The truth is Multnomah literally has no idea what it’s doing. First it couldn’t spend enough money fast enough; now it says it doesn’t have enough money and needs to cut lifesaving services. Two years ago its highest priority was creating shelter beds; now its highest priority is closing them. This is not a “perfect storm of factors” leading to worsening homelessness, this is uninterrupted incompetence leading to tragedy. The County *still* does not have a baseline count of how many people are living outside (a By-Name List), so it has no way of knowing how many people are actually homeless. The County *still* is not measuring factors that tell us whether anything it is doing is working. And the County is cutting some of its most valuable services - treatment, recovery housing, and workforce training - while throwing its government partners under the bus. All of this boils down to failed leadership and no plan. Meanwhile, we are beginning a political race for county chair, and none of the current candidates thought it necessary to share an actual plan when they announced their intention to run. It is not enough to want to be county chair to lead Multnomah County. We need people who actually want to *do* something. Unless, of course, that something is hiring the guy who helped lead LA’s homeless system into a multibillion dollar lawsuit and dissolution of its joint office of homeless services. That’s not qualified work experience, it should have been a quick reference check. We do not have to settle for this accelerating spiral of nonsense. There is a way forward that can get better outcomes (read: save lives) while spending less. And it doesn’t involve throwing human beings out of shelters and onto the streets like garbage. It involves a plan with clear leadership, measurable outcomes, meaningful goals, accurate data, coordination, and relentless accountability. The race for county chair doesn’t have to be yet another fight about who wants to be something rather than do something. It’s time to put an end to this tragic farce and start our County’s path to recovery. oregonlive.com/politics/2026…