I love that last picture.

EЯIK STEИ: "So, kids, how did you like the tram ride?"

Despite knowing the anti-Erik sentiments of Jack and many commenters on this blog, I want everyone to be aware that the statement in the Portland Tribune article yesterday that Erik has endorsed Dan over me is incorrect.

See, Jack - Erik's neutral, you're supporting me... people are coming closer together because of my candidacy .... :)

One little piece of curious synchronicity is that, if I remember correctly, Dick Springer and Diane Linn were married to each other in 1988.

Amanda - I hope we can bring you in the City Council. Erik scares me, just on his teeth alone.

Best of luck!

P.S. Erik - Can you put me on the waiting list for one of those $1,000 a month apartments? Thanks Thanks!

Amanda: If Erik is as neutral toward you as he was in the Adams-Fish race, he's out there today hawking Saltzman lawn signs.

Er, isn't Sten a "yes" vote on the Tram? Where does he get off accusing someone of working for the project that he continually votes for? Sheesh.

We've six "Amanda" lawn signs, one in the window...and still someone slipped a "Saltzman for City Council" flyer under our door mat today.

Maybe they thought we just needed educating?

"Strong, Independent Leadership for Portland," it proclaims. "And there is something else about Dan Saltzman: Courage...willing to take on the tough issues that others won't touch."

So...the flyer talks about Dan's Man-of-Steel vote on the Tram? Nah...doesn't mention the Tram, or anything remotely connected with South Waterfront, the Pearl District, or the developers who are funding his campaign.

So...the flyer talks about Dan's work on the Fire & Police Disability & Retirement System? Nah...

Mt Tabor reservoir covers? Nah...

It does talk about the Children's Initiative, which --according to Willamette Week-- spent $70,000 putting Dan Saltman's name in every Portland mail box with its "Report Card."

Guess I'm not ready to switch my vote from Amanda quite yet.

Here's the link to the audio record of the NW Cultural Center candidates forum (this event was sponsored by the NW Examiner, the local paper in NW Portland.) Only 4 candidates were invited -- Fritz vs Saltzman, Sten vs Burdick.

http://www.chrissmith.us/examiner_debate/

The entire subject was the NW plan. Questions were given to the candidates in advance, so they had a chance to do real research, and show their deliberative, thoughtful, intelligent side.

If it existed...

It was the third forum I'd been to this "season", and and the first that really held the candidate's feet to the fire.

Saltzman left early, after tossing a bullpucky lie to the crowd that said, plain as plain could be -- I'm not your commissioner. I listen to others than you, you're just "citizens of Portland". And, apparently, as such, not due by right the truth, from their own Commissioner...

There have been times I've liked that man. This was not one of them.

Both Dan and Eric have been on the City Council all through the early votes on North Macadam and the Tram over five years ago. They were both a party to the consequences that have and will continue concerning both.

Dan opponent Dave Lister has publically expressed his opposition to the tram and the fiscal disaster that is developing in NM. The other opponents of Dan have not.

For Eric the same is true. Amanda Fritz is opponent that has seriously, with good analysis, questioned and voted against the tram and parts of the NM Agreement.

Other way around, Jerry - I'm running for the seat Dan's held for nearly eight years. Dave and Erik are in the other race. Thank you for your comments. You're someone who knows the full history of the tram -- or at least the part known to the public.

Don't forget both Dan and Eric, did this "For the Children" in 2000. Children will pay for for the next 20+ years.

Paper: Oregonian, The (Portland, OR)
Message: STEIN, KATZ KEEP TUSSLING OVER FUNDS CHAIRWOMAN AGAIN WILL PUSH FOR $2 MILLION A YEAR LOST DUE TO LIGHT RAIL
Author: SCOTT LEARN of the Oregonian Staff
Date: August 16, 2000
Section: PORTLAND ZONER
Page: B02

Stein, a longtime Katz cohort, wants $2 million a year from the city
for the next 25 years to help compensate for property taxes the new
Interstate Avenue urban renewal district would take away from Multnomah
County.

"I'm going to keep advocating for this," said Stein, who will speak at
the hearing tonight. " She's not happy with me and I'm not happy with
her. But we have a long relationship."

Stein is backed by the Citizens Crime Commission and the League of
Women Voters, long concerned about urban renewal districts sapping basic
city and county resources.

The council still is expected to unanimously support the overall urban
renewal plan, despite critics who question the value of a new light
rail line and the legality of declaring the district "blighted" to qualify
it for urban renewal.

The new district would cover 3,700 acres, the city's largest urban
renewal district. For the next 25 years, all property tax growth in the
district would go to pay off loans drawn to build projects and spur
economic development within the district. That would leave less for the city,
county and other local governments, but create an estimated 6,700 extra
jobs and 2,600 more homes.

The city and county will forgo an average of $3.6 million to $3.8
million in property taxes a year for basic services over the next 25 years,
the Portland Development Commission estimates.

Stein's $2 million-a-year plan would cover only a fraction of the need
for early Head Start. An estimated 5,090 low-income families with
infants and children to 3 years old are eligible for early Head Start in
Multnomah County; only 191 are served now. At $10,000 a slot, the full $2
million would add another 200 families a year.

Stein said the county's planned public safety levy for November 2002
would likely include more money for early childhood programs. A potential
gubernatorial candidate in 2002, Stein said she expects the state and
other governments to chip in, too.

Sten Voted for the narrowly defeated Alexan Apartment tower Tax Abatement in SoWa.

The $10 million/10 year property tax exemption
was touted by the PDC as providing 48 affordable studio apartments.

Incompetent Sten couldn't decipher either the public's interests or affordable housing interests even when it became clear that the 511 sq. ft studios were
NOT affordable at $875.00/month,
parking would be extra,
the non-affordable rent guarantee would evaporate when the abatement did
and the city and taxpayers would be left with NOTHING to show for the $10 gift to developers of the luxury apartment tower.
Trammel Crow and Homer Williams had the PDC making the pitch and Eric bought it like the fool who bought the Water Bureau computer system.

About the same time council voted for another SoWa Development Agreement amendment (7) which included taking $3 million (borrowed TIF money) earmarked for street improvements in SoWa and giving it to OHSU, supposedly to pay for future parking for affordable housing in some future building.

With this kind of madness nothing is affordable.

Vote Lister, get sanity.

He really does look like Alfred E. Neuman.

It's not the look -- it's the lack of common sense. The progressive, Stanford version of Bush.

Amanda, thanks for correcting my comments. I was out of state and it was obvious. Point being: both incumbents voting records do not match their sales pitches.

Give me a break. It's not the commissioners who decide to close schools and you know that, Jack.

It's not the commissioners who decide to close schools and you know that, Jack.

Really? So then what's all Erik's talk about "standing up for the children"? Surely it's not about keeping them from being shot on their way to school, because it's quite obvious the City of Portland doesn't know how to do that.