Karol, if it's any consolation I'm a white middle class, middle aged, conservatively appearing, 6'4" male that works for a major bank and I feel exactly the same way when I walk by them as well.

And when I need their help they immediately try to make me the suspect and use their "8th grade education" to let me know what it is I don't get...

It's not just race. They size everyone up in a second as to whether they look like the arse they're supposed to be kissing. Poor black store owners can be just as abusive to a customer and get results and support from those same blue goons. As a "business owner" they do have a lickable arse.

Tom's tired too.

Profiling is necessary. They're damned right. Homo Sapiens. Self proclaimed wise man. Stupid killer social-manipulative primate. Avoid.

Pusue speciation! (Then they can shoot us legally...)

“Although people think of me as a liberal mayor, I’m conservative when it comes to money.”

Oh really? That statement is hard to square with the $1.2 million the mayor has burned through on his useless “visioning” project.

He may be conservative with his own money but definitely not when it comes to spending taxpayer money.

I think what Potter was TRYING to say is that, I won't lavish you with money, but I believe this project needs to arrive at its destination. Poor choice of metaphor. "Cadillac" is good, because it's institutionalized as a symbol. "Kia" is terrible. How about, "GEICO.com, so easy a mayor could do it?"

What's interesting is that it's only recently become fashionable to bash Potter. Even after the city income tax disaster, he maintained a teflon coating. Something has changed. He's in a crossfire from the left and right.

I give him major points for standing up to the Portland Police. It's really his most gutsy move ever and I doubt we'll get another mayor with more clout to bring about police accountability. It's his best chance to salvage his legacy.

Reality to Potter: if you want a vibrant economy with family wage jobs, buy American.

I think the one thing we can take from this is that Mayor Potter is not a gearhead.

I do hope he can make some concrete progress on the police issue. It seems like a worthier cause to spend on than streetcars, etc.

Zarathustra,

Do yourself a favor and look up the requirements to become a Portland Police officer. You can hate these guys all you want but to suggest that they are stupid is well...stupid. These guys are educated, have good credit, pass psychological and polygraph tests, and have basically never done drugs. You yourself would very likely would be unqualified to be a cop. So shut up and be thankful that your middle class, white ass is protected by them. It's no wonder you think they have attitudes, and they may. But who would blame them with douche bags like you walking around?

I think Potter's aura of extraspecialness has declined mostly because of his failed grab for centralized power in the last election. That and his spending millions on fuzzy-headed useless crap like "visioning." That and the tram boondoggle. That and his shameless support for criminal aliens. That and the fact that he's done jackshit since taking office except screw up in just about every way imaginable....

Potter is a bad joke being played on all of us.

Coyote,

To defend fuzzy-headed things (because animals are cute), vision is important. If for no other reason than it helps you find where you're going.

Potter did it wrong though. You can't poll people on a vision, you poll people to find out where they're been and where they are. 59% of anything can't tell you where it wants to go, just what it is thinking at that moment.

It's like the french philosopher who looked out his window and said: 'there go my people. I must find out where they are going so I may lead them!'

Vision is something a leader has or doesn't. It can be learned, but it can't be abducated.

And darn straight to TR, keep it American! My grandfather would roll over in his grave if I ever bought anything different.