where near 50% of the popular vote. For that he is a very lucky man indeed.
Mayor Randy knows he needs to shore up his popularity so it makes sense he is reaching out to Mayor Potter for a bit of a  lift.

Mayor Randy and Mayor Potter both worked in the public sector and have common friends in the Unions they were involved with. Add in fellow fire fighter and Portland Councilman Randy Leonard. Portland just went through a similar period where the public employees attempted to take the reins of City Hall and vote in a Manager form of government.

Mayor Randy also plans on running for a legislative position someday and by being seen with Mayor Potter he will become better acquainted with and begin to pull in a much needed Gay vote.

Some of the local talk is that former Fire Chief Dunkle is trying to help Mayor Randy by pulling strings and sitting on the City Charter commission that was formed and designed by the Fire Boys as soon as they sensed a change in the makeup of the council last fall. By taking away the councils power and getting a new charter Mayor Randy and former chief Dunkle could continue to operate the city in the best interests of their little group of power seekers. It all makes sense and I would look for a resurgent Mayor Randy to suddenly show up at public events like never before and try his hardest to squish Keith Locke out of the picture as the next Mayors Race approaches. The Shoeshine Boy


From Wants To Hear More 4/16/07
Why does Commissioner Joe allow the other two county commissioners to steal his comment period time on every issue it is obvious that they butt in at every opportunity. As a taxpayer I would like to hear from him, he usually has new ideas and not the same ol' hum drum answers like the brother and sister team of Hyde and Bernhard.

Dear wants to hear more,
I don't see much on the Commissioner meetings but if what you say is accurate I suspect they have been schemeing to quiet him on behalf of the Good new Boys and Girls network. (Scappoose Mafia). Commissioner Joe is no doubt the odd man out in their trio and is always cordial to the public. He sees Bernhard for what she is and she tries her hardest to defame him in the press and community. Hyde just doesn't like Corsiglia (Anyone for that matter) to get credit for anything. Hyde sees himself as God's gift to the people. (Of which state or God I'm not sure).
Don't feel too bad for Joe C. because he knows how to make them look pretty obvious from time to time. The public keeps him around because they know he is not on the take and is not a fake like the others...But look for Bernhard to try and run her new pet and United way buddy Fisher against Corsiglia in the next election. She has been pretty bold in talking about her plans in Scappoose and that probably means she is talking about it all over the county. Lets see if the new owners of the Scappoose rag are puppets for Bernhard like the old owners were....Interesting times ahead.. Too bad for Corsiglia but we think he has friends as well. Oh for the fun of spiteful politics in Columbia County....The Shoeshine Boy

From Lunger 4/16/07
What do you take of Senator Wyden coming out and questioning FERC on
the safety, economics, etc of the LNG facilities along the Lower
Columbia River and Jorden Cove, Coos Bay? Why has Betsy Johnson our
State Senator been so silent on the issue, riding the fence?

DEAR LUNGER:
It looks like you have it pretty well spelled out already. If Johnson takes a stand she will jeopardize her run for Governor in 2010. Wyden is in a position to do the yeoman's work of making it more troublesome for an LNG to sight in Oregon and since his supporters are 70% against it that makes it a natural for him and helps Johnson by keeping her out of the turmoil. Johnson will return the favor with a healthy campaign donation to Wyden. Probably already did...The Shoeshine Boy

From Sylvia 4/15/07
I have been noticing lots of new posters for Earl Fisher.  He is a candidate for the Port of St. Helens.  Is there anyone running against him?  If there is, who do you recommend?

Dear Sylvia,  I don't know very much about who is running for the Port Board. My thought has been that it needs cleaning out after all the turmoil and expense they caused at public expense the last two years. Things were going along well till this new combination of idiots arrived. Most everyone I know that is close to the Port says Fisher and Pulliam were Power mongers and micromanagers and that they virtually shut down all progress at the Office with their witch hunt approach. Then Fisher accused the Clatskanie PUD of the same things he did as a Port Official.
I understand he had ruined the School district in Clatskanie so lets just see if the money he is using will bail him out of all his mistakes......The Shoeshine Boy

From Broke Again 4/9/07
Dear Shoeshine Boy,
With another broken window, from Morse brothers rock trucks, I was wondering why Columbia county does not enforce the agreement that Morse agreed to with the county, many years ago, to tarp all loads of rock that was a certain size. I can assure you that the rocks that have been breaking my window and I believe that I am not the lone ranger on