My biggest political notion, in light of the Portland Police’s predilection for shooting civilians, has always been to gut the police budget, cutting it to something approaching 15% of its current levels, and reallocating all of the funds to education. It would ultimately turn the town into an educational mecca, the sort of place that people move to specifically to get their children the best possible education. Good things will come of filling an entire city with people whose first priority is education.

Tonight, I watched my fiancee call and attempt to file a non-emergency police report, and while waiting outside my job in the cold for them to show up, watched three cruisers slide calmly by, no lights or sirens, and completely ignore me.

The premise people will continue to throw around when it comes to eviscerating the police budget is that response times will go up. Many of the people suggesting that outcome will in fact be police officers and union members just trying to avoid layoffs. I can’t help but think that if layoffs were 85% of personnel at all levels, that the 15% remaining would be far more efficient, and response times might actually decrease. Underdogs are often far more successful in achieving goals. In any case, I wouldn’t watch three cruisers go by ignoring someone who needed them an hour ago.