Heard on the radio yesterday that our marches and protests are working. Uh... they are sorta* working? No, not really. The average street person hearing that $15 million of PPB's (Portland Police Bureau) funds are being diverted[1] may be initially hopeful, but would be ultimately hasty, to claim victory.
The PPB budget is $245 million dollars ($15 million is barely 6 percent); in other words, it is basically NOTHING in the grand scheme of the Evil Realtors' and Landlords' nefarious plots to keep the #CommunityWealth concentrated in their own hands, and in the pockets of their associates**.
The biz model of advertising trendy hipster flats and rowhomes, pushing contracts, "renters insurance" (HA!), colonist cash deposits, and other BULLSHIT on all the MLS websites and rental portals IS NOT A JOB the police should be protecting.
*"The PPB budget — about $245 million — is part of the whole city budget of $5.6 billion."
Where the hell is the city of Portland getting $5.6 billion dollars?
Yes, Black Lives Matter; however, we cannot overlook the reality that MOST of the budget's dollars are going into "policing for" (serving eviction notices) and protecting the fat landlords and Realtors in their little bubbles. Round up the homeless folk, put fences around them to keep them out of the brochures. Make the rental contracts longer and more complex to nickel and dime the workers. Turn them into wage slaves.
The only constant in the last 528 years of colonization is the exponential increase of greed of the colonists.
Colonist cash has always been, and will always be the root of oppression.
**The HARSH REALITY that still needs to be addressed is that the Realtors' and Landlords' constant demands for commissions and rent money prove that they ARE THE OPPRESSORS. NOTHING they can do changes their role or can make them into "good guys" (no, not even offering "free rent" in exchange for work).
[1] forgot which station it was; story w/the same news: https://www.opb.org/news/article/portland-police-budget-15-million-defund-cannabis-council-vote
This is a peaceful gathering for Portland Police to "divest, defund and reinvest" taxpayers' dollars into the community. #PDX