Sam Adams's blog

During the political season some can feel pressured to make inaccurate or misleading statements for perceived gain, and regrettably the current season is no exception. Many inaccuracies have been uttered about the proposed new crossing at NW Flanders Street over Interstate 405 that would reuse the center span of the existing Sauvie Island Bridge. This is a terrific project as the facts clarify.

Portland is blessed with abundant rainfall. With it, our city grows lush and beautiful. But all of this rain comes with a challenge: our annual average of 37 inches creates a staggering 20 billion gallons of stormwater runoff every year.

Dear Portlander,

We've all heard that another economic slow down is upon us. The national economy is currently confronting slow job growth, a severe mortgage lending crisis and credit crunch, and a widening income gap.

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Please join me for a special screening of "the Silent Invasion".

Today, at my request, city council referred the "Safe, Sound & Green Streets" program back to my office with an expectation that we will refer the program to voters in November 2008.

You have heard from me many times that Safe, Sound & Green Streets will be an important step forward for Portland when implemented. For the first time in nearly two decades, Portlanders will have stable funding to meet basic safety and maintenance needs on major streets.

A program of this consequence should be enacted by a unanimous city council. Until last week, my council colleagues were united in supporting safer streets as a matter of leadership. At council proceedings, transportation staff, community leaders, and all who have participated to date appreciated council's acknowledgment of the painstaking analytical and public outreach effort.

That effort has earned support from an 89-person stakeholder committee covering a range of transportation interests, the editorial boards of The Oregonian, The Portland Tribune and The Portland Business Journal, and untold numbers of Portlanders who responded to our citywide notices and attended one of the 21 town hall meetings we hosted in every corner of the city.

In addition, we worked in good faith to reach a compromise to address the concerns of convenience stores and the petroleum representatives.

Regrettably, the influence of oil industry representatives has taken its toll. I no longer have unanimous council support to enact the program.

I now propose that city council refer the Safe, Sound & Green initiative to the November general election ballot.

Portlanders can trust that oil industry representatives will embark upon a monumental misinformation campaign. Watch the money: they will spend much more on television ads and other venues to kill Safe, Sound & Green than they would have spent to simply pay their fair share to return Portland's major streets to working order.

As the champion of Safe, Sound & Green, it's true that I worry about holding onto the factual high ground during this tsunami of misinformation.

This is Portland, however. Portlanders have a proud history of supporting well-articulated, reasonable investments in their community. It's part of what makes us the best city in the country. Safe, Sound & Green will save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and--most importantly--save lives.

The general election in November 2008 is virtually guaranteed to ensure the highest voter turnout in the city's history. As a result, the best possible conversation that engages the maximum number of Portlanders about Safe, Sound & Green will occur over the next nine months. In spite of all the oil industry dollars to be spent, I am confident Portland will prevail.

I want to thank my colleagues for their continued support in addressing the transportation concerns facing our city. And I want to thank all of you.

Links to learn more:

• Safe, Sound & Green (Project maps, finances, history)
• Safe, Sound & Green Streets Stakeholder List
• Street fee will pay off in safety, The Portland Tribune
• Moving beyond a gas tax, The Oregonian
• We can pay now or pay later, The Portland Business Journal
• Recent news articles about Safe, Sound & Green

In response to the testimony we heard on Wednesday, January 9 regarding the "Safe, Sound and Green" transportation funding proposal, I propose two substantive changes and a procedural option for council and the community to consider.

Add a "Claw Back" Provision

I am sad that Commissioner Erik Sten has decided to resign from the Portland City Council. I understand and support Erik's personal decision to seek new career challenges but I will miss serving with him in City Hall.

I can tell you from years of closely working together that Erik is as smart, open and innovative a leader as they come. When he departs in April, he will leave very big shoes to fill.

Based on an Idaho federal court decision regarding the rights of initiative petition signers, an out-of-state conservative advocacy group has convinced a federal judge to grant at least a temporary delay Oregon's domestic partners law HB 2007 from going into effect January 2, 2008. The judge scheduled a hearing on February 1, 2008 to consider a permanent injunction of HB 2007.

Happy holidays, and welcome to our 2007 Year-In-Review.

This year may go down as the year of transportation funding. By now, I hope you know the story. The amount of resources we have available today for basic street maintenance and safety hasn’t changed in 24 years, despite inflation and significant cost increases.

Chained up for winter!Today, the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation Maintenance is conducting its final exercise in a series of annual winter preparedness exercises. We are chaining up our trucks and sending them out on their routes to ensure that the City is prepared to respond to winter snow and ice events.

Cesar Chavez was an American hero whose life's work yielded important gains for all Americans.

Symbols, such as street names, send important signals about the community's values. And there is no question in my mind that Portland will be a better community when Cesar Chavez is duly honored with a major street renaming.

What we choose to call our landmarks is one way we signal what is important to us. We are becoming a more diverse city. And that is a good thing. Our growing diversity makes Portland a stronger and more innovative city, and a more interesting place to live.

Dear Portlander,

As you have probably seen in the media, I have been the target of a nasty smear by a would-be political opponent. I will not dignify the substance of this smear by repeating it - if you read the accounts you will see there is no foundation to it. The reason is simple: it is untrue.

Mayor Tom Potter called me this morning, moments before his press conference, to let me know he will not seek reelection. I look forward to continuing to work with him over the next 16 months to protect and improve Portland. I expect to announce my plans in the near future but for now remain focused on my duties as city commissioner.