To quote Johnny Rotten on his first and last trip to Graceland, "good riddance to bad rubbish". Do you think someone could convince him to take his self-cleaning Turdis with him?

It will take a new set of crooks, thieves and liars a while to settle in.

Randy reminds me of Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. He came swaggering in with a clean-the-house and help-the-people attitude. That changed with buying biofuel at inflated prices, arming the water bureau, buying boats, all while the stuff that makes a city work has crumbled.

A simple search-and-replace on Idi Amin's Wikipedia entry sums up Randy's last years.

By 2011, the number of Randy's supporters and close associates had shrunk significantly, and he faced increasing dissent from the populace within Portland as the economy and infrastructure collapsed from years of neglect and abuse.

Buckle up for the next year and a half. It should be quite the ride.

Dave Lister? Charles Lewis?

Nah -- probably Deborah Kafoury, Chuck Currie...

Oh, I'm sure that Streetcar Smith will take another run at it. Might be a little more difficult with the CIty of Portland not footing the campaign bill though.

Gosh this is sad.

Maybe the new Transit bridge could be named The Randy Bridge to memoralize his greatness forever.

Name a street after Randy Leonard? He's white AND heterosexual -- what would be the advantage there?

I think a slight renaming of the Portland Loos as the "Randy Leonard Memorial Loos" will be a fitting enough tribute. Or the PDC could buy the building that housed Pappas' Greek restaurant Randy's code-enforcement stormtroopers shut down and rename it the "Randyplex."

The O says Steve Novick is going to run for his seat.

I guess the privatization of our water system is further along than I thought. These new water barons will need a czar to run it and guess who is getting himself positioned for the coronation?

Bob Stacey
Steve Novick
Charlie Hales (lowering his sights)

One down; four to go

Novick is in.

But he has nothing in ORESTAR.

His website was registered 5 days ago and it is hosted and designed by the Democratic Party of Oregon. If he paid for it, it should be reported. If it is a giveaway by DPO, then it should be counted as an in-kind donation.

Isn't this the kind of thing that Sam the Scam used to knock out Sho Dozono?

Even more interesting is that the position is explicitly nonpartisan. DPO involvement can get Novick in the same sort of trouble that Diane Linn got in when she "mistakenly" called herself a Democrat in her campaign literature. (She said it was supposed to be a little-d democrat.)

Novick seems like another vote for Saltzman. If Cogen was mayor, Mrs. Saltzman and her buds would then have three votes (egged on, no doubt, by a certain weekly alternative newspaper).

We need to continue to put as much pressure as possible on Leonard. . not just let him skate out to the end of his term thinking he will be out soon! Soon!! not soon enough, because believe me in 1 and 1/2 years this misguided man can do a lot of damage with his unwise decisions in many arenas and regarding our water!!

Leonard said he'll complete his term to oversee the Water Bureau's efforts to comply with federal drinking-water regulations.

This is insane. He and Council will not ask for a Waiver. EPA cannot grant if not asked, how handy is that for this local group to not have to act? . . . and on whose behalf are they all working for anyway?

In my opinion, misrepresentation is too polite of a word here for out and out distortions. Just because Leonard says there is not an avenue for an exemption, can he really be believed anymore?? NY at least asked for and got a reprieve from EPA until 2028 and are planning to ask for more time. Our fools won't even ask for a delay.

We cannot allow someone so misguided for whatever reason to destroy what geniuses
designed, one of the greatest sustainable water systems in our country.

As for Leonard's post-council future? He said he won't return to public office but didn't rule out a job in the private sector.

We only have to wonder if Leonard delivers our water system to the “right” people, has he been offered a fancy job in the private sector?

He might be a perfect fit as a pit bull to deliver other city water systems working for international water companies, he knows how to do it and has no qualms apparently to deliver us to the world of "privatization" as he creates unnecessary debt. If he can't see that, then he is totally inept. This community should not accept an inept one to wreck our water system.

Where are all the other elected officials on this matter? Silent? Why?

Thank God Randy and his arrogant rude behavior attitude will finally be out of there.Randy has been nothing but an arrogant bully and has no record of doing anything good for the. Average portlander.

Eileen Brady is another vote for Saltzman too. No wonder he isn't running.

I suppose the real question is how to keep the Firelad's bully instincts in check until he is out of there.

I wonder if the Firebomb will stick it out. Depending on how much he has in PERS, and if he put his 75% in the variable fund, he might be subject to some changes in calculating retirement benefits that take place December 31 of this year. Of course, he always has the FPDR retirement as well. Just wonderin' . . .

NY got a reprieve until 2028?
Ok,Fire Shaff and hire someone from NY who has the smarts and determination to work for the public here and knows exactly how to ask and get a delay from EPA!

Pay that person very well!
and they just might demand a Waiver!

Does anyone remember how cruel and low-class Randy was in public to Bruce Warner on the first city council meeting Bruce attended after the suicide of his son? I bet Randy doesn't remember it.

a certain weekly alternative newspaper

My dream would have a certain weekly newspaper choose this blog's author to conduct Randy's exit interview. Absent that, perhaps we could cut out the middle man and just do it direct here.

We can dream, can't we?