The Portland Division of the American Party of Labor | Oregon–

As the cost of living for the average working-class American continues to rise, residents in Oregon are being hit particularly hard, while our elected representatives sell us out to line the pockets of a billionaire. The state is currently facing a nearly $200 million budget shortfall, which has led to elected officials there having to make “tough choices” regarding which public services must face funding reductions. However, many have raised serious doubts about the necessity of such cuts, considering the fact that state and city governments have made the decision to give handouts to wealthy out-of-state investors. It is up to the working masses of Oregon to organize together and reverse this deal to restore our essential services.

According to the 2026 Cost of Living Report, around 73% of Oregon residents have been forced to reduce personal expenses in order to afford necessities, with the cost of housing and utilities accounting for a 33% increase from just seven years ago.

In the Portland metropolitan area, where nearly 60% of the state’s residents live, the situation has become even more bleak. TriMet, the city’s publicly-owned transit company, has noted that its cost of upkeep increased 59% between 2019 and 2025, forcing it to reduce or eliminate service on more than 10% of its bus lines. The Portland Public School District announced it would be forced to close one in seven public elementary and middle schools. Multnomah County’s homeless services budget was also recently slashed by $87 million, over a quarter of its total, which will substantially harm the people who depend upon subsidized housing or access to shelter beds, domestic violence shelters, and cooling shelters in the upcoming summer heat.

Meanwhile, the city and state are spending $350 million in public funds to renovate the billionaire-owned NBA team’s stadium, the Moda Center, which was purchased by the city of Portland in 2024 for $7 million. This funding allocation comes from SB 1501, a bill backed by Gov. Tina Kotek and passed by an overwhelming 43-13 majority in the Oregon state legislature.

Aerial view of the Moda Center, in central east side Portland, OR. (Portland.gov)

The Portland Trailblazers were previously owned by Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, and upon his death were bought by Texan billionaire and Trump supporter Tom Dundon. Dundon is infamous for earning his wealth through predatory subprime loans, preying on the most vulnerable for maximal profits. His business model was considered so rapacious that the state of Oregon had previously sued his company, Santander Consumer, stating that it was “predatory and harmful and will not be tolerated in Oregon.”

Yet the state wasted little time in reversing course and welcoming Dundon with open arms. During the negotiation phase for this stadium deal, Oregon had no independent negotiator working on the behalf of the city and its people. The deal was simply outlined by Dundon’s representatives and then accepted by the legislature without any attempt at negotiation. This is extremely unusual, and has no doubt led to the worst stadium deal in the United States.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, and all but one of the twelve members of Portland City Council – including three of the four DSA members – released an official statement applauding SB 1501’s advancement, citing the creation of “urgently needed, good-paying construction jobs” (ignore all the potholes and lack of schools, health clinics, and affordable housing though!), and referencing the potential positive impact the renovations may have on the economy.

In reality, “nearly all empirical studies find little to no tangible impacts of sports teams and facilities on local economic activity, and the level of venue subsidies typically provided far exceeds any observed economic benefits.” Any genuine study of evidence immediately invalidates the false claims coming from Portland public officials that these donations of public funds to an out-of-state private investor will supposedly serve to benefit the people living here.

It is clear that the so-called “progressive” politicians running our city and state are more interested in providing handouts to the people who need it the least even while the masses are struggling, our neighborhoods are collapsing, and necessary public services are being shuttered. Even “progressive” representatives have given nothing but more austerity while providing billions in subsidies to the predators who accumulate their ever-increasing wealth on the backs of our labor and our suffering.

Our elected officials, regardless of their party affiliations, offer us nothing but a false choice, with little daylight between their policies in any practical sense. All of them stand for the continued accumulation of capital and power by a tiny minority of moneyed interests who produce nothing but pain for the working masses and catastrophe for the planet.

Rather than spinning our wheels in the same mud of incremental reform, without end, without galvanizing working people, we must make demands to alleviate our stress and strain for the decisive class battles to come.

We call on grassroots organizations, labor unions, and working-class parties and organizations to work together to put pressure on the mayor and City Council to reverse this stadium deal and restore our public services.

Stop the City of Portland from allocating any public funds to the Moda project. Make private money pay for the renovation. No handouts to billionaires!

Reallocate slashed funds to public services they were taken from. No cuts to TriMet, housing, schools, or any services that help working Portlanders!

To organize in coalition with our Portland organizers, reach out to us on Instagram: @apl.pdx

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