I haven’t ever been a big fan of Sam Adams, the newly elected mayor of Portland. He seems to have a penchant for flashy, expensive projects that, in my opinion, aren’t the best ways to use the city’s resources.
However, in November given the choice between Adams and Sho Dozono, I voted for Sam. He had more experience in city government and wasn’t embroiled in scandal like Dozono, who had a public financing debacle and whose businesses had $22k in outstanding rent owed to the city.
Today, as news surfaces of Adams’ previous sexual relationship with an 18-year old intern, I am saddened. I am disappointed that Adams would engage in a sexual relationship with a subordinate (especially one who is *barely* a consenting adult), but primarily I am disappointed that he would boldly lie to the public to cover his tracks. In Sept. 2007, Adams provided a written response to allegations of an improper relationship. Here’s an excerpt of his letter to Portlanders:
“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.
This kind of ugly politicking may be commonplace in other cities and at the national level, but Portland and Oregon largely has been blessedly free of it. It saddens me that it has been introduced here, and I have faith that Portlanders’ rejection of it will mean that this incident is an anomaly.”
Adams’ outright lies to the public have come back to haunt him, and his credibility is severely damaged. Will he resign his post as mayor? Time will tell. It might just be the best option.
I am happy to report that I have exterminated 35 pounds of fat from my body since late July. It’s not exactly that the weight is “lost,” which implies that something accidental or unfortunate happened – mine was a deliberate act of will, day in and day out, for the past five and a half months. It’s an act of will that will continue as I work toward getting rid of the last several hangers on, and then will (hopefully) become part of my normal life going forward, as I choose to make the health and vitality of my body a bigger priority for the long run.
It’s hard to describe how good it feels to be lighter on my feet – but there’s nothing like it. It is absolutely, without a doubt, worth every moment I’ve spent jogging and every cookie I’ve let pass me by.
