Lister's best point is on Hales baling office once before. My old man would call Hales a quitter for something like that. You know you start what you finish. And Hales is not a finisher, just an opportunist.

I wonder how all the "progressives" defending Hales for his residency issues and quitting while in office extended the same charity to Chris Dudley and Sarah Palin? One thing I love about creative, forward thinking Blue Oregon, they can't even see their own hypocrisy.

Oh come on, NEPguy, the Rs never see their hypocrisy either... all that crap talk about the sanctity marriage while they cheat on their wives or take up with younger models while the loyal good wife of many years is in the hospital suffering from cancer (Gingrich). Rs and Ds... two sides of a coin... liars lacking integrity.

Which progressives are defending Hales for his residency issues & for quitting? I haven't exactly seen a groundswell of support myself, but now you've got me curious who you're talking about.

Of course, it's true the residency story was broken by those right wing toadies at Willamette Week...

(insert emoticon)

Blue Oregon is the most biased kissup site their Is.they don't like republicans or anyone e lse who has a right wing common sense view of things.Democrats who do questionable things get free passes and excuses from blue oregon but if a Republican does the same thing they want him thrown out of office. office.proving their hypocrisy.

Why didn't Hales simply run for mayor of Stevenson?

To be clear, my main objection to the residency issue is that Hales didn't disclose it initially and somehow thought it wouldn't come up.

Hales was elected in good faith to a four year term and quit to pursue economic opportunity. I view that as a violation of the voters' trust. His private sector career since has involved "private public" partnerships to put the streetcar stamp on communities all over the country. That's simply a continuation of the fleecing of the taxpayers so the chosen few can get rich off of transit orient development schemes.

The Hales campaign touts the airport light rail as a great example of TOD, but nothing happened out there until the area was anchored with an Ikea store. How many people use light rail to shop at Ikea?

Hales was also instrumental in the SOWHAT development. He claims the recession is responsible for that projects failure, but the fact is SOWHAT failed years before the economy tanked.

Dave L., how do you know what Hales thought? That's a skill that might be worth something.

Dave,

As for the IKEA/Best Buy development, they really screwed up the access road to economy parking in order to create the clusterfark overpass/interchange from Airport Way.

It's a perfect example of failed social policy ("no big box stores") wrapped in poor urban planning, that resulted in a complete reversal of their stated objectives to avoid abject failure.

If Oregon ever passes a sales tax, half of those stores at Cascade Station will close in 6 months.

...Hales was one of the principal architects behind transforming the Portland I love into a cheap imitation of San Francisco. Now Hales wants to be the next mayor so he can continue on that course. More gentrification, more density and more streetcars...

LucsAdvo:...And Hales is not a finisher,...

Agree generally except in this respect, I think he would be very motivated to be a “finisher.” I think Hales would be coming back specifically to finish what he began, on the transforming of Portland completely into what he envisioned. Perhaps he should consider going back to school if he likes building, get a degree in architecture and start as a junior designer in collaborating on projects. There he would have to compete with others in bids. The city belongs to the people who live here. In my opinion, not for his satisfaction of fancying himself as the chosen one to redo an entire cityscape - we do not need any more of his "brand of change" here; we have had enough of the damage he facilitated to last our city's lifetime.

Thank you Dave for your letter. It is important that people realize those responsible for the "transforming of Portland" that many lament about.

To clarify my earlier point, neither the Ds or the Rs have a monopoly on blatantly inconsistent "principles" - I just find it amusing that Hales is in a virtually identical position to the Dudley/Palin scenarios discussed above, and I think it's a valid question to ask his friends/supporters (read the comments to Lister's Oregonian piece) how they stood on similar issues roughly a year ago. Something tells me they weren't as understanding when the shoe was on the other foot.

Does this mean we can expect Erik Sten to reappear and run for mayor some day in the future?

And, would Hales have had the "economic opportunity" if he had not been on the City Council? He spent a couple of years getting his foot in the door, then basically left based on the highest bidder for his lobbyist services.

NEPguy, thanks for clarifying that you meant people commenting on Lister's article. At the time of your original post there wasn't anything on Blue Oregon (though now there is a discussion split roughly 50-50).

I am not as negative about Charlie Hales and streetcars as some here, but even I gag at "We're ready to ride Charlie's train!" (Achterman comment)

For me this falls about exactly into Dudley territory: I'm not so upset I'd rule out voting for the guy, but it bumps him down my list, and he wasn't that high to begin with. Not sure yet who's lower on my list, him or Sam, but I hope it's a moot point.

Clineman, I agree with your point, namely, "the city belongs to the people who live here" and cityscape creations should not be an agenda, a mission, a Plan, and performed by only one or a select few.

Places are created in metamorphic fashion over long periods of time that reflect many factors and many people. Portland seems to have politicians like Hales who have singular "Visions" mostly based on mass transit, bikes, density and concrete.

I like your idea that Hales should go back to school-architecture school or Oregon State's construction management program, then become a developer on his own dime to build his "Vision" at his own risk and prove his "Vision" is right. And take a few others with him.