Portland has suffered under Mayor Potter's (lack of) leadership. Potter has shown little interest in the actual running of the City, instead spending his time "visioning" and trying to change the City's charter. Listening to citizens is important, but when you fail to also listen to or pay attention to the people who are actually running the city, everything just slowly goes to hell.

Now that Potter has endorsed Dozono, I'd like to hear Dozono describe exactly how he wants to "change" Portland's government. If he's endorsing Potter's failed approach, that's not a good start.

Adams has some drawbacks, but overall I think Portland needs his energy, enthusiasm, and leadership. Personally, I thought Vera Katz was an excellent Mayor who managed the short term crises while keeping the City focused on the long-term. She also kept her fellow commissioners in check, which Potter has failed to do. The City will benefit from a continuation of Katz's style.

ABS = Anyone but Sam.

The shit is literally floating down Fanno Creek, in the "2nd Greenest Place on Earth" while Sam dreams up new ways to tax our way to prosperity.

The City of Portland already requires contractors to provide health insurance to their employees, but it's silent on how affordable or comprehensive it is. I don't know why he'd mention that as if it were something new.

Ironically, Sam won't require City Contractors to prove they hire legal workers. So we may be requiring contractors to provide health insurance to undocumented workers while American citizens go unemployed and uninsured. Irony, that.

"Adams said he would get more directly involved, looking for ways to provide poor people with more access to mass transit to get to the doctor."

I'd like to hear something new from Sam besides mass transit is the solution to everything and please no more SoWa debacles ($70M for a tram/parking lot shuttle and OHSU still expnads biotech in Florida.) How about just filling potholes?

Mr Adams has less managerial skills and foresight than Erik S even.

I hope we hear from the candidates what visions they have for Portland as a global city. Do they see Portland reaching out to the rest of the world to become more of an international city connected to and competing with all the best cities around the globe? Or retreating behind protectionist walls to develop our own ecotopia? Or some combination? And especially, I would like to see them answer the following question: During the lifetimes of today's students, China's economy could grow to be 2-3 times the size of the US economy. And China could have a modernized military to match their economy. What do the candidates think this means for Portland? What opportunities and threats does it pose? What, if anything, would they propose to do on this issue during their term in office?

...Adams took the microphone next and began his response with a grin: "I appreciate the fact that the clapping was started by Sho's campaign manager."

The campaign manager is one of many former city employees, particularly women, who worked for Sam and are now working for Sho Dozono to be our next mayor.

I attended the forum, and I feel the Oregonian grossly short shifted Sam Adams reply to Christopher Rich's accusation that Adams "is guilty of spending taxpayer money on nonessentials." I wonder who the Oregonian will endorse in this mayoral contest, the entrepreneurial Christopher Rich, the "grandfatherly and distinguished" Sho Dozono or the "young-man-in-a-hurry" who "plowed through" his responses Sam Adams?

4 out of 5 policy directors in Sams office are women. Have you asked them? Sexism is a strong accusation to infer. And you will always find folks from the city on either side of candidates, so let's keep it a bit more focused on substance in this forum.

I for one was not impressed with the lack of specifics coming from Sho. It's reminding me eerily of Tom's campaign which I think Portland is not well served by. I would rather have someone not afraid to speak their mind and get things done than someone who says all the right things but is too process oriented to get anything done.

Anybody can infer anything. But I don't see that sexism was implied or alleged.

If former Adam's staff members (of any gender) are now actively supporting Sho, that says something. If that sentiment was more prevalent in former female staffers, it could easily speak to the different ways in which men and women communicate or perceive conflicts. Who knows Sam better than his former staff?

He's running for City Commissioner, not King of Prussia.

I've never met Sam, but I certainly have formed an opinion that he's strong willed and Machiavellian, based on published reports and personal anecdotes. That doesn't make him different than most politicians, but it would certainly have an adverse impact on getting along with staff.

My point is that former (and current) staff members of both genders are actively supporting Adams as well. Therefore I don't see how pointing to either group must "say someting."

I think it's been well established that Sam is difficult to work for. That's true of a lot of driven people, many of whom turn out to be good/great leaders. Some don't, and there's no guarantee with Sam. But I don't think Amie Abbott's bitterness towards Sam is reflective of whether or not he'll be a good mayor.

I think it's been well established that Sam is difficult to work for. That's true of a lot of driven people, many of whom turn out to be good/great leaders. Some don't, and there's no guarantee with Sam. But I don't think Amie Abbott's bitterness towards Sam is reflective of whether or not he'll be a good mayor.

Mass transit as health care solution? Is he joking?

We could purchase 55,000 Prius AND GIVE THEM AWAY, and still spend less money than the Milwaukie light rail extension will cost. That would improve standards of living and access to health care for a much larger number of people than would ever be served by MAX.

Better yet, buy 55,000 Prius and turn them into free FlexCars, and you could incentivize 20,000 to 30,000 people to sell the oil burning junkers for good. I've got a '68 Camaro that would only appeal to Schnitzer Steel recycling if Sam wants to buy me a new car.

Which begs the question: does anybody else laugh out loud when they see a vintage VW bus covered in eco-lovin' bumper stickers leaving a long blue trail of fetid exhaust?

You know, you could at LEAST mention the other candidates. I mean, they went to the trouble of running, we could at least NAME them when writing about the race.

Just saying.

Honestly, as a person who attended the debate the other candidates really aren't worth mentioning. Except for maybe Geir who had a few good ideas. The others should go ahead and drop out now and save themselves and the voter's money and time.

"We could purchase 55,000 Prius AND GIVE THEM AWAY, and still spend less money than the Milwaukie light rail extension will cost. That would improve standards of living and access to health care for a much larger number of people than would ever be served by MAX."

You've got to be kidding. I love it how people keep making the assumption that it is wise to invest in automotive technology. No one is thinking about the other costs that are associated with auto production: the maintenance, the highway costs, the parking, the tax dollars that go to subsidizing production, the fuel! I am shocked to think that people on BlueOregon don't know anything about Peak Oil... why does gas cost $3.45/gal? I bet next year Oregon sees $4.00/gal and in 2010 $5.00/gal. And then, KATU reports that hybrids may not be greener than hummers (http://www.katu.com/news/7561002.html). Think about it, what do hybrids have that make them unique? Oh yeah, nickel batteries, which are associated with acid rain and the recycling technologies needed to keep these batteries out of landfills is expensive. The KATU report states the the Toyota Prius cost $2.87 per mile. The Hummer costs $2.07/per mile. Oh, and anyone want to guess how much Buses and Light rail cost per mile? $0.51/mile and $0.35/mile respectively!

I have also met Sam on a couple of occasions and have been amazed by his vision and what he has for goals. His personality is endearing and committed to making Portland a better place to live, maybe not tomorrow, but 10 years from now. When the rest of the U.S.A. doesn't have an economy because no one can afford $10/gal for gasoline, Portland, OR will still become an economic empire because of visionaries like Sam Adams who promoted mass transit and bike usage.

P.S. Vintage VW's are` green because they are old, use recycled parts, and get 28 to 30 mpg!

"...and still spend less money than the Milwaukie light rail extension will cost."

So, I have to continue...

Automobiles are very, very expensive. While you complain of Milwaukee Light Rail costing a ton, you are ignoring the real costs of your automobile. Automobiles collect anywhere from $300 billion to $1 Trillion in U.S. subsidies per year! Imagine how many MAX lines you could build with $300 billion per year. The 18-mile Blue line from Gresham to Hillsboro cost close to $2 billion. That project was completed in the late 90's. With $300 billion, we could have 150 Blue lines, or 2700 miles of light rail per year. Than means from 1996 to 2008 we could have over 32,000 miles of light rail!

And, you can check my sources too:

John Holtzclaw, "America's autos and trucks on welfare: A summary of subsidies", Mobilizing the Region, 15, 3 Feb. 1995.

John Pucher, "Budget cutters looking at wrong subsidies", Passenger Transport (APTA), 13 March 1995

GO SAM '08!

But MAX operating and maintenance is free? And light rail/trolleys don' exist in a vacuum: they would be worthless as commuter transport without the feeder network of buses and park & rides.

You can't possibly believe that buses are more enviro-friendly than a hundred Prius (just drive behind one for an hour and get back to me).

Tri met is a ridiculously expensive system that could not exist without the taxes levied on businesses. They have a pension liability that dwarfs the city's FPD&R. Tri Met employees get free health care FOR LIFE after working FIVE YEARS.

We are heading into tough economic times. Sam Adams can't read a business plan, let alone write one. Sho Dozono managed to grow a travel agency during an era when the internet was eliminating most travel agencies. He's been a teacher, a coach, a businessman and a civic leader. He played a key role in bailing out the bankrupt PPS schools a few years back.

Adams, on the other hand, is fiscally irresponsible. He voted to parcel out the city's one time surplus of thirty million to every conceivable special interest while at the same time advocating raising fees to fix neglected infrastructure. He was Vera's arm twister while she built numerous monuments to failure, including PGE park, the Esplanade and the Tram. Sam helped perpetrate the lie of the South Waterfront... massive public investment on the promise of biotech jobs.

Guess what? The biotech jobs are going to be in Florida and the only ones benefitting from the south waterfront are the rich developers and condo flippers.

We can't afford Sam Adams, and we need Sho Dozono.

Please enlighten me on Portland's "gridlock", Mr. Dozono.

We have Council getting along and a dependable majority of 3 getting things done.

We have had a good bureau budget process that focused on priorities. (One Potter accomplishment)

Relations between the City and the PBA are much much better with the new president.

PDC is much more focused and responsive.

The neighborhood associations are stronger.

The police have improved somewhat (but much more improvement is needed).

The city is communicating with small and large business and making them a priority. Let's not have any more Columbia Sportswear surprise moves out of town!

Development is as healthy as could be expected given the irrational exuberance of the last few years.

The city is even studying auto gridlock and its impact on trade and business, though solutions tend to be very expensive and will take years to realize if federal funding is forthcoming.

Commissioner Leonard is working on the rural-urban divide with his biofuels project.

The legislature has plenty of gridlock, but is much improved with the departure of speaker Minnis, who went out of her way to bite the hand that feeds Wood Village.

Portland is quietly getting the Big Pipe done which saves salmon and gets us out of the EPA doghouse.

The teachers, parents and school board seem to be getting along, unlike the old days of mud slinging that were giving the schools a bad name. Portland has great schools because they are overwhelming chosen by parents, much different than schools in other cities.

The Transportation Bureau has public process out the wazoo. Anyone who wants to be involved, wasn't, and complains is plainly on mind altering drugs.

We have unprecedented visibility into the bureaus and their budgets over the Internet. Free.

We have one of the best recycling systems in the country and it's getting better.

The County has its problems, like who will pay for bridges that people outside the county use daily. The liability for a Sellwood Bridge collapse will be many times its cost.

Plenty of other great things are happening in Portland, but all of the above are a city government that is working damn well, not in gridlock!

Rob,

The above is all sarcasm, right?

"Council getting along" was the tip-off for me. Or did you just crawl out of a cave?

"But MAX operating and maintenance is free? And light rail/trolleys don' exist in a vacuum: they would be worthless as commuter transport without the feeder network of buses and park & rides.

You can't possibly believe that buses are more enviro-friendly than a hundred Prius (just drive behind one for an hour and get back to me)."

So... are you suggesting that a government give-away of a hundred Prius cars (or fifty five thousand Prius autos, as originally proposed as a cheaper alternative to just the Milwaukee light rail extension) is a more enviro-friendly and efficient solution than buses for urban mass transit planning?

I have traveled as a passenger for several hours in a couple of hybrid cars, (most recently from Portland to Ashland to take in the season opening of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival) and it was a very pleasant experience; but I find the proposal to give away hundreds or thousands of cars as a viable alternative to buses kind of hard to swallow. All of those free cars do not exist within a vacuum, nor would the operating and maintenance be free. That's extra wear and tear on our roads, not to mention the additional parking spaces that would be required.

But if you are seriously recommending that the City of Portland give away free cars, I would like to put in a request for a bright red one with a satellite radio.