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Monday, May 11, 2009

News / Politics Mayors In Perspective

Posted by Matt Davis on Mon, May 11, 2009 at 1:32 PM

If you think Portland's city hall has become more interesting from a news perspective over recent months, consider Ray Nagin, mayor of New Orleans, who is now facing accusations that...well...

No big surprise there, but it's still maddening to be reminded of it as blatantly as we were last week, when Nagin 'fessed up that, while it was kind of a "blur," he did recall jetting off to Jamaica on Nov. 18, 2005, with his wife and children — all on the dime of a guy with a fat city contract for crime cameras that seldom worked and ran millions over budget.

That's right: Jetting off to Jamaica with his family 81 days after Hurrican Katrina, all on a credit card belonging to a supposed technology contractor for the city of New Orleans.

Mayor Sam Adams is off in Belgium for the week for the 29th annual "Velo-city" conference (in French, "velo" means bike...genius!), presenting only once over the course of the entire week, as far as we're able to tell:

This plenary session will define the priority areas of Velo-city 2009. Plenary 1 will be concluded by a presentation of cycling policy in three very different cities: the “forerunner” city of Amsterdam and two promising “climber” cities: Bordeaux and Portland (USA).

Still, at least Adams is pretending to work.
2c5d/1242073725-bush_nagin_2005-09-02.jpg
NAGIN: PROBABLY CONTEMPLATING HIS IMMINENT VACATION TO JAMAICA ON THE CITY DIME...

Whoo! Politics.

 

Comments (14) RSS

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1
Clearly the coolist sort of job is one where you don't actually have to work at all, and prevail at the tippy top of any food chain is just the most scornful rebuke of the local media et al. Take it as a Gary Hart pledge - get on that plane to Belgium and observe his labors.

For we mortals there is Potato Champion @ www.potatochampion.com with rosemary truffle ketchup.
Posted by J_Renaud on May 11, 2009 at 2:08 PM · Report
2
Oh please. Was there no real news today, Matt?
Anyone who has ever attended a high- level conference understands that presenting information is only a small part of justifying why a conference is beneficial.
I looked at the conference sessions through your link and was surprised to see that Sam is the ONLY person from the US presenting at this international conference.
Have you neglected to read any of your paper's coverage about how Pdx is becoming a national leader in the biking economy?
Take down this ridiculous post, please. You look like a jerk.
Posted by Mcpdx on May 11, 2009 at 2:52 PM · Report
3
McPDX: I know from the Mercury's own demographic survey that half of their readers ride a bicycle regularly, and I would be very surprized if Matt doesn't know that.
http://post.portlandmercury.com/extras/pdf…
So you should just relax, this post is Matt trolling us.
Posted by Matthew D on May 11, 2009 at 3:05 PM · Report
4
LOL. Biking economy. Stop, yer killin me.
Posted by D on May 11, 2009 at 3:43 PM · Report
5
It does seem silly that the Mayor needs to go to this. Shouldn't someone in say transportation or "gasp" the Bike Alliance go to this. Judging from that pic last week of Adams on a bike. He don't know shit about them.
Posted by Abusive on May 11, 2009 at 3:48 PM · Report
6
Seriously if he was here we could totally get rid of the sit lie ordinance...I mean...we weren't talking about it last week were we? We didn't have the votes to get rid of it last week did we?

What?

We did? Oh yeah...Amanda Fritz wanted to talk about it some more.
Posted by BlackedOut on May 11, 2009 at 3:55 PM · Report
7
Helpful tip for Sam, re: age of consent in Belgium:

Age du consentement à l’acte sexuel
Dans la loi actuelle, pour tous les actes sexuels, sauf viol (14 ans), l’âge du consentement est fixé à seize (16) ans.
Posted by Amy Ruse on May 11, 2009 at 4:24 PM · Report
8
Matt, are you going to tell your audience who is paying for this trip or is that too much to ask?
Posted by Steady on May 11, 2009 at 4:42 PM · Report
9
Pour la clarification : Si je savais, je vous dirais. Mais je ne fais pas, ainsi je pas. Nous demanderons ses communications directeur, Roy Kaufmann.
Posted by Matt Davis on May 11, 2009 at 4:57 PM · Report
10
I have read that Velo City is paying for him to attend. I don't know the details so I don't know exactly what that covers.
Posted by Jessica Roberts on May 11, 2009 at 5:39 PM · Report
11
Oui mais on Europe les maires ne foutent pas les jeunes. Ils sont tous catholiques.
Posted by gonetorio on May 11, 2009 at 9:41 PM · Report
12
Et le gens en Belge detestent les pedophiles, aussitot qu'ici.
Posted by gonetorio on May 11, 2009 at 9:48 PM · Report
13
rawr do not post articles critical of our political leaders that is not what the press is for

when i support our leaders
Posted by fixie pixie on May 12, 2009 at 2:16 AM · Report
14
Kaufmann dit: "Sorry for the delayed response. Velo-City Conference organizers are paying for the majority of the cost for the mayor and the chief of staff. The third delegate from the city is paying out of his own pocket to attend. "
Posted by Matt Davis on May 12, 2009 at 11:34 AM · Report

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