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Climate alarmist official in Portland moves to ban gas-powered leaf blowers

November 12, 2023 | | Print Article

The perennially woke city of Portland may have a homeless crisis, a fentanyl crisis, and a crime crisis to contend with, but, if one of the city’s commissioners has his way, one thing it won’t have is a gas-powered leaf blower crisis.

Oregon’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability has been directed to work with their Multnomah County colleagues to begin developing “a path forward toward banning gas-powered leaf blowers in Portland,” Portland Commissioner Carmen Rubio’s office told FOX 12 on Friday.

“Staff will work collaboratively to draft language in the City’s Chapter 8 Health Code to be enforced by the Multnomah County Health officer,” Rubio’s Chief of Staff Jillian Schoene told the outlet in a written statement.

As in San Francisco, Portland’s open-air drug market and a defund-the-police movement have decimated the city.

But Rubio and County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson spent the last year organizing a committee to discuss ditching the city’s climate-crushing landscaping tools in favor of electric or battery-operated leaf blowers.

“Resolutions requiring the county and city’s offices and departments to switch to electric leaf blowers have already been passed,” Fox 12 reports.

“The next logical step is to introduce a citywide ban to address the health and environmental impacts on our residents and frontline workers,” Schoene wrote. “This is why Commissioner Rubio directed the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability to work with staff in the Multnomah County Sustainability office on developing a path forward toward banning gas-powered leaf blowers in Portland.”

“In addition, Commissioner Rubio has shared with staff that it is important there is appropriate outreach and engagement with our landscaping community,” Schoene continued. “Staff will work toward a schedule that provides adequate time to assist with the transition for our frontline workers. Likewise, the city and county are committed to making sure there is financial support to incentivize this transition. Multnomah County has committed to provide funding, enforcement, outreach, and rebates as we transition to this ban.”

Portland isn’t the first progressive city to wage a war on leaf blowers.

California “approved a measure banning new purchases of small off-road engines including leaf blowers and lawn mowers beginning in 2024,” BizPac Review reported in December 2021.

More recently, Minnesota Democrats, state Reps. Jerry Newton and Heather Edelson, pushed a pair of bills in February of this year banning gas-powered lawnmowers, chainsaws, and ice resurfacing machines such as Zambonis.

On X, many feel Portland’s priorities are more than a bit askew.

“Taking on the real issues,” one user sarcastically noted.

“Yeah, fentanyl is legal, sewage free flows into the Willamette…but sure, ban leaf blowers!” wrote another. “Portland isn’t a real city anymore. The govt is a feckless parody of Portlandia and the dogmatically dim dem voters keep voting/digging deeper into an irrevocable hole of leftist insanity.”

“Buy meth and fentanyl on the streets? Totally OK. Camp on streets in a tent the city gave you? Totally OK. Shit on the sidewalk and steal for drug money? Totally OK,” noted a third. “GAS POWERED LEAF BLOWERS?!?? THIS ATTROCITY MUST BE STOPPED.”

Others pointed out that the ban might have consequences that clash with Portland’s virtuous signals.

“Wait until they realize that this law will disproportionately affect minority owned (latino/hispanic) landscaping companies that will have to purchase all new equipment to perform their jobs… how does that fit their ESG a DEI narrative?” asked one X user. “Landscaping prices about to go up.”

Melissa Fine
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