Siege of Portland, June 18: "Refund the Police"

Portland appears to have sated the social justice fury for the time being by raiding a mere 15 million from the cops and closing out the programs most offensive to blacks: school cops, the gun violence reduction team--formerly the gang unit--and transit cops (transit will still have police, from other jurisdictions for the time being), all programs black advocates have been after for a long time.

This is from a 246 million dollar budget, so there's a lot more ruin to experience still.

Listening to progressive local radio here yesterday suggests a change of strategy already--the argument brewing now is not to defund the police but to take them over. This is the language coming from Jo Ann Hardesty, de facto mayor while Ted Wheeler takes an extended knee, as well, in trying to appease the rabble demanding 50 million cut from cops for starters.

And why wouldn't they, finding themselves suddenly unopposed, not realize how much more fun it would be to become the cops (even if it wasn't, as it certainly is, the point the whole time)? The model of transferring police funds to black activist groups and social workers is of far less utility to the progressive movement than taking over the police and their functions.

A police department fully under the control of such as Portland's "community" would instantly yield them a surveillance capability and database they've probably been dreaming of for years. Also, guns.

"Defund the police" is yet another dishonest slogan. No one at the higher levels wants this. It would be merely stupid. These people are evil as well.