In the new Portland, legalized hard drugs are out, business is in

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After three years of legalized hard drugs and rampant overdose deaths in Portland, Oregon, lawmakers this month rightly said enough is enough. There is a better option: strong progressive economic policies and ending untethered drug use promises to help repair the Portland image, attract new businesses and retain others downtown. This new more pragmatic progressivism we see shows a major shift in our state.  

Governor Tina Kotek and the Democratic-majority legislature decisively steered away from ultra-progressive drug policies this year. The state’s evolution reflects an increasing recognition among bipartisan policymakers of the need for practical solutions to address challenging social issues while becoming a more business-friendly state. And I have seen this work before.  

I hail from Detroit and contributed to the city’s post-bankruptcy restructuring, which is currently drawing in investors, innovators and young adventurers. Coming to Portland, I was struck by the similarities between my new city today with that of my youth in Detroit’s Cass Corridor.  

LEMURS AT THE OREGON ZOO ENJOY A FLORAL SNACK COURTESY OF THE ZOO’S HORTICULTURE TEAM

Like Detroit’s blend of academic and economic opportunities juxtaposed with the stark realities of urban decay and crime, Portland’s downtown today grapples

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