The “Portland Police have been defunded!” talking point is really absurd and needs to stop
The title of this piece gives away the game, I guess. But it’s a really silly game. The “defund” narrative has been used to attack or support various political candidates, characterize the residents of Portland in the national press, and generally obscure causes, effects, and the actual government of Portland and its relationship to the Portland Police Bureau (PPB). I’ve been accosted by angry men at bars regarding the issue. So let’s be really clear: there is no reasonable interpretation under which the statement “PPB has been defunded” is true.