Perhaps the grant process for Measure 110 has not been “effective,” (“Audit: Oregon’s drug decriminalization Measure 110 shows $33 million in grants drew scant evidence of effectiveness,” Jan. 19). But from my vantage point, Measure 110 itself has been very effective.

How? The price of fentanyl and meth in Portland is a fraction of the price found in other cities. The measure has been effective in making those drugs easily available all over the city. It has been effective in decreasing livability due to crime by drug addicts. Combined with our “compassionate” policies of free tents, free tarps, free sleeping bags, free food and lack of penalties for shoplifting, car break-ins and bicycle theft, the low drug prices and easy drug availability have been effective in attracting homeless addicts from all over the country. They are overdosing and dying on our streets in record numbers.

Measure 110 was passed with the best of intentions. But it has been a disaster. And please don’t say that we just need to get the services in place, and all will be fine. The city and county have proven to be effective at hiring consultants and producing studies, but ineffective at creating a coherent set of services that actually work. And even if they could set up something coherent, I doubt they will be able to find the hundreds of qualified people needed to staff the programs.

Measure 110 might possibly work if the rest of the country decriminalized hard drugs at the same time and all the necessary support services were in place. But the realistic chances of that are about zero. Measure 110 needs to be repealed.

Karl Mautner, Portland

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