Portland safety commissioner blasts $7 MILLION budget for new syringes, homeless tents

Rene Gonzalez wrote a letter to the Multnomah County Chair and Board of Commissioners, requesting them to rethink these two budget items before approving the 2025 budget, per KATU. Gonzalez noted that not only are taxpayers funding the tents and syringes, but they're also paying for the city's cleanup of the mess, which is a never-ending vicious cycle all at the cost of taxpayers.

Portland's Public Safety Commissioner explained that "taxpayers should be paying attention" to the budget because "they're paying on both ends." At an anticipated cost of $1.7 million, the first program, called "Safety on the Streets," would provide sleeping bags, tarps, and tents to homeless individuals.

"The city is going to spend $14 million this coming year on cleaning up tents just on our sidewalks and our parks so very, very concerned about distribution," said Gonzalez.

Julia-Brim Edwards, Multnomah County Commissioner, agreed with Gonzalez that the county should not implement a tent strategy, but rather a "shelter strategy that gets people into housing and basic services." Gonzalez is also worried about "Harm Reduction," a second initiative that would potentially cost $5.2 million and distribute 5 million syringes. He explained that the amount is a 49 percent increase from the number of syringes allocated for distribution during the current fiscal year.

"We're seeing too much needle distribution on our streets without conditions attached to it," Gonzalez stated.

Brim-Edwards added, "Because of the decrease in use of heroin and other drugs that are injected, is it necessary to have 5 million?"

It is made explicit in the budget that the syringes are not to be used for recreational drug use, but rather to stop the spread of HIV and other infectious diseases. However, these measures have been implemented in the past and have added to an increase in illicit drug use, resulting in more overdose deaths.

Alexander, a former homeless person who is now in recovery, told KATU that homeless residents know exactly where to get paraphernalia for their next high and advised against "Harm Reduction" policies.

"It's like, here have these needles instead of going out and making the effort," he lamented. "We're just going to give you more of this stuff to do drugs with."