It's been 11 years since a group successfully challenged a city decision.

Congratulations and thank you to all those who participated and gathered signatures.
Thanks to Clean Water Portland, Kim Kaminski and others who successfully organized this effort.

11 years!
No wonder our city council has been so arrogant, it is about time we the people showed them enough is enough.

Hope! There is hope!

Or will the city just say that all those signatures are invalid for some reason?
I'll believe the effort is successful when the issue is on the ballot!

Jack, there's a guy who consistently (every day I've driven past) collects in the mornings in front of the co-op on SE 21st between Clinton and Powell.

The referendum process is our safety net. Citizens are able to fall back to this successfully when elected folks fail to follow the will of the people. Randy says he is not disappointed, but he should be. We have seen more of this everywhere in the region, it isn’t a fad. It’s not occurring because people suddenly understand the process exists, but rather as an indictment of local government’s decision making ability. Some will cry out that we elected them, so let them do their job. Guess what? We tried that.

"Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous Communist plot we have ever had to face?"
Gen. Jack D. Ripper

Maybe fluoride in the water isn't the real issue...maybe the fact that he current mayor and city council members systematically and consistently ignore the opinions and desires of those who elected them, the real issue here.

Maybe fluoride in the water isn't the real issue...maybe the fact that he current mayor and city council members systematically and consistently ignore the opinions and desires of those who elected them, the real issue here.

Bullseye!!

Hero Randy says, "he expects a full and meaningful debate in the months ahead."

Right ~ That's exactly what Hero Randy and his toadie, David Shaff (Water Bureau Czar-Bureaucrat), hoped to avoid.

Hero Randy will be directing Mayor Smith from behind the curtains next year so he will be untouchable. The rest of the City Council gang should resign for supporting Hero Randy's top down dictator-style "governance."

Spraypaint, styrofoam, plastic bags: all widely available outside the confines of Portlandia.

Meanwhile, the streets, bridges, sewers, and water mains are neglected. But we do have trams, trolleys, and city funded 2% for Arts.

And the egoists on the City Council think they're changing the world.

This is a much bigger issue than fluoride.

It's best not to celebrate TOO EARLY! It was a big effort and that's encouraging but the 'system' doesn't support the public and there aren't clear, written guidelines about all the details regarding signatures, as far as I can see.

Many have probably not even heard about how petitions to get Nader on the ballot were screwed with by those at the top or the resulting lawsuit with Greg Kafoury and the Green Party.

Too many for my comfort said the CC should decide everything or were 'pro-fluoride'. I was called names as people stormed by and it was much harder to get them than I expected. There how many in Portland (800,000? area?) Even if it makes it to the ballot, there will still be a lot of $$ for a slick campaign for all those who didn't sign or pay attention.

I wish I sensed a stronger sense that for a lot of people this was about 'democracy' and people were actually willing to engage in real discussions.

If our 'democracy' is weak.....we have to see where those structures are know that *we are the ones* that have to strengthen them!

Maybe the reaction to Multnomah Co.'s Mean Sisters will carry over to the Portland City Council and the fluoride vote. Due process should be honored with a vote.

The always egotistical Water Bureau Admiral Randy Leonard aka The Hose Guy who kept behind closed door the conversation and entire process to add fluoride to Portland’s water supply is quoted in the O as saying “that he expects a full and meaningful debate in the months ahead.” This is just a back pedal spin - a bull-headed statement coming from this ignoramus who wants to control everything and everybody. That debate should of have taken place long before the City Council vote and before he chose to dictatorially control the process. Just maybe the fact that Clean Water Portland is about to turn in close to 35,000 signatures to force a public vote on the issue will take down the Admiral's ego a notch or two. But with the Admiral having a big hat and no cattle, its not too likely.

Who has time for democracy? In a populace dazzled and obsessed by the perfect coffee, Apple gadgets, microbrews, cocktail lounges, carbon-fibre bicycles, sustainability, food carts, yoga parlors, keeping their gonads sated, et. al, not to mention the distraction of festivals, festivals, and festivals, who has time to get involved?

Yes I have noticed all the distractions, keep people busy either entertained or with meetings and more useless meetings, then roll out continuous problems that must keep people awake at night with worry about the latest abuse, whether adding fluoride to the drinking water or ruining neighborhood character, and on and on.

43,236 vs. 5 from City Council

43,235 vs. 5 from city Council.

I wonder what is driving this that across the board, these five and then Novick, Nolan, Hales and Jefferson are all for fluoride? One would think if they did any research there might be some difference of opinion here, but lock step it is. Oh and of course they all know better than the Union of Scientists?

http://www.nteu280.org/Issues/Fluoride/NTEU280-Fluoride.htm

"Why EPA Headquarters' Union of Scientists Opposes Fluoridation."

The following documents why our union, formerly National Federation of Federal Employees Local 2050 and since April 1998 Chapter 280 of the National Treasury Employees Union, took the stand it did opposing fluoridation of drinking water supplies. Our union is comprised of and represents the approximately 1500 scientists, lawyers, engineers and other professional employees at EPA Headquarters here in Washington, D.C.

There must be an uplifting spirit in our city in knowing that 43,236 signatures
were gathered in less than a month!! Amazing!
Thanks again to everyone who made this possible.

It's sad that 43,236 signatures were gathered to force a vote on fluoride, but Portland couldn't muster even 20,000 signatures to force a vote on recalling Creepy.

Had they recalled Sam Adams, I sincerely doubt tht fluoridation would have received the hurry up no-time-for-debate treatment that it did.