It's the least he can do, after he cut out and let this lying, disgraceful emberassment of a current mayor slide into office...

What happened to post with that NRO piece about Palin and how the repugs keep bringing a knife to a gunfight you had posted here an hour or so ago?

Wrong site. I never had a post about that. Sounds interesting, though.

oh. okay. sorry.

"repugs" - that's a new endearment I haven't heard before. Civil discourse died when cable news was born.

"Dimmocrats," "Repugnicans," they've been around on the internet for ages.

At least he saved us the visioning process.

I was looking for the petitioners at Mississippi St. fair today---didn't spot any.

Its the least Harry Potter can do for Portland since he has taken so much from it and given so little.

Hi Jimbo,

Our recall is more focused on neighbors talking to neighbors. We are relying on everyone who wants Adams recalled to get a petition (we now offer them via email for you to print at home) and have meaningful conversations with your friends and family to heal our city... and in-turn volunteer. The kids call this viral marketing.

We will be at some events such as Sunday Parkways and local Farmers markets. We will also have our own events like "Drive, Bike and Walk Through" signature gathering.

However, if you really want Adams recalled you will have to do your fair share of the work... just like Tom Potter has chosen to do.

Together we will make our government better,

RecallSamAdams.com
Jasun Wurster

if you really want Adams recalled you will have to do your fair share of the work.

Understood, but Dang, I hate the 'ol fair share argument.

Isn't there somewhere I can just click to recall?

Let's hope we never digresses into that Jimbo ;)

Truth be told, the only way we will recall Sam Adams is if we get 2000 volunteers to do a 4 hour shift this July collecting signatures from their neighbors.

The campaign has everything you need to succeed.. we now need all who want Adams recalled to put down you mouse and pick up a clipboard.

This is what Democracy looks like and this is what I mean when I say...

Together we will make our government better,

RecallSamAdams.com
Jasun Wurster

Mr. Wurster:

I am begging you to open up your website. You have no idea how many people are instantly turned off by signing into anything. That is why sites like BugMeNot.com are so successful.

Sure hip youngsters can deal with signing in. But you are going to get your foot soldiers from the ranks of older folks who are still on dial-up. Yes, they exist and there are a lot of them.

I know you are worried about dirty tricks and nastiness. So what. Your website does not need comments or chat rooms.

Your website's job is to put out information: One-way communication from you, the leader, to the thousands who are eager to help. Most people are busy and some people are lazy. Both types need YOU to make the jobs you want them to do easy to do.

I second Garage Wine's comments. You've got to make it as easy as possible for everybody from the computer saavy to the dial-up crowd (and folks without computer access at all). I won't sign up to access a site . . . not even a newspaper site.

Jasun, you might have this grass-roots ideal in mind of neighbors talking to neighbors , but realistically I don't see that happening. We have so many petition drives here in Oregon that we're used to just signing our petitions out in front of the local library or wherever. I am DYING to sign a petition, but in order to do so I have to commit to knocking on doors for 4 hours? Or else waiting for my neighbor (who I barely know, even after 8 years in this house, because we all keep pretty much to ourselves out here in the wilds east of 82nd Ave.) to come and knock on my door? PLEASE make it easy for us to just go and sign the stupid petition already! At the very least, tell us where a trained volunteer is going to be standing so we can drive over there and sign!

Interesting to see that Potter is on board for recall... both Potter and Mayor Tramwhore were at the same queer community event on Friday night. However, I did not happen to see them mingling....... Delicate dance for Potter to be sure.

Hi Michelle,

Would you like to be a trained volunteer to collect signatures to remove Adams from office? This is the only way that our Recall will succeed.

Garage Wine,

If people can not follow instructions to register on a website... how are they going to follow the litany of instructions to get signatures?

There are only 2 places that you need to be registered on the website to see. These are the Love Letters and Newsletters. The rest is open to the public. This includes the ability to see where to sign the petition and how to get a petition via email.

NW Portlander,

You can see all the information on where to sign a petition and how to volunteer to collect to get a petition WITHOUT having to register on the site. Please do take a second look at the site and consider spending 4 hours this July getting signatures from your friends and neighbors.

Together we will make our government better,

RecallSamAdams.com
Jasun Wurster

Jasun, you are not paying attention to what people are saying. There are those (myself included) who will not volunteer no matter how much you berate them, but would be willing to sign if you would only make it accessible. People want to know where to sign, tell them! Don't respond by telling them to volunteer. People have their reasons for not volunteering and no one needs to explain themselves to you. Your obstinance is going to doom this recall effort to failure.

"If people can not follow instructions to register on a website... how are they going to follow the litany of instructions to get signatures?"

Wurster:

If you think you have a snowball's chance of getting this thing done with that kind of attitude I question your cognitive functions.

These people don't want to gather, they just want to sign. Start with your pal at Nick's and have PLACES where people can sign. Put them on your webiste on the front page.

You need to drop all this politically correct crap you are peddling about "grassroots efforts" and "what the kids call it". You want signatures. Every one you can get. And who gives a crap if anti gay people sign? The point, you keep saying, is to get to a recall election. You are going to need to turn in at least fifty thousand signatures to get that done. And you better have a system of validating BEFORE you turn them in because Adams' supporters will be loading them with false names and duplicates.

Some speculate that you are only doing this to get yourself on the political map (bad idea, by the way) and others are even now speculating that you are an Adams' plant because you seem to be single handedly sabatoging your own effort.

Tom and Karin Potter's support may give you a shot in the arm, but unless you completely change your approach or raise some money and turn this thing over to professionals you are ensuring Adams' success.

Oh wow. I thought this recall thing had a chance, but now I am doubtful. Mr. Wurster doesn't seem to understand that (especially given the time constraints), it's about sheer numbers. That's it. Forget all of the "grass roots" crap for now. Wurster, re-do your web site so that it facilitates signatures, perhaps even put a bojack-style counter showing how many signatures to date and maps showing where to sign. There are enough folks in this town that want to see Adams go, and all you need to do is show them the way.

Wurster is clueless about doing this recall. I have heard from so many PDX residents who want to sign, but alas don't see a signature gatherer anywhere in their daily travels..... Sadly, this half-assed recall effort with the " my way or the highway attitude" by Wurster, will go down in flames and as a laughable attempt.....

Is Wurster's the only recall effort? He seems like a nice fellow, but clueless. But anybody can organize a recall, no? Why doesn't somebody else start a signature drive? I don't have the political savvy to do so; I'm puzzled that somebody who does hasn't stepped forward. I'm not suggesting duplicating efforts -- this would be two groups gathering signatures for the same petition. Is there a piece of election law I'm missing?

I voted for Adams, I probably would have voted for him if I knew then what I know now -- and I like the tram!, but I support the recall because I think he stole the election. (This is all so odd, because I think he didn't need to steal it -- he would have won, though with fewer votes, if he'd 'fessed up to the relationship.)

I am more and more convinced that this is a Looney Tunes cartoon: On the day the recall signatures are due, Jasun Wurster is going to unzip his Wurster bodysuit to reveal a smirking Sam Adams underneath.

Just be home when I get there. I was out for 1.5 hours and got 11 signatures and 11 no's. Pretty easy to do. You get the government you deserve.

I've met Jason. He means well but he doesn't inspire confidence.

I wouldn't offer him one hour of help if he is not willing to acknowledge that if it turns out that he's in over his head that he should step aside.

Jason, I'll give you four hours if you are willing to make this commitment: if you don't have 10k signatures by August 7th that you will withdraw the petition and let an adult refile it (and reset the 90 day recall clock).

There is nothing worse than burning through thousands of volunteers hours for nothing.

Are any of the complainers about Wurster's methods reading his posts??? Have any of them run petition efforts???

One more time. He said: ""You can see all the information on where to sign a petition and how to volunteer to collect to get a petition WITHOUT having to register on the site."

I ran petition efforts several years ago. It was excruciatingly hard then, but it is worse now. Petitioners are hassled when they are circulating measures that unions oppose. Some signers deliberately write incorrect names, addresses, etc. on any petitions. Others claim they are registered voters in the proper district knowing that they aren't. Some do it to be funny. Others do it out of malice. Those are just a few of the many, many dirty tricks that opponents of a petition effort play.

Mr. Wurster seems to know about those efforts and he's trying to avoid them. If you really want to recall Mayor Creepy, you have to take responsibility for doing it.

It seems that a few of the posters here want somebody else to do the job. So far, I don't see anyone actually stepping up to do it except Wurster.

So, again, may I respectfully remind you all about what he posted above: "You can see all the information on where to sign a petition and how to volunteer to collect to get a petition WITHOUT having to register on the site."

So, go to the darn website and do what you say you want people to do... Or quitchyer bellyachin'.

Hi All,

The front page of the web site has static places that you can go to and sign the petition. We will have even more places if you volunteer.

Feel free to call me at 503-799-7919 to personally express your concerns to me so that I can accommodate you or explain why something is a certain way.

Together we will make our government better,

RecallSamAdams.com
Jasun Wurster

Jasun, I respect your efforts and all those presently participating.

But if I volunteer to gather signatures I don't particularly like to convince my neighbors to sign the petition. Most people have heard of the circumstances and the various viewpoints about Adam's performance. In my experience of signature gathering, I get more signatures by briefly explaining the petition in my hand, then if there is a question I might elaborate.

Most neighbors don't want a civics lesson, they want to either sign or not.

In Adam's case there are numerous facets that I wouldn't want to express my opinion(s) or knowledge in fear that the reason this neighbor might want to sign is contrary to my reason(s). I just Adam's issues to be on a ballot before another three years pass and let the voters decide. In fact, Adams should even want this to happen if he really thinks he has the backing of Portland's voters.

Thanks, Jasun.

Hi LW,

Thanks you for your civil post, in my super volunteer recruiter mode I have neglected to mention that we have other places for people to volunteer getting signatures.

For example, we could extend our hours at the NE Weidler site, if people wanted to volunteer there. We could be at local farmers markets, if people wanted to volunteer there.

We will be at the NE Sunday Parkways later this month. Tomorrow I am getting a location where we can do "Drive, Bike and Walk" through signature gathering that we will need volunteers.

A lot of the requirements for our recall campaign is because we fully anticipate that Adams is goign to have a legal team to challenge our signatures. As berated as I get on this Blog, please know that we are covering our bases so that we can block those legal challenges.

In the training I tell volunteers that our goal is not to persuade people to sign. All they have to do is ask the following questions:

1) Do you want to Recall Sam Adams?

2) Are you a registered Portland voter?

3) What county do you live in?

If they answer No to question #1 or the person want to debate the issue, I tell the volunteer to cut the conversation and go to the next house.

I do wish that people would simply talk to me instead of tearing me apart on the Blogs.

Thank you for your very civil and well worded concerns. I hope that I was able to articulate some of the reasons why this recall campaign is as such.

I know that we need more trained volunteers. Please know that we have positions that involve getting signatures, but not involving having to go door to door. The best way to get valid signatures to Recall Sam Adams is to become a volunteer and get them from your friends and family. Then ask them to do the same.

Together we will make our government better,

RecallSamAdams.com
Jasun Wurster

Jasun,
Getting torn up on blogs is part of the deal when you make yourself a public person. Get used to it.

1 - Jasun: this recall will never be successful if you continue to put this much time into commenting on blogs (you ALWAYS have multiple paragraphs like this), which are irrelevant (yes, I see the irony in commenting on a blog to say that blog comments are irrelevant), when you need every waking moment to be getting signatures.

2 - Tom Potter...irrelevant when he endorsed Sho, irrelevant now.