"glorious and quirky"

So Sam runs the freak show and by day he tries to recruit professional businesses to town. I am not getting why billing Portland as more entertainment than a circus sideshow is so crucial to the outside world.

Is he aware there is somewhat of a dichotomy in his actions?

I'll overlook the part about a politician willing to take responsibility for his actions.

After the Chapter 9 bankruptcy, he'll go around apologizing. At least that's more than we get from Vera.

There's a gay pothole on my block that needs some attention.

Now now, remember, as Sam told us, there are no gay potholes and straight potholes. There are just lots and lots of potholes that we don't bother to fix because we are too busy giving all our money to the real estate developers and the ex-cops.

“We may be the greenest city in the country, but that’s not good enough,” he said. “We can be the greenest city in the world.”

the marketing-slogan ignorance and arrogance of that statement alone (it's not just false, it's really, really false) show me yet again that Adams is more style than substance.

I don't offhand recall a non-risky choice.

Sho would have been less risky than the Tramster, by a mile. Potter was hardly a risk at all.

Based on my current property tax bill and the surplus of for-sale and rental homes sitting empty in my 'hood, I'm not sure large numbers of people can afford to live in the greenest city in the world.

Jennifer, the biggest threat isn't that the low- and middle-income can't afford to rent an overpriced apartment . . . I know plenty of folks paying 75% of their income towards rent. It is that, if they are forced to find a new rental apartment they may not qualify to move in because an increasing number of property management companies demand that prospective tenants make at least 2 1/2 times the amount of the monthly rent in monthly take-home income. The feds and the State have their heads in the sand when they accept as a minimum wage an amount that is not adequate (even if two jobs are held) to allow prospective tenants to meet the standards of landlords and property managers. To suggest that there are properties somewhere where these people could spend no more than 30% of their income on housing is naive. Such properties only exist as scarce, city-subsidized housing.

So, yes, large numbers of people cannot afford to live in the "greenest city in the world" except in a tent or beneath an overpass.

Jack, please have one of your internets connections generate the IQ test banner on your cite with Sam Adams face on it. Then you could have the risky (in)decisions work in flux/proportion with the C.O.P. debt meter.

On a serious note, the whole "Keep Portland Weird" stolen logo thing is going to need some updating in a couple years.

2009-"The Year Where Portland Copied Itself to Death"

How John Waters, there Sam.

So many contests and fun for the next few years, enjoy it all you cunning stunts!

No one was happy with pdx on the "same, old" course; no one is happy with pdx on a new course; no one will be happy with pdx on its next course. local politics, meh.

Adams is the "same, old" course -- the Katz-Goldschmidt course, only without the Goldschmidt. Potter had the potential to be something different, but he didn't do much with it. Now it's back to business as usual, as the ship starts to take on some serious water financially. Bon voyage.

the Katz-Goldschmidt course, only without the Goldschmidt

good one. i agree.

Potter had the potential to be something different, but he didn't do much with it.

i think he was largely ineffective but very well-intentioned--and also sabotaged at several turns. Adams frequently seized opportunities to toot his horn and demand his pet projects receive attention--and to berate Potter.

but Adams will be even less effective than Potter was. pet projects and snarky egotism do not a mayor make.

The greenest city in the world is most likely some small village out in the jungle. No cars, no electricity, baking bread in a dung fired oven, etc.

I don't see the average American being too excited about living in such a "green" city!

Sorry Sam, you're just too stupid to matter.