This is fantastic news. I have been excited about the prospect of Sam Adams as our next mayor ever since I first met him. He came to our neighborhood tree planting with his staff a couple years ago and really showed up. I've appreciated Sam's energy on the City Council and believe he'll make a fantastic mayor - this City is great and yet there's a lot of change that needs to happen - I believe this will be possible with Sam as Mayor.

And Amanda Fritz for City Commissioner? Yes, please. The woman is a fireplug of the best sort. I've seen her on the campaign trail - she made publicly-financed elections look great last time round - and I hope that she uses that system again and I loook forward to giving her my $5 contribution as soon as possible.

Congratulations, Portland - we're one lucky City with a brighter future ahead.

"He came to our neighborhood tree planting with his staff a couple years ago and really showed up."

Let me see: he came, and he showed up. You mean BOTH? Now that IS impressive. I am definitely writing a donation check ASAP.

I withhold judgment on Adams' potential as mayor, although I question whether being Vera Katz' enforcer really qualifies him for much of anything. In other words, I cannot think of any reason to support him. Someone help me out.

As for the quoted bits from his speech announcing his candidacy:

Nearly half of our middle and high school students drop out. This is a desperate problem, and one that we cannot expect our school boards to solve on their own. Our shared future success begins at home and in the classroom. As Mayor, reducing the drop-out rate will be a citywide, all-hands-on-deck priority.

Should Portland voters need another reminder, the mayor and commissioners do not run any school district. What exactly does Adams think the city should do for schools? Excuse the cynicism, but I cannot help wondering why someone without children (in public schools or otherwise) is making such a big deal in his campaign kickoff about schools that the city doesn't even manage. (One also wonders why the PPS school board has just hired its second consecutive childless superintendent...but that's another matter.)

Nearly one in three of our neighbors scrambles on poverty wages to make ends meet. Working at a low-paying job might be the first rung on the prosperity ladder, but it certainly should not be the last. In an Adams administration, more Portlanders will get a helping hand through tough times and more local businesses will compete in the global economy and win.

Details, please, and I hope to Gawd the answer does not have anything to do with streetcars.

We expect nearly 1 million additional residents in our region in the next 25 years. We are not ready. We will invest and innovate in transportation and transit, affordable housing, green building and infrastructure. I will fight to protect and restore the natural capital of our land, air and water. You know I will zealously guard the quality of life that sets us apart as one of the great cities on the planet.

The great majority of those new residents will not live within the City of Portland.

-Lin,

As a gay man, let me tell you that you don't have to have children, nor subscribe to the straight hegemonic culture to care about kids and whether or not they graduate from high school. I think that your arrogance in believing that people that do not have children cannot speak for them is unfounded.

As to his being Katz's hitman... have you been drunk these last few years or have you just left out that he has been a City Councilman?

Please don't attempt to pretend that you can be convinced to vote for Sam Adams. Your mind is already made up. It was made up long before he even announced. It will not be changed even if Jesus returns to Earth and tells you so. Am I right?

Hope I wasn't being too forward. :)

The news from Amanda Fritz is great! Her blog has been incredibly informative since it started, and has provided the kind of information and analysis, and, yes, opinions, that I've found very useful. She has my support, and will soon have my $5 as she is committed to voter owned elections.

Dear LiberalIncarnate,

I could really care less about either your sexual preferences or Sam Adams'. The "straight hegemonic culture" line is pretty silly. No, obviously it is not a requirement that one be either straight or a parent to care about kids, but it sure helps to either have kids in school to understand something about schools today (and not whenever you happened to be in school) or to spend a fair bit of time at schools (and I do not mean on tours with PPS bureaucrats).

Adams was Katz' long-time enforcer and was narrowly elected to the city council in 2004. That makes his tenure on the council significantly shorter than that of any of his colleagues excepting Mayor Potter. I voted for Adams in 2004 when it was a choice between him and Nick Fish, although I felt strongly about neither.

Again, give me a reason to vote for Adams.

Lin, it hasn't even been 24 hours since his announcement speech. There's over a year till the election. If you're on the fence, why not give him some time to put out some official position statements?

Anyone who announces at a brewery has my vote. Sam Adams is also an all around rockstar and a great candidate.

I like what Sam Adams had to say in his announcement.
He hit the right issues in the right way for Portland.
Sam has matured and grown in his time on the City Commission. He has shown that he can learn from his own mistakes, and consistently move towards what is best for the City. He is NOT just a politician trying to please everyone all of the time, while snarfing up all of the publicity he can. He listens and will try to do the right thing. Sam has my support. I could be wrong, but I don't think anyone serious is going to run against him.
If they do, they better be ready to put up a heck of a fight. It also says something good about Portland, that I like, if an outwardly gay person, who was previously Mayor Katz' hatchet man, can be so widely acknowledged as the logical person to become our next Mayor. It's not just that he wants it -- he has proven he deserves it, and Portland is sophisticated enough to know that. Wow.

Ron, really? I heard this was not his official kickoff speech, and for my part, I'm looking for a bit more meat in the official announcement. The speech was fine and all that, but it seemed mostly "I'm going to work hard on the hard things!" (APPLAUSE) "Issues like education and transit and jobs!" (APPLAUSE) "Portland is a great place and I'm going to make sure it is still great!" (APPLAUSE)

I thought Randy did a better job of speaking to Sam's qualifications than Sam did!

Sam has a compelling biography, so why not advertise it? And the man certainly has passion, so let's see it. He's got to escape the technocratic image.

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But to the REALLY important stuff. First, the Roots beer was great. The venue was just the sort of completely packed location you'd want. Good visuals.

I lost a bet to MR: Sam wore a suit and a tie (I said sports coat and open collar).

My wife won the buttoned / open jacket wager.

Finally, we had a PUSH on wingtips vs. loafers. Sam had a nice pair that were really not either type!

And that tie. A bit wide and a bit too much violet if you ask me.

But the new glasses and haircut got the thumbs up from our table!

Sam has a very impressive resume. However, for being someone who loves to make appearances and help out, he is usually modest about the depth of his experience and what he knows. Yes, he loves the camera (as any representative who tries to educate the public should) but as anyone who has heard him speak knows (and I've been to several Sam events and planned a small one with his staff), Sam usually does not advertise his years of experience. This is somethign he needs to overcome to convince some people apparently.

However, I think Sam will make a fantastic mayor. He is a bold leader who loves to educate the public on issues they care about in terms they can understand. Has anyone here seen his Breakdown of a Traffic Jam presentation? He quickly and in a smart way breaks down a complex issue, and he points out the solutions to it (such as emergency response units). Sam doesn't sit on the sidelines like Potter, who let everyone but himself decide on a vision for Portland.

Sam has the knowledge to know what will work and what won't. He also isn't afraid to try revolutionary ideas that carry the opportunity of huge reward, look at the Hawthorne parking endeavor for a classic example.

If you want someone with over ten years experience in city government, who stays connected to his community, and who loves challenging the status quo when it needs challenging, Sam is your candidate. Even without anyone else announcing, no one else has the experience and passion that he carries.

p.s. Even in the past year he has grown up quite a bit. The first time I met him was last year at the Armory opening, and we were both a little tipsy on the martinis they were serving.

So... Since our local beer is so popular, let's push him to commit do DO specific things. Let's have a really progressive campaign.

He's so far ahead, if he shirks from the idea, we know what we're dealing with, right? Implementation is thorny, but the media gobbles up races with bodacious issues, so let's get some!

And before we get too far ahead, I still want to know, can you get reception from the WiFi towers anywhere but under them, and I've got questions about Portland community gardens as well. We're setting a high standard here.

Besides, the Rose Parade taping issue should be included as stock in all debates. That and how a mayor would respond to a declaration of Federal martial law.

The more it isn't in the scope of the campaign, the more coverage it gets. So now is the time to make some major green, anti-global warming proposals, that just happen to promote Portland values. Something pro-alternative transportation.

So what has Sam done? He's fixed roads downtown and built streetcars. Oh yeah, he watched a $5M tram balloon to $69M and, surprise, he was so well-informed, he had no clue. I forgot, he likes giving developers breaks if they can build around street cars. SO his vision extends about as far as the proposed streetcar line.

How about some answer for the $4B debt this city is running up? Yes, $2B for unfunded FPDR pensions alone. What about the rest of the sewer dumps we have to fix? WHat about potholes and money for police?

If Sam can't do basic math, how is he going to help schools? Some substance please, not just promises to every special interest group.

Just to let you know, I am voting for Amanda, but would vote for Charles Lewis next.

You're right, darn him for inheriting a project that was set in motion in 2002. And good point, such a ridiculously expensive project that cost $69million.

Forget the fact that the public (i.e. city) only paid for slightly more than $8million of that. OHSU and developers covered the rest. Also forget that Sam was influential in investigating the commissioning of the tram, which was done with a lot more private support than it probably needed.

In my earlier comment about Sam Adams I should have mentioned that he did more than show up - he stayed and planted trees - it was not just a photo-op.

And, Amanda Fritz is a sparkplug :) Not a fireplug. Thanks for the correction.

See some of you at the Summit this weekend!

"the tram, which was done with a lot more private support than it probably needed."

What private support? OHSU is another taxpayer funded organization. My point is that once Mr Adams decides he wants something (a la Vera), then cost be damned.

I am more concerned with a lot of the debt we continue to pile up which Mr Adams has been integral to (12 yrs for Vera and 3 yrs as comm.) We are chewing up not just current prop tax revenues but future ones. Plus we have this nasty habit of diverting SDCs from needier east-side neighborhoods to the anointed parts of town (downtown again - surprise!)

<h2>I'd like to hear if he has a plan to manage costs and reduce spending and debt. Putting together more bright/shiny projects to divert voters is not doingus a favor in the long run. THis is where I think Ms Fritz and Mr Lewis are further along than Mr Adams. At least they are aware we need to watch spending.</h2>