Comments on: How Randy Leonard and Brian Libby Spent Their Saturday

By: dla

dla — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:37:43 +0000

I agree that as an elected official, Commissioner Leonard should not be allowed to refuse to listen and engage with those who call him names. A true statesman / politico should have the personal emotional capacity to let insults roll off his back and do his “due diligence” in making a decision that will affect all Portlanders.

Constituents should not have to apologize to our elected officials for expressing frustration…it’s the elected’s job to listen and not take things personally. He started down the path of name calling when he labeled the building “ugly”.

PS: Not to start another conflict, but some people think that placing a neon rose on top of the building on the waterfront will look “ugly”.

By: Schemes

Schemes — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:19:27 +0000

This whole exchange is pathetic, but only one of these guys is a City Councilor. Leonard needs to grow up. He’s petty and vindictive.

It reminds me of his exchange with Ted Wheeler. It’s a bit terrifying to see him acting this way and then realize how much power he has to strong arm policies through that affect us all. Frankly, between him and Adams, I’m starting to miss the quiet old “ineffective” Tom Potter.

By: annie

annie — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:21:52 +0000

As moody, touchy, easily offended, thin skinned and temperamental as Randy Leonard continues to come across, I am surprised he has been able to stomach the arena of politics as long as he has without doing some serious damage to his engine. His temperament comes across time after time, as too sensitive…It is discouraging to always be seeing and reading how he takes any critique as hyper personally as he does. An entire first paragraph devoted to his easily wounded feelings, and how now that his tail is in a knot (yet again), to the point that it “hardly inspires me to engage in a thoughtful discussion with you, Brian”. Talk about control freak issues! Anyone else not feeling comforted knowing someone who easily reveals an apparent unbridled lack of self esteem and hair trigger insecurity traits, has a seat of power in monumental city decision making decisions? More and more Randy comes across as the whiner “ME ME ME” type (who unfortunately happens to have way too much power at his disposal), and to Hell with anyone else, and more to Hell with anyone who crosses his path. Just what Portland needs, a politician who fuels his tank at the “I’LL SHOW THEM”, station…

By: Timbers forever

Timbers forever — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:18:50 +0000

I have a feeling that Merritt P., Adams, and Leonard are going to wait a little while for this blow over. They won’t allow any more articles in the Oregonian. No more investigative reporting. After everyone forgets about the issue, they will go back to trying to knock down Memorial Coliseum again. That’s my hunch. I hope they look elsewhere for the baseball stadium. I see the Timbers fan base already dividing over this issue. The MLS dream is turning into a nightmare.

By: Brian Libby

Brian Libby — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:01:03 +0000

Thanks for writing about this.

Although I probably was too angry and personal in my original blog post about this (”Arrogant ignorance: Shame on Commissioner Randy Leonard”), which also included a picture of Jim “Earnest” Varney as a stand-in for the Commissioner, it ultimately may a good thing for the Memorial Coliseum preservation effort to draw Randy Leonard out.

This isn’t just a publicity stunt. In our view, he really needs to reconsider this whole thing by taking a good look at the Coliseum without being surrounded by people telling him that a tarnished diamond equals a piece of cubic zirconium.

A renovated Memorial Coliseum, complete with a management agreement that no longer gives the managers incentive to let it fall into disrepair, could be the centerpiece of a remade Rose Quarter. It’s the only bona-fide architectural landmark on the site, and its glass curtain wall means the Coliseum could be turned into just the sort of indoor-outdoor performance venue the Blazers are looking for.

Obviously I don’t really think Randy Leonard is ignorant. But by calling the Coliseum ugly, which was really an attempt to tamp down the vehement defense of the building by preservationists, the Commissioner is missing an opportunity to work with Portlanders, who are calling for the Coliseum to be saved by an 8-1 margin according to polls by two separate local media outlets.

By: tw

tw — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 15:52:55 +0000

Considering that he’s being provoked, Libby’s remarks are pretty measured and judicious, with this notable exception: “You and the Mayor could also be heroes for saving this building.” That’s coming at it a bit heavy, really. I think we all know that the mayor should have resigned long ago and Leonard’s enthusiasm for Paulson’s sketchy hustling is looking worse by the day. Perhaps Libby means to suggest that being a responsible adult is heroic? Well, considering his audience he may have a point after all.