Mayor-Elect Lauds "Green Moment" at The Standard

By Shoshanah Oppenheim

Mayor-elect Sam Adams experienced a unique "green moment" as he addressed an enthusiastic crowd on Monday, Nov. 10. The crowd, made up mostly of employees of The Standard, gathered to celebrate a new partnership with Zipcar, a national car-sharing service.

The idea for the partnership came, fittingly, from The Standard's "green team." By providing their employees with access to a car when one is needed, the workers at The Standard will be able to explore alternative transportation options more frequently.

Mayor-elect Adams pointed out that as a customer of The Standard, a customer of Zipcar and the mayor-elect of a city well-known for sustainability efforts, he was especially honored to participate. He praised the vision, commitment and planning that drove downtown Portland's largest private employer to embrace a comprehensive alternative transportation strategy that led up to this "green moment." The Standard becomes Portland's largest private employer to embrace a comprehensive alternative transportation strategy.

And the Mayor-elect wasn't just talking the talk. He arrived at The Standard's Plaza building in a Zzipcar along with The Standard's Mike Winslow, SVP and general counsel, and Bill Scott, general manager of Zipcar.

Sam is thrilled to have allies like the Standard and Zipcar in the fight for a sustainable, environmentally friendly city. Zipcar is a great alternative transportation option available in most major metro areas. Sign-up is easy and can be done online at www.zipcar.com.

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Posted Fri, 11/14/2008 - 12:29pm.

Driving a Car is Driving a Car no matter who owns it!

Submitted by Terry Parker on Thu, 11/20/2008 - 4:28pm.

For Sam to suggest that Zip Car is an alternative form of transportation is pure propaganda mixed with a brand of socialism. Renting a car or truck from Hertz, Avis, Budget or any other rental car company, or maybe even leasing a car or truck, must then also be considered alternative transportation, but without the socialism, the free advertising and taxpayer funded special perks the City of Portland gives Zip Car. Driving a motor vehicle is still driving a motor vehicle no matter whether it is driver owned, owned by somebody else or owned by a rental car company. However, when it comes to the free advertising and special perks Zip Car receives, including reserving and marking off parking places on public streets for Zip Car’s rental fleet; that violates Article I Section 20, of the Oregon Constitution, “Equality of privileges and immunities of citizens” that states: “No law shall be passed granting to any citizen or class of citizens privileges, or immunities, which, upon the same terms, shall not equally belong to all citizens.” For the average citizen, just try reserving a parking place on a public street in front of your own home - no dice. A person has to wonder if the Mayor Elect is receiving some form of kickbacks from Zip Car. Obviously he is against car ownership even though he has (or had) a huge truck of his own. So is Sam against home ownership too?

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To Clarify

Submitted by Terry Parker on Thu, 11/20/2008 - 4:57pm.

“Obviously he is against car ownership” Sam is on record of continually wanting to penalize and discriminate against motor vehicle owners with excessive taxes and vehicle fees only to spend those motorist paid tax dollars to subsidize other modes of transport, specifically transit (including his obsession with streetcars) where passengers pay only 21 percent of only the operational costs, and bicyclists that continue to be the freeloaders of the roads. Additionally, often times new development is allowed to occur without adequate parking, sometimes even over the objection of neighbors and neighborhoods.

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"Sam is thrilled to have

Submitted by Erik H. on Mon, 11/24/2008 - 6:50pm.

"Sam is thrilled to have allies like the Standard and Zipcar in the fight for a sustainable, environmentally friendly city. Zipcar is a great alternative transportation option available in most major metro areas."

I take it that this is further proof of Sam's lack of committment towards building Portland's total transit system - including buses - that we are now resorting to providing single-occupant motor vehicles to a select group of high-end businesspeople?

Is Sam Adams going to encourage these partnerships for low-income, part time workers too? Can we expect to see a ZipCar at every fast food restaurant for the use of its employees to take their children to/from school or to attend school conferences?

I doubt it, for the plan is to further the divide between the "chosen" who have expensive transit systems like the Streetcar and the Tram, next-to-free ZipCars subsidized by the city with free parking, and the "unchosen" who have poor quality bus service in Portland.

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