100 Hours
BLOG: The Plight of the Working Poor Gets Some In-Depth Newspaper Focus...In Seattle
Sam AdamsTo learn their plight firsthand and help put a spotlight on Portland's working poor, this summer I worked 100 hours at Portland's lowest paying jobs. I worked as a cashier, retail salesperson, waiter, receptionist, hotel maid, janitor and more. [Read More...] Based on what I learned, my staff and I...
Posted by Sam Adams on February 20, 2006
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Blog, Front Page, Jobs & Economy
Spotlight on Portland's working poor: 100 Hours working at Portland's most commom, lowest paying jobs
Warren JimenezFollowing Sam's 100 business visits in his first 100 days in office, Sam wanted to shine the spotlight on Portland's working poor. He decided to work 100 hours at Portland’s most common and lowest paying jobs to learn what the city can do to create more family-wage jobs. Sam has...
Posted by Warren Jimenez on December 29, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, 2005 Year-in-Review
Business #144: Oregon Food Bank
Warren JimenezEarly this morning, as part of his outreach to businesses and working '100 Hours at Portland's Most Common Jobs' initiative, Sam helped a driver at the Oregon Food Bank (OFB) make his rounds. The OFB is a hub of a statewide network of 894 hunger-relief agencies. It serves all of...
Posted by Warren Jimenez on December 23, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Jobs & Economy, Northeast Portland
Business #136: Tri-Met
Warren JimenezWho: Tri-Met When: September 23, 2005 Tri-Met is greater Portland's main provider of public transportation. They run the MAX lightrail system, as well as an intricate network of bus lines....
Posted by Warren Jimenez on December 23, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, East Portland, Jobs & Economy
Business #135: Outside In
Warren JimenezWho: Outside In When: September 16, 2005 Outside In is a non-profit which focuses on helping the homeless, with a special emphasis on transient youth. They have a variety of programs that provide a wide range of social services including medical and mental health services. They work to provide marginalized...
Posted by Warren Jimenez on December 23, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Jobs & Economy, Southwest Portland
Business #133: Fred Meyer
Warren JimenezWho: Interstate Fred Meyer When: September 5, 2005 If you've lived in Portland for any period of time, you already know what Fred Meyer is - a department store that sells homegoods, clothes, and grocery; it has a pharmacy, a gardening center, and will most likely have what you need....
Posted by Warren Jimenez on December 23, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Jobs & Economy, North Portland
Business #132: Embassy Suites
Warren JimenezWho: Embassy Suites When: August 26, 2005 Embassy Suites, a national hotel chain, operates 251-room hotel located close to the Portland International Airport. It is billed as a higher end, full-service establishment. Read Sam's Blog on his work experience at the Embassy...
Posted by Warren Jimenez on December 23, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Jobs & Economy, Southwest Portland
Business #128: Pho Huong Restaurant
Warren JimenezWho: Pho Huong Restaurant When: August 7, 2005 Pho Huong is a Vietnemese restaurant that serves up a mean beef-noodle soup. Sam worked an evening shift waiting tables at East Portland's Pho Huong Restaurant on Powell Blvd. While new on Pho's staff, Sam is very familiar with the food service...
Posted by Warren Jimenez on December 23, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, East Portland, Jobs & Economy
Business #121: Maverick's Gym
Warren JimenezWhere: Mavericks Fitness Club When: July 15, 2005 Mavericks is not a gym, it's a fitness center. Like gyms, Mavericks does focus on sweat and excersize to take off the pounds, but unlike traditional gyms, it also focuses on nutrition. There is a cafe inside called Real Food for Real...
Posted by Warren Jimenez on December 23, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Jobs & Economy, Northwest Portland
Are We Creating Enough Living Wage Jobs? NO!
Sam Adams
The Northwest Federation of Community Organizations recently released their 2005 Northwest Job Gap study. According to this study, Oregon is not created enough living wage jobs for those who are seeking employment. What is a living wage? According to this study, it is based on what is needed to meet the basic needs and the ability to deal with emergencies plus plan ahead...
Posted by Sam Adams on November 25, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Economic Dashboard, Front Page, Jobs & Economy, Workforce
BLOG: My Time as a Tri-Met Bus Shagger
Sam Adams
Tri-Met Maintenance Supervisor Mark Nelson and his team must make sure that the buses run, so someone else can make sure they run on time. Of the 260-odd buses under their charge at the Tri-Met Center Maintenance Shop located at SE 17th and Mall Street in Portland, each day...
Posted by Sam Adams on September 25, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Front Page, Southeast Portland (inner), Transportation
BLOG: “Can I have ten 27s and some alcohol swabs,” he says confidently as he puts his used needles into the medical waste bin and picks small bottles of bleach from the bin...
Sam AdamsHe bolts through the door; if I passed him on the sidewalk I would never know that my first needle exchange customer was an intravenous drug user. “Can I have ten 27s and some alcohol swabs,” he says confidently as he puts his used needles into the medical waste bin...
Posted by Sam Adams on September 19, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Downtown Portland, Front Page, Jobs & Economy, Livability & Environment, Public Safety
BLOG: You walk 13 million people through a building...
Sam AdamsApproximately 10,000 employees work at the Portland International Airport. They help deal with: • 13,507,515 passengers each year • 271,317 tons of freight each year• 12,159 tons of airmail each year• 16 air passenger carriers serve PDX• 500 passenger flights daily• 50 nonstop air passenger destinations from PDX• 13 air...
Posted by Sam Adams on September 18, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Jobs & Economy, Transportation
BLOG: LISTOS Alternative Learning Center
Sam AdamsAs I enrolled in the University of Oregon, my college academic adviser gave me the following advice: take lots of critical thinking courses; get an internship in the real world and learn a language other than English. So, my first term, I signed up for Philosophy 101. It included wonderful...
Posted by Sam Adams on August 31, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Education, Equality, Workforce
BLOG: Classique Floors, A Local Store You Can Trust
Sam AdamsA receptionist is the hub between the inside operations of any organization and the outside world. I have always enjoyed being a receptionist, I like the challenge of answering people's questions, trying to meet their demands and respond to their complaints. Being a receptionist at an unfamiliar company selling products...
Posted by Sam Adams on August 31, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, East Portland, Jobs & Economy
BLOG: "...the most diverse room of people in Portland..."
Sam Adams
It's lunchtime. I am in the employee lunchroom in the basement of the downtown Embassy Suites Hotel. After two hours of janitorial work, it feels good to sit down. I spent the morning helping Balma scrub and sweep the pool and Jacuzzi area, clean the windows in the lobby...
Posted by Sam Adams on August 31, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Front Page, Jobs & Economy
City Commissioner moonlights as waiter in noodle house
Maria Lynn LimArticle from The Asian Reporter, August 16, 2005 Nobody knows who I am, and it's so refreshing, said Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams as he took a break from his shift bussing tables at Pho Hung Restaurant on SE Powell Blvd. on Sunday, August 7. In the past month, Adams...
Posted by Maria Lynn Lim on August 18, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, News
GUEST BLOG: The Help Wanted/Workers Skill Mismatch
Guest AuthorBy Andrew McGough. Andrew is the Executive Director of Worksystems Inc. (WSI). Before working at WSI, Andrew was the Chief Operating Officer at Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council. As the new Executive Director of Worksystems, Inc., I am honored by Sam’s request to contribute to his Blog. It is no...
Posted by Guest Author on August 11, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Front Page, Jobs & Economy, Workforce
Next on the Menu? Waiter: Portland's Ninth-Most Common Job
Ben DuPreeContact: Warren Jimenez503-823-4541 MEDIA ADVISORY Next on the Menu? Waiter: Portland’s Ninth-Most Common Job City Commissioner Sam Adams to work as a waiter for the Southeast Portland Pho Hung restaurant WHAT: Trying to put a spotlight on the little-known fact that Portland’s median income is falling, Commissioner Adams continues his...
Posted by Ben DuPree on August 5, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Southeast Portland (inner)
Sam serves burgers and floors
Ben DuPreeFrom the East County News: As a follow-up to his 100 businesses in 100 days program, Adams has vowed to spend 100 hours working in ordinary jobs throughout the city before Labor Day. The most common jobs we're attracting that are growing in Portland, Adams explained, tend to be the...
Posted by Ben DuPree on July 29, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, News
Our first meeting with the Airport Issues Roundtable
Ben DuPreeLast week, Sam and I attended our first meeting with the Airport Issues Roundtable (AIR). We both received a good introduction to the issues associated with the airport, including concerns by residents of the Wilkes neighborhood. After his introductory remarks, Sam asked, “We’d love your feedback but, since I’m here...
Posted by Ben DuPree on July 29, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, North Portland
Adams to be asked, “What carousel is my luggage arriving on?”
Ben DuPreeContact: Warren Jimenez503-823-4541MEDIA ADVISORY Adams to be asked, “What carousel is my luggage arriving on?” Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams to work in Portland’s 11th most common job, customer service representative (at PDX) WHAT: “Portland must improve its median family income by creating more family-wage jobs,” Commissioner Sam Adams says...
Posted by Ben DuPree on July 27, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours
Adams to ask, "Would you like to buy a new floor?"
Ben DuPreeContact: Warren Jimenez503-823-4541 MEDIA ADVISORY Adams to ask, “Would you like to buy a new floor?” Working for Classique Floors, Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams will work a day in the life of one of the highest demand, lowest paying, and most common jobs in Portland. WHAT: Asserting that Portland...
Posted by Ben DuPree on July 20, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Southeast Portland (inner)
Cashier: Portland's 4th Most Common Job
Ben DuPreeContact: Warren Jimenez503-823-4541 MEDIA ADVISORY Cashier: Portland’s 4th Most Common Job Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams to work shift as cashier at Mavericks Fitness club; part of his “100-Hour Pledge” to highlight need for more family-wage jobs WHAT: Saying, “we need to create more family-wage jobs,” Portland City Commissioner Sam...
Posted by Ben DuPree on July 14, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Jobs & Economy, Northwest Portland
BLOG: "...would you like salt or ketchup with your fries?"
Sam Adams
I ask, "Hi, would you like salt or ketchup with your French fries?” He looks into the bag I just handed him and then up at me, "Actually I want some of that Burgerville sauce.” “Sure, that will cost 35 cents.” “Come on, I ready paid at the last window,” as he fishes for coins in the ashtray...
Posted by Sam Adams on July 10, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Blog, Front Page, Jobs & Economy, Southeast Portland (inner)
BLOG: Why I am Working 100 Hours at Portland's Most Common Jobs
Sam Adams
Individual and family prosperity in Portland is on the wane. Its decline is illustrated by a two-year reduction in local median family incomes, coupled with a steady increase in our cost of living...
Posted by Sam Adams on July 7, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Blog, Front Page, Jobs & Economy
BLOG: Don't Settle for Potholes
Sam Adams
"I want to fill potholes." I told my staff that the first thing I wanted to do as Portland’s new transportation commissioner was to help fill potholes. Why? I like to get out and see things upclose for myself. And, sexy it is not, but I believe the public is growing weary of funding...
Posted by Sam Adams on July 6, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Blog, Front Page, Office of Transportation, Southeast Portland (inner), Transportation
Media Advisory: Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams works to increase Portland’s individual and family prosperity
Ben DuPreeContact: Warren Jimenez, 503-823-4541 MEDIA ADVISORY Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams works to increase Portland’s individual and family prosperity Adams continues his 100-Hour Pledge with shift at Burgerville WHAT: Sam Adams, Portland City Commissioner of Public Utilities, is working 100 hours for local employers over the summer. Adams plans to...
Posted by Ben DuPree on July 6, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours
BLOG: My First "Job" is to Find One
Sam AdamsMy first “job” as part of working, “100 Hours at Portland’s Most Common Jobs” initiative is to try to find one.
My search begins online with www.iMatchskills.com, from the Oregon Employment Department. It connects employers and job seekers in Oregon...
Posted by Sam Adams on July 1, 2005
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Filed Under 100 Hours, Blog, East Portland, Front Page, Jobs & Economy
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