“THERE MAY NOT BE ERMINE, and nobody may be getting tapped on
the shoulder with a sword,” said Parkrose School Board Chair James
Woods, in his opening remarks at Sam Adams’ official swearing in as
mayor at Parkrose High School on Monday, January 5, “but that’s because
that’s not the way we do things here in Portland.”
Ermine is the ceremonial white fur traditionally worn by celebrated
British citizens—like Sir Sean Connery and Sir Anthony
Hopkins—on their way to Buckingham Palace to be knighted by the
Queen of England. And while Mayor Adams’ day of inauguration earlier
this week may have lacked the trappings and accoutrements of a foreign
monarchy elevating one of its common citizens to the aristocracy, it
certainly had much the same feel.
“I don’t know anybody who doesn’t like him,” said Gary Brown of the
Northeast Business Association, grinning broadly as he introduced Adams
at a breakfast on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, first thing in the
morning.
“We thank you, Lord, for Sam, and all those who will help keep Sam
real as he helps us to lead,” prayed the Reverend William Lupfer at the
conclusion of Adams’ ceremony, shortly before lunch.
Indeed, it was impossible Monday to find anyone with a skeptical
word about Portland’s new commandant.
“I’m a big fan of letting things play out a little bit and then
making a judgment call,” said Sarah Anderson, owner of Anna Bannanas
coffee shop in St. Johns, where Adams went for a walkabout with small
business owners in the afternoon. Earlier, Anderson had asked for
Adams’ help filling some of the vacant storefronts in the
neighborhood.
Even the recently unemployed director of the St. Johns Boosters,
Gary Boehm, whose bed store closed for economic reasons in
mid-December, seemed hopeful about Adams’ ability to stimulate the
economy when the new mayor dropped in to see him.
“How’s the Murphy bed business?” asked Adams, breezing into the
store after a marinated tuna sandwich and some curried vegetable soup
at Ladybug Coffee, around the corner.
“The Murphy bed business is closed,” said Boehm.
“Well, I’m sorry to hear that, Gary,” said Adams, evidently taken
aback.
“That’s okay,” Boehm responded. “Hey, I can do you a really great
deal on a Murphy bed.”
One reason for Adams’ overwhelming popularity so early in his term
may be the perceived failures of the man he is replacing.
“It’d be hard for him to do a worse job than Tom Potter, as far as
being charismatic is concerned,” said Ira Ryan, a custom bike-frame
builder whose designs Adams admired for a while, later in the
afternoon. “He’s a lot more willing to take steps forward, it
seems.”
Adams also comes well connected and recommended, having served as
chief of staff to Potter’s popular predecessor, Vera Katz, who was
honored, along with Adams’ mother, father, and grandmother, with a
bouquet of flowers at Parkrose before the swearing in. Curiously, there
were no flowers for Adams’ camera-shy boyfriend, Oregonian reporter Peter Zuckerman, although he did warrant a thank you, by first
name only, in Adams’ acceptance speech. Potter, too, was nowhere to be
seen.
As for steps forward, Adams is yet to make any, although he has
hired a youthful and ambitious team of staffers (including this
newspaper’s former news editor, Amy J. Ruiz, on a salary of $50,000 a
year) to focus on his stated priorities: the economy, education, and
sustainability. Adams plans to release a plan for his first 100 days in
office later this week.
In the meantime, Portlanders seem to be enjoying the ride. A party
at city hall Monday night offered free beer from Roots Organic Brewing,
and performances from the MarchFourth Marching Band and the Wanderlust
Circus for over 500 revelers.
“I can’t believe the mayor asked you for your card,” said a young
woman to her companion, as they stumbled away from the party across SW
5th, shortly after 6:30 pm. “It’s like you’re friends with him,
now.”
Why do leftists crave such an aristocratic cult quality in their leaders? They’re supposed to be public servants, not lord over us.
Your confusing the aristocratic cult cravings of the author with the subject matter.
And the answer to your question is: Because the right-wing craving of a leader “you can have a beer with” came close to destroying our country, so can you blame us?
“Indeed, it was impossible Monday to find anyone with a skeptical word about Portland’s new commandant.”
Well, for starters, haven’t you ever heard of Jack Bog’s blog?
Frankly, I have plenty of criticism for the man and it started before he was even officially appointed. If the rest of his term goes through the way his holiday moratorium on construction did, most people will be satisfied and the rest will be unemployed. That does not equal success, that equals failure to remember the part of the city he excluded. That moratorium was murder for construction workers.
In response to D’s comment. What the hell are you talking about? Are you telling me you righties don’t do the same thing? Ronald Reagan and the Bush Monkey were raised up to God-like status at one point or another.
At least we can show some degree of respect and are willing to give our leaders a chance because we know they won’t be as destructive and deceptive as the Republicans!
jpxpdx:
“THERE MAY NOT BE ERMINE, and nobody may be getting tapped on the shoulder with a sword,”
and
“may have lacked the trappings and accoutrements of a foreign monarchy elevating one of its common citizens to the aristocracy, it certainly had much the same feel.”
Hey, I’m a bleeding heart liberal too. But Sam Adams reaks of yuppie. Lets not pretend pretentious Green-style liberalism has any benefits for the (rapidly growing) lower class.
Sam Adams is an embarrassment to the City of Portland. His lying is established and continues. I guess I just started missing Tom Potter.