If Sho can get all the little girls in the city to vote for him, he just might win this thing.

"Sho knows what Portland needs...Sho knows what our schools need...Sho gets it...etc."

Will he share some of what he supposedly knows with the voters? Or are we to simply take their word for it? I don't think having people repeat his slogans over and over constitutes substance, and I still haven't seen any substance from this campaign. It's really nothing more than an alternative for those who dislike Sam. Isn't it?

I'm confused.

This man took money out of a boy's Trust Fund for his own uses, he neglected to report a December poll as an in-kind contribution, AND he has not paid rent on a business establishment in months.

Really? People are still want this man as a Mayor? Really?

Haven't we learned enough from the 8 years of having an inept, negligent, morally lacking man in a position of power?

At least Sho isn't as naturally uptight as Sam is. Both candidates actually know what is needed in Portland, it's that Sho won't force feed it down our throats like uptight Sam would.

Wow--that's exactly the kind of ridiculous, vacuous crap that makes me vote for the other guy.

it's that Sho won't force feed it down our throats like uptight Sam would.

What you mean just like Mayor Potter hasn't forced anything down our throats in 4 years or done much else? Maybe it's about time we have someone in the Mayor's office that will tell us what we need and make us take the steps to fix our problems instead of passing them off for the next mayor like we have been?

At least Sho isn't as naturally uptight as Sam is.

OK, while I'll agree that Sho is a more laid-back person than Sam is, I fail to see how this makes him a better mayor. Laid-back to the point of apathy and laziness with the details is not exactly something you put on your resume.

So I ask again - is anyone voting for Sho because they think he'd make a good mayor? Or are you just doing it because you dislike Adams?

I guess this shows that we'll never get any specifics out of Dozono...

I'm supporting Sho because I think Sam Adams want to make Portland into another ultra-expensive San Francisco, forcing out the middle class and those on fixed incomes.

forcing out the middle class and those on fixed incomes.

I think it's mostly the PBA that would like to see that happen. Guess who used to be the head of the PBA? I'll give you a hint: it wasn't Sam.

OK this sealed the deal for my vote. I spent over six years dealing with my neighbor and his sidewalk. Very long story short - after he created a huge hole where his and my sidewalk used to be I turned to Sam Adams' office for help. Finally someone there helped me to get him to fix it. Who is one of the Sho cheerleaders in this ad? My idiot neighbor. So, do I vote for the guy who's office helped fixed the problem or the guy that seems to want the support of the problem maker? Adams has my vote.

"So I ask again - is anyone voting for Sho because they think he'd make a good mayor? Or are you just doing it because you dislike Adams?"

I'm voting for Sho because he will make a great mayor! Just like he has made Auzumano a great company, United Way a better organization in Portland, and Mercy Corps a great Nationally recognized non-profit based in Portland.

Neither candidate is offering anything very specific, although I just noticed that Sho has a 100 day plan on his website: http://www.shoformayor.com/first100

No offense, MC, but that ain't much of a real plan. And seeing as I have no problem saying I'm now solidly supporting Sam, allow me to elaborate.

As one who gets Sho's emails, his "first 100" plan used to say he'd fill "92 vacant positions in the Bureau of Maintenance at PDOT...and direct them to get Portland's roads fixed." Now it says 47.

Oh, and some of those 47 aren't maintenance positions, but permitting functions whose funding is tied directly to permitting costs. In other words, they can't fix roads. Some aren't filled because of funding as well.

He also says "I will engage our businesses to help create opportunity scholarships for higher education and trade industries." But Sam has been saying that since January. And in fact, proposed seeding this endowment this year.

Then, Sho says "I will present a specific plan for a rainy day fund with a target of $50 million to buffer us against bad economic times."

But the city already has reserves of $45 million. So, that's $5M short--which amazingly--Sam presented on his commissioner website as part of this budget cycle.

Then he says "As Mayor, I will lead an international trade delegation to recruit green business. Additionally I will work towards organizing a World Green Building and Sustainable Industries conference here in Portland during my first."

Why do we need to recruit green businesses here? We need to export the ones we have elsewhere! We need foreign investment and sales, not the opposite. Plus, you already have Commissioner Adams and Saltzman working on a National Sustainability Institute. You just want a conference?

I'm sorry, but this is not a mayor. Nice guy, perhaps. But not a mayor.

The Oregonian is talking about this Sho Dozono. Click here to join the debate.

I support Sho because his successful background, both in business and in civic matters, is far better than "Tax 'em Sam" Adams. And Sho didn't declare bankruptcy like "Tax 'em Sam" Adams did.

You folks post like Sam Adams has actually done something.

Adams is all talk. He takes credit for the work of others. He didn't start talking about a rainy day fund until he saw it had legs. The mayor is the only one who has talked about the need for the last three years.

When it's his own project that doesn't pan out, he blames someone else. He makes promises to constituents then adds the funding requests to a (knowingly) overly long list for someone else to choose where to cut.

Sam has 15 years of working in Portland government with very little to show for it. It is time to let someone else have a chance.

The Adams' bankruptcy "issue" is an non-issue, a distraction, the Jeremiah Wright of the mayoral campaign. There are plenty of legitimate reasons to dislike Adams: his addiction to glitzy, expensive schemes that pander to the downtown and Pearl District crowd and the "creative class"; his avid support for fiscally ruinous ideas; his Machiavellian political tactics and lame attempts to evade responsibility for them (think of his road-tax shenanigans earlier this year); his egotism (don't get between Adams and a camera, folks, it ain't a safe place to be).

I voted Dozono, but the man's campaign has been that of a bumbler. I voted for him because I want there to be a runoff, not an Adams coronation. Perhaps in the runoff campaign there can be time for real debate.

"George"- what about how Dozono finally paid the back rent and taxes he owed? And only after the threat of a lawsuit. Sounds an awful lot like his past dealings to me...and exactly the opposite of his ridiculous claims to fiscal responsibility.

Another commenter above said it: nice guy? Maybe. Mayor? No way.

Okay, since Sho Dozono thinks it's just good business to stiff the city for rent because his road is being repaired, does this mean I get to stiff the city on parking tickets until they fix the pothole in front of my house, once he's Mayor?

... I'm just asking here. I'm not a big powerful well-connected downtown business dude like he is, and I don't have a nephew with a big fat trust fund to raid, but if Sho Dozono sticks up for the little gal too, like me, I could save a LOT on parking tickets over the next few years.

'don't get between him (Adams) and a camera - not a safe place to be"

This is right on the spot, and is a very good reason Adams should not be mayor; he will abuse the power of the office.

And he will tax us to death.

That also shows, David M., how naturally uptight Sam really is. His personality smacks of petty elitism and historical cronyism all in one smug, tightly wound package. Just because he is Vera Jr. does not make him the right one for the position.

Personal, nasty, and vindictive. Sounds like Eric, David and George are describing themselves.

Now that you folks are getting just plain nasty lets review Sho Dozonoz qualifications to lead the city:

1) Succesfull business man. Actually depends on how you define success. Since 1991 Azumano has been lucky to break-even financially. Were it not for sweet-heart deals with several state agencies and the city, Azumano Travel would have expired long ago. Most notoriously, he raided the trust fund of a minor to support his business. His defense? "Was anybody hurt?" He did pay the trust back with interest, BUT ONLY AFTER HE WAS CAUGHT OUT, by the mother of the boy in question.

Bush Garden? Well he was only paying $3000 a month in rent around the time that he started to withhold his rent and ILLEGALY withhold taxes and fees. Hard to imagine the venture could be unsuccessful if he only had to pay $3000 a month for a restaurant of that size. Yet Sho says he keeps it open out of his feeling for it as a Japanese-American.

2) Sho Dozono has good judgement. See #1 above. Or perhaps that is good judgment from the standpoint of personal gain and contempt for the very civic organizations he claims to want to lead, but they are certainly UNETHICAL (and of course in both cases ILLEGAL) but not prosecuted? Hmmm. Oh yea the DA is a Democrat ever see how much money Dozono gives to the dems every year?

3) Sho Dozono has been a respected leader of the civic community. Well if you mean he has been appointed to a number of boards, commissions and committees by several democratic administrations at the state level and city/county level, yes he has been a leader. But selection to these committees for someone like Sho is not on the basis of his personal abilities, it is on the basis of the amount of money he gives to the party.

4) Sho Dozono is fiscally prudent. See #1 above. Dozono has zero experience in budgeting for munincipal government. He has no background with the realpolitik of getting money from the legislature, the county, the feds.

5) He raised $11 MM dollars for Portland schools. Thats a whole lot different than he GAVE $ 11MM. $11MM is an absolutely puny sum to raise. Folks at Antioch College in Yellow Springs Ohio raised that much in six weeks. Its a nice start but its a drop in the bucket. I am grateful that he did that. Good for him.

6) Sho was on the executive committee of the chamber of commerce; well holy Babbit! Listen to the WW Endorsement interview, Sho can't even remember what he did when he was on the committee.

As for the ad, at least Sho got Asians and gay men in. Sam left out Asians and only had (I stereotype this woman) a lesbian. What exactly is it that Sho gets that Sam Adams didn't already get 16 years ago and has been working on, granted in the interminably slow, methodical way that government works, ever since?

And what is it about sassy black women that agencies believe is so authentic and authoritative?

Oh and another think. WTF is up with this "Sam's going to turn Portland into San Francisco driving out the middle class and people on fixed incomes."

Wow Sam must have super powers to influence the market that way. SF is an expensive place to live for the same reason Manhattan is: It is one of the most desirable places in the world to live, it is a center of art, culture and finance and an international gateway. You want to blame someone for expensive housing? Talk to those who support rent-control in SF effectively eliminating the rental market and moving the city to a nearly all condo status.

One man doesn't make a city an expensive place to live. The good old free market does that (with a helping hand from those who fail to look at the law of unintended consequences).

And Eric, why SF? Why not Seattle? Its closer to Portland the demographics are closer Portland's. Hmmm, What do Sam and San Francisco have in common......? Go ahead Erick just say it. Say it loud and say it proud you're afraid Sam is going to turn Portland into Sodom by the Cascades.

Say it loud and say it proud you're afraid Sam is going to turn Portland into Sodom by the Cascades.

Oh snap! :)

Give it a break, redcellpolitical. Sam Adams is about as uncloseted a gay man as you're likely to find. The Sodom by the Cascades line is absurd. (Besides, when I lived in the Bay Area in the 70s and 80s, SF was called "Baghdad by the Bay".)

Give it a break, redcellpolitical. Sam Adams is about as uncloseted a gay man as you're likely to find. The Sodom by the Cascades line is absurd. (Besides, when I lived in the Bay Area in the 70s and 80s, SF was called "Baghdad by the Bay".)

Dear joel dan

Are you with me or against me on this? Your post implies you didn't get what I was getting at: people keep saying Sam Adams will turn Portland into SF. SF and Portland have less, much less in common than do Portland and Seattle. SF is not expensive because of its sometimes progressive politics, it is expensive because it offers a great number of opportunities not found elsewhere. So Portland is not comparable to SF. So how could Sam all by his gay lonesome self (well not really lonesome in the personal sense of the word, but rather the political) turn Portland into SF?

The semiotics are smacking us in the face like a drag queen's handbag! I suggest that Erick Meta might have been slipping a meta-allegory on us: gays make cities expensive places to live.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

(Baghdad by Bay was book some one wrote in the 1930's can't remember the author's name, but SF Chronicle columnist Herb Caen made it famous as a by-line for his forty plus year running column. Sodom by the Sea was popular in the 90s. Its hard to find names synonymous with hedonism that make a nice slogan when it comes to Portland.)

Redcell, why don't you move to San Francisco or Manahattan? It sounds like you feel they are so universally desirable, why do you put up with Portland? I am personally in love with Portland and have been for at least 15 years. I really feel like Sam is willing to take risks. Risks that could ruin the city. I feel like Sho will be more thoughtful, more engaging with the public and will make the right decisions for the people of this city. I do not want Portland to become any other city.

on a side: People talk about how they want Portland to be like Amsterdam or something with biking. Why can't Portland be like Portland with the biking. We have great biking and we can do better, but let's not have a freaking identity crisis over it. Let Portland be Portland.

"Redcell, why don't you move to San Francisco or Manahattan? It sounds like you feel they are so universally desirable, why do you put up with Portland?"

Well I don't stay here for the facile minds thats for damn sure.

The point, again MC, is about the market. The market, based on demand vs supply determines what will be expensive. The geographic limits of SF and MNYC are a constraint on expansion. To a lesser extent so is the Urban Growth Boundary. People want to live in a place, land is limited the price of said land goes up. What is so hard to understand about that? Geesh.

As for your 15 year love affair, bully for you. So should we close the gates to everyone who arrived after you discovered your little Nirvana? Because that would be the only way to keep the city from changing. Maybe I was in love with the way city was during the Neil's mayoralty? Maybe newcomers like you are responsible for ruining everything, driving out the funky studios that once comprised NW in place of condos.

See how stupid that sounds. It sounds just a stupid to whine and complain about change when it is the desirability of Portland that will make it an increasingly expensive place to live. I am here because four generations of my family have migrated back and forth from Yakima to Portland. I am sure people complained in 1889 that my Yakima relatives were bringing ruin to Portland.

Portland is Portland. It isn't all that weird, it isn't all that diverse and it isn't all that integrated. It is a mid-size American city with a dwindling manufacturing base, a historically damaged school funding mechanism (granted the State bears most of the guilt here) and a shortage of decent ethnic food. However it is also a place where, so far the people have agreed that open space is better than sprawl, mass transit and biking are important alternatives and lead to a healthier, cleaner life for everyone, has done a lot to encourage incubator busineses, and stands at the leading edge of "green" energy production industries and consulting services. It is cleaner than almost any other American city and it may be the first to elect an openly gay mayor. It has a chance to keep the biotech sector once seen as the panacea of economic stagnation, if it continues to be a business friendly place.

In short, weather aside, its a great place to live, rivaling those other big cities and therefore, barring a major recession, it will become an increasingly expensive way to live. Thats all I said, thats all I meant.

There're a nice blog about this at QPDX @ the Oregonian and Just Out. They say that Sho wants to court Portland's gay vote - but here's the funny catch: "[the campaign message] features Portland gay power couple Eric Steinhauser and Gregg Macy as enthusiastic supporters of Dozono's mayoral bid. Steinhauser is Portland Opera's Box Office Manager and Macy is a Meeting Planning Manager at - wait for it - Azumano Travel. (That's the Portland company Dozono has run as President/CEO since 1987)."

Using his own employee to demonstrate support? Classic Dozono with his non-disclosure.

I don't understand why Sam Adams has a staff of NINE/9 on the taxpayer-paid city payroll. That's a big staff, and I just suspect that it's excessive and unnecessary.

I don't trust Adams with the people's money - he'll spend it foolishly (remember his own personal bankruptcy) and tax us for his lack of fiscal discipline.

I'm gonna vote for Sam because, like Sam, I like to take young male interns out for lunches and dinners and birthday parties!

Looks like Sam is changing his mind and following what Sho has been talking about for months:

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/05/05/daily29.html

Actually no. Sho has never said the money simply was not there to do the project, as in literally not in the budget due to a reduction in gas consumption. I seriously doubt if Sho knows how that particular funding mechanism works. Sho was opposed to the project because he believed it was a pander to rich NW portlanders (who by the way have received about 1% of the SDCs they contribute to the city, for projects in those areas.)

Sam is doing what good leaders do: he adapted to changing circumstances. The state revised its numbers, the city has to revise theirs.

What single issue can Sho raise now? I swear that damn bridge was all he could talk about and he didn't even know the numbers, just knee-jerk reactionary its too expensive. Oh wait now he will talk about the Burnside Couch Couplet. That part of town is changing rapidly and once the fed building is rehabbed (or is it the corp of engineers building?) the demand, and need for a safer crossing scheme on burnside will be essential.

having driven all over east portland it looked to me like people liked the unpaved portions of alleys and roads as so many have annexed them to their own yards by piling debris, old cars and in one case an actual patio on those sections. If the city came out to pave folks out east would get pissed, again, about the city changing things.

Hey Gully thanks for at least being upfront about your homophobia. I suppose you are going to retroactively apply your slimy implication to almost every Judge in America prior to the 1970's who took their almost exclusively male clerks out to lunch and had bbqs at their houses?

Besides, Sam already said the he prefers the professor type. (City Club of Portland Debate, 1st question not posed to the candidates by the MC: "Ginger or Mary Anne" Sam's response was the professor.)

God, I forgot the young male intern incident. Adams could be Portland's Democratic party version of Gay Old Pedophile.

I'd like to know, too, why he has a staff of 9 taxpayer-paid employees. I just can't fathom why any city commissioner needs a staff of 9 taxpayer-paid employees, especially when he isn't doing a good job as the head of PDOT. Every time I drive or walk around Portland, it's a mess with traffic, closed streets, lack of parking (except for business owners), closed sidewalks, et al. Because Adams has NOT done a good job running PDOT, he's likely to be unable to be a competent mayor.

We need change - from the White House right down here to city hall in Portland, and as a 'iron Democrat', I will enthusiastically support Democrats when they offer that change, but Sam Adams represents the 'old guard'; Portland can't move forward with him at the helm of city hall.