The Vienna junket by three city councilors is a big deal because it shows just how out of touch they are with the day-to-day realities of Portland, (“ Portland city councilors outline Vienna trip takeaways, disclose partial costs, ” Sept. 18).

At a time when Oregon’s state government has ordered a halt to nonessential out-of-state travel, when budgets are being reworked due to looming revenue losses, and when the U.S. economy feels on the edge of collapse, three council members chose to spend tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars on a fact-finding trip to Vienna. I am outraged — and I think many other Portlanders are as well.

We face urgent problems right here at home: street takeovers continue, homelessness is everywhere and low-level property crime goes unaddressed. To see our electe

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