Barriers

Air quality in Portland was worse than in Beijing today, but when a light breeze came up around 3:30 pm, I went out for some groceries. It’s chilly (40F/4C), and six feet from the place where I made this photo, a man was lying on the sidewalk, curled up in a blanket, shivering and talking incoherently. He might have taken shelter in the alcove, but as you can see, the owners have installed a gate to keep houseless people out of the doorway when the business is closed.

Rents in Portland have gone up 40% since 2021, according to an organization that serves houseless veterans. In order to pay average rent for a single person with no children, one would have to earn over $27 an hour, but minimum wage reached $7.25 in 2007 and has not risen since then. The few unions in Portland that have not been busted are still campaigning for $15 an hour, but many workers make less than that.

Your kindness yesterday on my fourteen-year Blipday was overwhelming. Thank you again and always.