Winners and losers
For a while there, we produced an annual set of top 10 lists of our favorite and least favorite public figures of the year. We let that feature peter out a couple of years back, but lately we've been thinking of bringing it back as a monthly post -- maybe with just five people (or groups) in each category.
Right now, we've got a couple of candidates for our top five favorites -- Ted Wheeler and Nick Fish -- and three for our least favorites -- Randy Leonard, Sam Adams, and Judy Shiprack. But that leaves room on our inaugural lists for plenty more heroes and villains. We're taking suggestions from you readers. The figures (or groups) can be national, or even international, as well as Oregon or local.
Give us your candidates, and we'll see if we can cobble up five and five for the end of May. Be sure to explain why you're nominating someone (or suggesting that I delete one of my nominees already mentioned).
| Posted at 2:39 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (26)
Your buddy from Tri Met who is going down under. He's deserving of the bad list.
Posted by Robert Collins | May 27, 2009 3:34 PM
I nominate Newt Gingrich for inclusion on the list of least favorite, especially if you are thinking about widening the net beyond Randy and Sam. From the preening arrogance to the mind-bending hypocrisy to the flagrant mistruths, not to mention being flat-out wrong on every issue, Newt has got virtually every objectionable human trait.
Posted by Dave J. | May 27, 2009 4:03 PM
Mark Wunderlich
Posted by disagreement | May 27, 2009 4:18 PM
Things may change by, hell, tomorrow, but I nominate Dick Cheney.
Reason: The guy wasn't heard from for 8 years in office, but now I can't escape his unwanted/unsolicited opinions.
Posted by none | May 27, 2009 5:43 PM
1) All five scumbags on the Council who voted themselves & non-union City employees a 2.8% raise today, Fish included in this case.
2) Newly-elected Education Genius & pathological Liar Bernie Giusto.
Posted by Lalawethika | May 27, 2009 6:05 PM
Saltzman. Silence in face of the proposed rape of Lents Park, and the ongoing pillaging of school funds by TIF through PDC for Little Lord Fauntleroy, errr Paulson.
Posted by Nonny Mouse | May 27, 2009 6:17 PM
Nobody's saying specifically, but most of the nominations so far sound like they go in the "worst" category. Maybe that's the only category this year.
Posted by Allan L. | May 27, 2009 6:23 PM
Winner--Kevin Pritchard for his future Pritch Slaps in the free agency market.
Posted by Brian | May 27, 2009 7:04 PM
Worst: Rep Greg Smith, for this ridiculous floor speech he gave opposing a bill that requires comprehensive/medically appropriate sex ed in schools.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E6fUvZyfwE
Posted by sarah | May 27, 2009 7:31 PM
You might want to take a peek at this folks
www.stumptownblogger.typepad.com
Fish is a LOSER also.
Posted by realdoN | May 27, 2009 7:34 PM
Can't believe nobody has nominated Merritt Paulson or his sugar daddy.
Posted by NW Portlander | May 27, 2009 8:02 PM
Losers-HOmer Williams, the epitome of self serving.
The Don for serving Self. Show me the Money.
Winners-Nigel Jacquis for research, logic, perseverance and guts.
Bojack for being able to critically add and subtract.
Posted by lw | May 27, 2009 8:16 PM
Neil Goldschmidt.
By just being alive, he continues to inspire an entire generation of downwardly mobile politicians.
Posted by john rettig | May 27, 2009 9:17 PM
City Commissioner Caspar Milquetoast.
Posted by A Hopeful | May 27, 2009 9:45 PM
Add this one to the worst column: Mark Weiner.
Posted by I just had to give my two bits on this one! | May 27, 2009 10:20 PM
"City Commissioner Caspar Milquetoast"
Reasons: indecisive, waffles and flipflops
Posted by A Hopeful | May 27, 2009 10:24 PM
For his dogged determination to give OR more comprehensive access to health care, Rep. Mitch Greenlick.
Posted by Don | May 28, 2009 6:03 AM
Mayor Creepy Adams for worst pol in Oregon; with Fireboy Randy a close second.
Posted by Dave A. | May 28, 2009 6:14 AM
Commissioner Cogen should get on the good list for this:
http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124345922747272100
Posted by George Anonymuncule Seldes | May 28, 2009 10:06 AM
Nominees: Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz.
Reasons: Too numerous and you already know why anyway.
Posted by A Hopeful | May 28, 2009 10:23 AM
Ron Wyden should be on the good list for finally DOING SOMETHING about healthcare.
Wu should be on the bad list for being Wuseless.
Posted by gonetorio | May 28, 2009 12:04 PM
Losers:
Fred Hansen (GM of TriMet). (What has he done right?)
The entire Board of Directors of TriMet. (They're supposed to keep tabs on Hansen; yet all they do is rubber-stamp what he does. Not a very effective Board.)
The entire Metro Council. (This entire form of government can be abolished tomorrow and nobody would notice, except for Metro wanks and Sam Adams' friends.)
Winners:
The Board of Directors of the Port of Portland. (Rationale: Just how much bad news has come out of the Port? The airport is profitable, the river terminals require just a few million in subsidy, they've attracted new business WITHOUT huge income tax handouts (i.e. soccer)...in short they are the best form of government. Do their job, nothing more, nothing less, no whining and complaining, no "we need $10,000,000,000,000 to do what we did yesterday for only $5,000!"...you never hear about the Port.
Jeff Johnson, Chief, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. (Rationale: TVF&R is one of the best run, fiscally responsible fire departments in the nation. And when you need money and seven out of ten residents say "YES!", you know you're doing something right.)
Posted by Erik H. | May 28, 2009 12:16 PM
Winners: David Douglas School District board. Despite large increases in students due to immigration (hispanic, russian/ukranian, asian), burgeoning apartment complexes, and people moving out of inner Portland, the district has managed its money carefully and does not need to make any major cuts.
Posted by michelle in orygun | May 28, 2009 1:55 PM
Winner: Tom Potter for being a realistic, unglamorous, basic-needs, logic-first mayor.
Loser: Tom Potter for not seeking a second term and leaving us with this arrogant sleez Adams for a mayor with the term embattled permanently affixed to his name.
Posted by Ranz | May 28, 2009 4:51 PM
Nomination: Randy Leonard
Reason 1: "I have consistently tried not to do symbolic things just to make people feel good."
Thanks, Randy, you're a real mensch.
Reason 2: His FD thugs were out this week doing spot inspections of multifamily buildings looking for violations to cite for fine revenue.
Hey, Randy, why don't you just forego your raise if the city is that strapped for cash? Has it ever occurred to you that you are taking food out of the mouths of children?
Reason 3: He's not as clever as he thinks he is.
Posted by A Hopeful | May 29, 2009 8:22 PM
The reasons I don't believe Nick Fish or Ted Wheeler belong on the list:
I see Fish as a part of the Vera Katz era, someone who was brought in to mop up the mess of homelessness after downtown renovation destroyed the single room occupancy units of many poor Portlanders. While he may be refreshing in that he doesn't now seem to be on board with those who are abusing Urban Renewal dollars, even using UR to build housing projects has been quite controversial for years. Portland has many Section 8 landlords who rent to tenants with government vouchers. As gentrification occurs, Portland is moving toward projects; this is Fish's thing. I think it is very debatable that this is what is best for Portland in the long run, and it seems to me that, more and more, housing advocates are being discouraged from engaging in this debate.
I see him as a shrewd politician, but as something less than honest, as I have commented before.
As for Wheeler, I see him as a respecter of persons who will listen only to those "who matter". Case in Point: He and Randy Leonard headed an animal control city and county task force this past year. Those they selected to participate where the very individuals who have been coming under citizen criticism for years. I wrote to Wheeler and Leonard explaining that the statistical model shelters were employing was problematic. He wrote back singing the praises of the model. YOu matter, I don't. People with legitimate complaints about the humane function in the region don't.
I would say that these guys may be consumate politicians, but I don't history will show that they did much lasting good for the People of Portland.
Posted by Cynthia | May 30, 2009 8:31 PM