Is Voodoo open at 3 a.m.? Or was Sammy still in the mens' room?

It's good news, though, that the stabbing was just your plain old regular murder.

Man, I remember going to Sack's Front Avenue on Monday nights for Robert Cray and Wednesday nights for Paul DeLay, and nobody ever got stabbed or shot. Even after the place closed for the night.

Ah well, we're "greener" and more "sustainable", now.

Y'know, back in the early '70's I lived close in on NE Williams Avenue, and I never felt threatened walking the streets at midnight.

Sam is a donut...HOLE!

Sam's too busy putting sped bumps on Alameda without telling anyone in advance to worry about crime.

Thanks
JK

I'm not sure how this is Sam's fault - and don't get me wrong, Sam is not my BMF. However, gang violence predated him, and stabbings in Portland right after bars close has been occurring, well, ever since there have been bars in Portland.

It's funny the things we are willing to forgive - Delay was convicted of drug trafficking.

Do you think the shooting, and the stabbing, would have not have happened if someone else had been mayor?

His reaction (or lack thereof), after insisting on running the police bureau, is what separates Samadumbs from his predecessors. So yes, he deserves some blame here - he's been mayor for a few years and has done little as gang violence has crept back up in frequency.

stabbings in Portland right after bars close has been occurring, well, ever since there have been bars in Portland.

So laughably not true. How old are you? The gangs came in under Bud Clark.

Do you think the shooting, and the stabbing, would have not have happened if someone else had been mayor?

Even if it had, under someone else there would be hope that the future would be better. You look at this guy, and you just want to call your realtor.

Some years ago I pointed out to Sam that one of the ways to reduce the social problems that go with poverty was to improve the transportation alternative people have so that people could get find better job opportunities. Last time I looked there were about 80 companies in the Rivergate Industrial Park which is nearby the North Portland neighborhoods yet transportation services between the areas is pathetic. And Sam does nothing! This ain't rocket science. It is common sense.

"...stabbings in Portland right after bars close has been occurring, well, ever since there have been bars in Portland."

So laughably not true. How old are you? The gangs came in under Bud Clark.

Except... my point is laughably true - the article you linked to said that the stabbing was not gang related. So I'm not sure what was untrue about my statement?

I'm pretty close to your age. I stand by my statement that stabbings and bars go waaaaay back. Even before our time ;)

Evergreen Libertarian: Some years ago I pointed out to Sam that one of the ways to reduce the social problems that go with poverty was to improve the transportation alternative people have so that people could get find better job opportunities.
JK: Right on!
And the quickest, lowest energy use, lowest cost way to get to work is a private car. Getting low income people cars is one of the best ways to improve their standard of living as it greatly increases their job choices within a given commute time.

see http://www.DebunkingPorltand.com

Thanks
JK

It seems to be easier for us to talk about the jackass on the front lawn than to have a rational discussion about the elephant in the living room.
But, we’re not alone.
The local old media won’t touch either one.

Jack - The gangs ended up in PDX under Clark because the LA cops (and sometimes in illegal fashion - Ramparts anyone) drove many of them out of LA at that time.

As for blaming people, who do you want to blame for the serial killer that was operating in Portland in the late 70s and early 80s (and not the Green River but one whose victims were quite a different demographic)? Should we blame the mayors, the cops, the local FBI (who knew about the situation but disdained the targets), the media who largely ignored what was going on? In 1979, I worked with one of the killer's victims and I know more about this than I wished I did.

Maybe we could blame the local FBI for the death of Miranda Gaddis for failing to care much about the death of Ashley Pond. And we could blame the Oregon City police for failing to act on Ashley Pond's complaints against Ward Weaver.

Sam should not be mayor or even dog catcher. However,the chief of police should be making the decisions about how the department is run. Maybe we need a new police chief.

And for the amount of money that has been and is going to be spent on the worthless and insane light rail projects, everyone in the state of Oregon could have a brand new car, gas paid for, and insurance! for years.
3H, come on, making excuses for Mayor Creepy is a waste of everyone's time. They guy is incompetent at best, and nothing more than a tool for the other creeps who have been running this town since before Vera, for their won enrichment.

PN -

I'm not defending him.. LOL, I'm glad he's not my mayor, and I would never vote for him. BUT - lets blame him for the things he is responsible for. I don't think you can blame him for one shooting, or a stabbing outside of a bar. It dilutes the legitimate criticisms when everything is dumped in front of his door.

It's funny the things we are willing to forgive - Delay was convicted of drug trafficking.

3H - who said anything about forgiveness? Paul got into trouble because, in addition to being a bitchin' blues harmonica player and singer, he had a wee cocaine addiction.

Nobody ever got stabbed nor shot at his venue, nor Cray's.

Back in the day of Sacks, Last Hurrah, Louis LaBamba, Euphoria - I was out late pretty regularly. No problems.

As Jack noted:

stabbings in Portland right after bars close has been occurring, well, ever since there have been bars in Portland.

So laughably not true. How old are you? The gangs came in under Bud Clark.

He's right; you're not - regardless of whether or not I stand by my statement that stabbings and bars go waaaaay back.

Fact of the matter is: I was deep into the music scene at the time, and Portland was a lot safer then than now.

Mayor Creepy is supposed to be the head of the police department. He even took it over!
Where I come from the Captain goes down with the ship, even if it was the 1st mate that was on duty when the ship hit the ice berg. The person or persons in charge should be held accountable for the actions, behaviors, and ultimately for producing results to achieve success and accomplish successful goals.
This mayor is too busy doing nothing but tweeting and trying to ride a bike in Brazil or hanging out in bathrooms with underage interns.
Abject FAIL is what he is, and always will be.

Max --

Are you truly arguing that there were no stabbings either in, or in front of, bars until Bud Clark was elected mayor? Portland was known at one time for being a pretty rough little town, and I'm pretty certain that there have been stabbings before. Late night boozing - a pretty known cause of alcohol fueled violence.

As for increasing crime, that may be true. But I'd like to see some facts that back up your assertion. Your belief that "...Portland was a lot safer then than now." just isn't convincing. I'm also certain that I'm a lot better looking now than I was in my youth, but I'm not willing to put that to a vote.