I think our “city fathers” rank drugs right up there with graffiti, pot holes and the aberrant behavior of misfits that hang at Pioneer Square. Maybe our elected officials are just responding to the current electorate. Families are moving out of Portland, but the DINKs seem to accept it.

But soap a fountain, and it gets attention. Probably because it's real money out of the bureau's budget to fix it.

Lots of people know, lots care. But they're hamstrung by our (apparent) inability to think of ways to counter drug use and abuse other than bankrupting ourselves on a law enforcement strategy.

What is your suggestion---that we chase those drug dealers from A to B to C to D to ... until they wind up in A again?

How long do we keep up the law enforcement approach to reducing harm from drugs before trying something that works better?

Why don't we have doctors and nurses patrolling the highways to enforce the traffic laws --- that makes as much sense as using police to deal with medical problems.

Nobody on the City Council cares.

City Council cares. They just chop down the cherry trees in Old Town, take away parking from the streets with bubbles, close off streets for "event streets", and spend millions to do so. They just can't seem to find the money for law enforcement. But maybe it is once again, City Council's scheme to devalue Old Town/China Town to let the condo developers buy the blocks cheap, then get public money to "fight the blight".

WOW drugs in Old Town, what a shocker. The city gives out free needles and then can't figure out why there are so many druggies and homeless individuals in Portland.

Yeah, we should pull those free needle programs so we can wait to spend the taxpayer money on poor people with AIDS showing up in emergency rooms. Good thinking!