I think it's going to be *really* tough, if not impossible, for Amanda to beat Nolan. In the past week I received no less than four calls either from or on behalf of the Nolan campaign, urging me to vote for her. I've received nothing--no flyers, no calls, nada-- from the Fritz campaign. It's ironic that as someone who won office using the voter financed campaign funds, she'd have to rely so heavily on the name recognition provided to her by virtue of her incumbency.

It is sad. She's the only one on the council that shows any individuality or ability to think for herself. Of course, individuality must be strangled out of existence.

Hopefully her vote to turn down Sam's Education URA gets her some votes. Too bad she voted for the ICE Jail in SoWhat. And she hasn't been too consistent on voting down water and sewer issues before Council. But she has been more consistent on asking the good questions, concerned about fiscal matters; but I wish members of Council would vote "no" even if no other member is following along. She's done it more than the others, but not enough.

On lightrail and streetcars Amanda has been absent. She should differentiate herself from Nolan on these major issues, if there is a difference. She better speak up about the Barbur/99 Lightrail issue, since it's in her home neighborhood. She'd should ask for a city-wide vote minimally no matter how she swings; that could hold her harmless on the issue-so she could claim. That in itself might win the election for her.

Taking the high minded principled road doesn't get you very far in the political realm. Limiting your donations to $50 is tantamount to suicide. Spending thousands of your own money when you aren't a multimillionaire is bizarre to the extreme. I like Amanda, but she isn't making very good decisions these days. Apparently, Amanda's the one behind the lawsuit against the OLCC for allowing food carts to serve alcohol. It strikes me as totally tone deaf to the notion that these food carts are small businesses who are trying to turn a buck in tough economy. They seem to think that allowing the alcohol will cause "crime", etc., but there isn't an iota of evidence to support that fact. Meanwhile we have a very real problem with people flash mobbing and blasting away at each other all over town, and I have seen absolutely ZERO being done about it other than a bunch of mumbling from the mayor about gun control laws, etc. The powers that be have taken care of the gangs in this town before, and they can do it again if someone with an ounce of backbone and determination is willing to do something about it.