maybe its' employees.

 

[WingsOfGold]

Portland's 'Controlled Demolition' Into Dystopia May Be Unrecoverable Thanks to George Soros and Dumb Voters​

You can’t say Portland had good intentions because they should have known that what they were trying to do wouldn’t “solve” the drug and homeless problems in the metro areas. Free-wheeling drugs and government tents have never worked anywhere they’ve been tried. Never. Not in San Francisco, not in Los Angeles, not in San Diego, and not in Seattle. But the we’re-smarter-than-you set just threw millions more at it, ignoring that Portland doesn’t just have a homeless problem; it’s got a drug problem. And predictably, things are worse.

Oregonians can blame their “progressive” leaders, George Soros, and the voters staring back at them in mirrors for this mess.

The governmental equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle — state progressives, Multnomah county actors, and Portland activists — have worked together to dispirit the people through their lawlessness, destroy their once beautiful metro area with tents and bodies strewn about, and make it a hospitable place, as a local photographer put it, “for people to come to our city to kill themselves.”

These progressives have chased out several retailers. On Monday, Pacific Northwest outdoor outfitter REI told its members it would close its doors in NW downtown, citing break-ins and thefts.

Maybe the animals should stop stealing the store out of existence?

 

[GURPS]

This Is Your City on Leftism: Oakland to Lose Its Last Major Sports Franchise as Athletics Shift to Vegas​

Thao, however, disputed that the team had been operating in good faith, saying:

I am deeply disappointed that the A’s have chosen not to negotiate with the City of Oakland as a true partner, in a way that respects the long relationship between the fans, the City and the team. The City has gone above and beyond in our attempts to arrive at mutually beneficial terms to keep the A’s in Oakland. In the last three months, we’ve made significant strides to close the deal. Yet, it is clear to me that the A’s have no intention of staying in Oakland and have simply been using this process to try to extract a better deal out of Las Vegas. I am not interested in continuing to play that game – the fans and our residents deserve better.

Thao could be right. A’s owner John Fisher is a billionaire, but when it comes to his baseball team, he is parsimonious in the extreme. A’s fans have grown dispirited seeing the organization again and again build a good, playoff-level team, only to trade off all the players once they are able to command large contracts. It is likely that Fisher and his cohorts bear a lot of blame for the demise of major league baseball in Oakland. But there is no doubt whatsoever that, despite Thao’s indignant protestations, the city bears a great deal of the responsibility as well.

After all, it isn’t just Fisher: the city has now lost three major sports franchises within the span of five years, and that takes some doing. When I lived in the Bay Area, the Oakland Coliseum was (minority view here) quite appealing, with a fine view of the Oakland Hills until 1995, when the infamous “Mount Davis” luxury boxes were built to accommodate the Raiders. The neighborhood around the park was quiet and pleasant. The A’s on a sunny Saturday afternoon was a marvelous day out. But in June 2017 I took a trip down memory lane and went back. The area had deteriorated markedly. Waiting for an Uber after the game was a dangerous adventure in a dirty and dingy area. Going to the Coliseum was now more risky than pleasant. Rising crime and homelessness have made whole sections of Oakland areas that most people prefer to avoid.

 

[SamSpade]

After all, it isn’t just Fisher: the city has now lost three major sports franchises within the span of five years, and that takes some doing.

Perhaps it's just my opinion, but I always thought SOME cities in this country were lucky to even HAVE a sports franchise at all, including ones like Oakland that HAVE major franchises just across the bay, while other parts of the country have NOTHING nearby.

And that some cities similarly small - somehow are lucky enough to have ONE, when larger cities have nothing. Like, say, Buffalo or Green Bay.

 

[GURPS]

Portland to ban gas-powered delivery vehicles from 16 blocks downtown​

The Portland Bureau of Transportation announced Tuesday that the money will support creating a 16-block area in downtown where all deliveries must be made using zero-emission vehicles.

These vehicles can include electric vans and trucks, cargo bikes or hydrogen-fueled vehicles.

The goal is to reduce traffic from heavy trucks in the downtown area.

According to PBOT, the pilot program of the zero-emission delivery zone will be located near City Hall Plaza.

The grant money was made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. PBOT is one of 59 agencies that won a grant.

Federal officials will join Portland Transportation Commissioner Mingus Mapps Wednesday for a demonstration of a zero-emission vehicle only loading zone at the Portland Building. They’ll have the opportunity to see firsthand some electric freight vehicles, including trucks and cargo bikes.

 

[GURPS]

You Won't Believe the Fire Sale Price on This San Francisco High Rise​

“We’re all really on the edge of our seats to see the first office trade in San Francisco,” real estate services executive J.D. Lumpkin told the WSJ. A real estate lawyer warned the paper that the 350 California fire sale could prove “a bellwether for the value destruction in the urban office market nationally,” and not just for San Francisco’s (formerly?) ritzy Financial District.

To blame are high-cost structures based on pre-pandemic valuations, the local tech industry’s embrace of remote work, and what some people euphemistically call “quality-of-life issues.” That’s what honest people call “aggressive panhandlers, violent crime, and open-air drug sales and abuse.” Oh, and sidewalks festooned with poop and dirty syringes.

I worked in downtown San Francisco 30 years ago, and I always carried an open pack of budget-brand cigarettes to hand out to the homeless instead of cash. A cigarette would keep even the most aggressive panhandlers at bay, but these days you probably need a flame thrower.

 

[GURPS]

Inside Philadelphia's tranq hellscape: Disturbing new footage shows devastating scale of drug crisis in Kensington neighborhood - with addicts crowding filthy sidewalks and shooting up in broad daylight​

• Disturbing footage has laid bare the scale of Philadelphia's drug epidemic
• Powerful sedative Xylazine, also known as 'tranq', has flooded the streets
• Zombie-like addicts litter the streets in a stupor as officials fail to tame the crisis

 

[BOP]

It’s spreading. First Portland, now yesterday the Chicago Sun-Times ran a griping story headlined, “Walmart Plan to Shut 4 Stores by Sunday Leaves Customers Perplexed: ‘You Came in and Filled a Void — Now You’re Taking It Away’.”

The controversy burst into flames after Walmart announced on short notice that it was immediately closing four unprofitable stores located in crime-ridden Chicago. City officials, including lame-duck mayor Lori Lightfoot, bleated like sheared sheep, said it was all Walmart’s fault, not theirs, no, never, and accused the for-profit retailer of a lack of charitable instincts.

Local resident Regina Dickey, 38, told a Sun-Times reporter she regularly shopped at the Kenwood Walmart. Regina doesn’t think closing the story is fair. “It’s like they didn’t even give a thought to the people in these communities,” she complained bitterly.

Regina had no complaints about city governance, apparently, which is why she probably voted for incoming marxist mayor Brandon Johnson, who will surely make things worse, I mean better. Or something.

“Unceremoniously abandoning these neighborhoods will create barriers to basic needs for thousands of residents,” soon-to-be Former-Mayor Lightfoot said in a statement. “Walmart also needs to ensure that our residents in these communities that have been left behind will continue to have a reliable source for their everyday necessities.”

Makes sense. WALMART — not the City — needs to make sure that residents live in an environment that provides a reliable source of everyday necessities. Okay, then what’s the GOVERNMENT for? And, will they let Walmart manage the police and set the zoning regulations?

Maybe — and I’m just spitballing here — maybe the CITY OF CHICAGO needs to make sure that retailers can operate without being robbed blind by criminals that will be released the same day they’re arrested. But what do I know, I’m just a lawyer, not a mayor.

☕️ CRAZY EYES ☙ Thursday, April 13, 2023 ☙ C&C NEWS 🦠

NPR rage-quits Twitter; BBC outs Biden lies; Sy Hersh shatters more Proxy War Narrative; red states rally to Florida; anti-CBDC bill; Walmart now fleeing Chicago; unneeded mask advice, and more.

www.coffeeandcovid.com

Walmart needs to do X ......

Maybe the government of Chi-raq is planning on taking over and running Wally World.

They would, of course, need to raise even MORE taxes than the already high taxes they're gouging residents for, as well as the 12 Billion they're planning on implementing.

 

[phreddyp]

You Won't Believe the Fire Sale Price on This San Francisco High Rise​

“We’re all really on the edge of our seats to see the first office trade in San Francisco,” real estate services executive J.D. Lumpkin told the WSJ. A real estate lawyer warned the paper that the 350 California fire sale could prove “a bellwether for the value destruction in the urban office market nationally,” and not just for San Francisco’s (formerly?) ritzy Financial District.

To blame are high-cost structures based on pre-pandemic valuations, the local tech industry’s embrace of remote work, and what some people euphemistically call “quality-of-life issues.” That’s what honest people call “aggressive panhandlers, violent crime, and open-air drug sales and abuse.” Oh, and sidewalks festooned with poop and dirty syringes.

I worked in downtown San Francisco 30 years ago, and I always carried an open pack of budget-brand cigarettes to hand out to the homeless instead of cash. A cigarette would keep even the most aggressive panhandlers at bay, but these days you probably need a flame thrower.

I used to do the same, when I worked in D.C. in the 70s, was nearly foolproof.