Where do we start with Mayor Moonbeam’s legacy?
On his watch Sam Adams strong armed the multi million dollar Tram (dubbed the [Peter] Kohler-Coaster) to completion, announced plans for a bike bridge while at the same time saying we had no money for street improvements, Dan Salztman declared that trees have rights while making plans for the city to take over trees in your yard, Randy Leonard was allowed to flush $250,000 down the toilet for drunks and pass a ‘no duct tape’ law for parade goers. Meanwhile Erik Sten made plans to ‘end homelessness in ten years’ and left the mess when he left the council. Portland became a DESTINATION for homeless from all over, INCREASING the number of homeless here by 30%in the last census.
As for his personal legacy, Potter had these nuggets:
Riding with the anarchist group, Critical Mass. Genius idea. Hey, how many stop signs and lights can we blow, man?
One of his legacies, he told reporters, was reaching out to people who can’t speak English and giving them a voice at city hall especially if they aren’t citizens. That’s why he invited all illegal aliens to come to Portland to seek employment at the taxpayer supported day labor center and breaking federal law in the process:
Remember now, we’re having an essay contest about Tom Potter’s legacy. See entry here.