Portland Commissioner Chloe Eudaly said Tuesday the city is fining the federal government $500 every 15 minutes – the maximum charge allowed -- until it removes an unpermitted fence blocking a bike lane on Southwest Third Avenue.
Eudaly, who oversees the transportation bureau, said the government hasn’t responded to her demand to remove the fence, which surrounds a portion of the federal courthouse. She said the bill is now $192,000 “and counting.”
“We intend to collect,” Eudaly, who is running for reelection, said in a tweeted statement. She also described the forces at the courthouse as “federal occupiers.”
The fence has become the centerpiece of nightly protests as the months-long marches and demonstrations devoted to racial justice and curbing police excesses escalated in recent days with the arrival of federal law enforcement teams staged at the courthouse.
The charges come as the Trump administration formally announced Monday it would send additional federal officers to Portland. That same day, Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty called for a “cease-fire” amid the ongoing crisis.
Eudaly said that transportation crews would normally “remove such an obstruction,” but she would not “send workers into harm’s way” to do so.
“Yes, I am afraid to direct workers to do their job and enforce our laws against the federal government—I hope that gives everyone reading this pause,” she said.
Last week, Eudaly’s transportation bureau issued a cease-and-desist letter to the federal government. She said Tuesday that she’s received no response from federal officials.
According to the bureau’s rules, it can assess a $500 fee for obstructing the public right of way without a permit and levy that charge every 15 minutes, hourly, daily, weekly or monthly.
Eudaly said she opted for the maximum fine.
Eudaly said she is also investigating “other legal remedies.”
-- Andrew Theen; [email protected]; 503-294-4026; @andrewtheen
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INB4_Found_The_Vegan on July 28th, 2020 at 20:48 UTC »
The battle for Portland so far
If I am missing anything, send me links!
The OfficersShooting unarmed peaceful protestors in the head - 7-12-2020 - FED Aftermath. Sure seems like they are aiming for the head.
Attacking medics giving first aid, still beating them with batons even after they are forced away - 7-12-2020 - FED
Demasking protestors with their hands up to pepper spray directly in the eyes . - 7-13-2020 - PPB
Protestors being arrested in unmarked vans. 7-15-2020 - FED
Interview with separate protestor arrested but never told what crime he was accused of. 7-15-2020 - FED
Beating veterans with clubs and tear gas. - 7-18-2020 - FED
Pepper Spraying Wall-Of-Moms. - 7-21-2020 - FED
Attacking local business owners that are giving out food. - 7-22-2020 - UNCLEAR
Attacking medical tents and destroying supplies with pepper spray - 7-22-2020 - FED
Vietnam Army Medic getting Pepper Sprayed for telling officers they will regret their actions - Interview with him after - 7-26-2020 - FED
Federal officers intentionally holding protestors down in to Tear Gas Alternative view. - 7-27-2020 - FED
The PressArrested for walking across the street. - 7-1-2020 - PPB
Arrested for talking to officers (Most relevant at 6:10) - 6-30-2020 - PPB
Press blocks away from protest are being shot at - 7-17-2020 - FED
Shooting at Press trying to follow orders and move to safety - 7-13-2020 - FED
Press identifying themselves and holding credentials. Officer hits with baton "I don't give a shit." - 7-13-2020 - PPB
The PolicyRevoking freedom of the press to record as official policy - 7-14-2020 - PPB
Portland Fire Department stops cooperation with law enforcement using stations as staging areas 7-20-2020 - PPB & FED
Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wold says Federal Agents are "proactively arresting" protestors. 7-27-2020 - FED
The Solutions Defining “Defunding The Police”Debundle the police - Park Rangers are law enforcement but their responsibilities are drastically different than the Police. Homeless outreach, armed response, traffic enforcement, domestic disturbances are all responsibilities that should be given to the correct sectors and the appropriate budget.
End qualified immunity like Colorado - Which is what practically prevents citizens from being able to sue officers for neglect and misconduct.
Campaign Zero - A lot of relatively easy (compared to structural changes like #1 or #2) to implement improvements that would increase public trust and officer safety.
gfazzy1 on July 28th, 2020 at 20:21 UTC »
Please, use all legal avenues to open the right of way! Let the feds attack construction workers doing their job!
1st edit: By the way, the fine comes out to $48,000 per day or about $4.7 million come the end of October.
As I mentioned below, I think that if the feds have the gall to attack construction workers tasked to remove barriers from the city property and right of way in broad daylight, it's only going to make what they are doing more visible and outrageous to an increasingly larger number of people. Go ahead, let them try.
2nd edit: I did some napkin math (OK notepad math really) and when you take into account the hotel the feds are staying at, their nightly rate, estimated food costs, and hourly pay rates for typical CBP grunts all over the July 5th through October 31st time-frame and add that to the fines the City of Portland will have levied by October 31st, 2020, you are looking at roughly $9 million dollars! And I didn't even consider things like, costs to replace uniforms, equipment, and the munitions they are firing by the thousands each night and the direct damage all of that gas does to the city and those in it.
So is $9 million taxpayer dollars justified to protect a building from $50,000 in graffiti damage when that building was fine prior to the feds arrival? Perhaps, if you are Trump/Barr and your true goals are to drive outrage with your political base. I think they seriously underestimated how bad they'd look doing this.
The city councilors should go ahead and task the transportation department workers to remove the obstruction in the city right of way and let the feds decide how they want to (over)-react to the situation.
Just because a fascist government is going to be fascist in response to your legally authorized work in your OWN city and state, does not mean the people should accept defeat and say oh well, I guess we'll ask harder next time and hope for a better outcome! Use the legal tools available RIGHT NOW, while there is a direct abuse of power occurring in your city. And since Portland is on the front lines of these abuses, they should absolutely make a stand for what is right, right now, before it is too late to use your local/city/state power to overcome the abuse.
fowlraul on July 28th, 2020 at 19:20 UTC »
The Trump admin won’t pay in a million years. The Biden admin will probably end up paying next year.