June 24th -- and another problem for the mayor

I've signed up to address the City Council on June 24th. I've never done this before but I decided, a week before the mayor-recall effort legally begins, I'd make one last plea, albeit fruitless, to the mayor to resign. I also want to scold the entire council for sitting on their collective butts. I get three minutes but I've written what I plan to say and it only takes two. It's a "shame on you" message that will go in one ear and out the other but hopefully will make me feel like I've contributed to the recall effort. I have a dentist appointment at 7 a.m. that morning, from the dentist chair to the city chambers, a fitting segue.

The following week, the gathering signatures phase begins and although with my knee I can't go door to door, I do plan to put time at a table at Saturday Market or somewhere. With former supporters changing sides, but not the other way around, the recall could be no contest. It will be interesting to observe at any rate. But all this hassle could be avoided if he weren't such a political ego-maniac. If he had come clean in January, explained his reasons, resigned and run again, I might even have voted for him again. Obviously he was worried about homophobia, and rightly so. But he mishandled it in such a conniving, self-serving way, especially when he falsely accused those who were first with the truth, he became his own worst enemy and lost my support forever.

I still hope for the least divisive solution: the AG presents its report sooner rather than later and nabs his ass. I was surprised to learn the FBI was also looking into him.

The city council is spineless. At the very least, the mayor violated several parts of the city code of conduct. There is absolutely no question of this -- he even admitted to The Oregonian that he lied to get elected. And yet no official reprimand of any kind has come out of chambers. Spineless, all of them.

And this hot off the press this morning:

Portland mayor's former spokesman says he plans to sue

by Mark Larabee, The Oregonian

Portland Mayor Sam Adams' former communications director has filed a formal notice that he intends to sue the mayor and the city because Adams damaged his reputation after he resigned Jan. 26, less than a month into the job.

Wade Nkrumah, through his lawyer Michael Hanlon, states in the tort claim that the mayor damaged his business reputation by lying to a television reporter about the real reason Nkrumah quit.

Adams declined comment through his spokesman, Roy Kaufmann, and referred questions to the city attorney.

According to the document, Adams told KATU reporter Dan Tilkin that Nkrumah resigned because the job was "not what he signed up for in terms of stress." While that account was widely reported, Nkrumah's claim states that he made it clear that he was quitting because Adams lied to him twice about his 2005 sexual relationship with Beau Breedlove, then an 18-year-old legislative intern.

Read the story

Perfect example of the mayor being his own worst enemy. Everyone had agreed to make "no comment" about the spokesman leaving the job. He left because Adams kept lying to him -- what a gentlemanly thing to do, agree to no comment! Then the mayor makes up a reason, he can't handle stress. Great. Stab the guy in the back. No wonder he's suing. I hope he wins.

I mean, there's going to be mess after mess after mess, with the mayor sinking deeper and deeper into the quicksand of his own inept guilt, until the mayor leaves office, either voluntarily or by force. Just resign, man.