I don't know Portland, sure you have some pretty glaring faults and issues, but you also pretty smart and compassionate and caring, so things aren't looking that bad for you. I mean, you've been pushed through the same social media narcissism machines as everyone else. Here's what I'd have to say, about the cross sections of EGO and TRANSPARENCY. A local government doesn't have state secrets, they aren't really capable of keeping any secrets, or they shouldn't be, so if there is push back from City Officials about what information should be restricted from public access, they are hiding something from you. It might be a big thing (like a Mayor trying to obscure a clear pattern of criminal behavior while in office) or it might be a smaller thing (like a maybe not illegal pattern of council members favoring the servicing of lobbyist priorities while deprioritizing issues of more public interests) but it's a bad thing either way. LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CAN NOT HAVE SECRETS. FULL STOP. On the other hand, you as a private citizen don't have to share everything with everyone, you can do something good for yourself and/or others and keep it to yourself. You don't have to name drop everything or seek adulation for every meal you ingest. You are allowed to recharge yourself esteem and confidence in yourself independent of what others think. But, yeah, the city council blocking transparency is hella sus and myopic since the stuff is going to be released one way or another.