By Oregon Small Business Association

The Willamette Week obtained an email from Greg Goodman, who is one of Portland’s most recognizable business leaders and largest property owners within the city.

Goodman called out the “lawlessness” in the City, and decried people “ransacking” local businesses.

Here is a sample:

“Their departure has absolutely nothing to do with Black Lives Matter movement (which has been a positive), but does have most everything to do with the lawlessness you are endorsing downtown. You are doing an excellent of enabling people who don’t know or care about George Floyd to ransack our city at the expense of the people you are trying to help. Think how many jobs have been lost by people of color in our city, not through protest, but from vandalism. I would make the case that your actions have hurt those you have intended to help.

I would encourage each of you to walk around downtown Portland in the morning. Name the time and I will give you a tour. You aren’t sweeping the streets, needles are all over the place, garbage cans are broken and left open, glass from car windows that have been broken out is all over the streets, parks are strewn with litter (their fountains turned off) weeds are taller than the plants in the planter boxes, graffiti is on sculptures, etc. You are willfully neglecting your duties as elected officials to keep our city safe and clean.

What outreach have you had to small business and retailers to tell them that you have their backs and are going to help them. You actions, or lack thereof, have been to the contrary. You have shown them you don’t care and as a result a huge number of innocent and hardworking people have been victimized with some being placed on the street.”

Read more from the Willamette Week here: