These are the current members of the Portland City Council:
- Sam Adams, Mayor
- Nick Fish, Commissioner of Public Works
- Amanda Fritz, Commissioner of Public Utilities
- Randy Leonard, Commissioner of Public Safety
- Dan Saltzman, Commissioner of Public Affairs
- LaVonne Griffin-Valade, Auditor of the City of Portland
This is their crime:
They have voted – unanimously – to rename 39th Ave in honor of César Chávez, the labor activist.
Now, it’s not that I have anything against the man; by all accounts he’s been very important to the history of our country. I’m just vigorously opposed to renaming 39th Ave. I believe in systems that work, and I believe that streets that are numbered numerically as you progress west or east of the Willamette River represent a good system. The members of the Portland City Council, regardless of any other qualities, have shown absolute disregard for that system. That, in my book, is unforgivable. There are plenty of new, important streets in the Metro area that could be named after him – renaming 39th is asinine!
So it is now my personal mission to ensure that none of these people – people who have demonstrated a blatant disregard for the citizens of the city and the systems that help make our city livable – are ever re-elected. I don’t care if they’re angles, saints, or can cure leprosy with the wave of a hand; they have unanimously chosen to ignore the greater common good. They must not be allowed near these positions again!
Stay tuned for more on this issue, folks. There will be elections sooner or later, and you’ll hear me out there!