Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman is a good and decent public servant whose work to create the Children’s Investment Fund will be his lasting legacy. Unfortunately, that first term success for the three term commissioner has never come with an Act II. Right now our city is in desperate need of creative and bold leadership during a time of deep recession, growing poverty, and a crisis in the Portland Police Bureau that Commissioner Saltzman oversees. His performance as police commissioner has been sorely lacking. The current members of the Portland City Council are among the most dysfunctional that I have encountered in twenty years of working with local elected leaders. That isn’t to say that Commissioner Saltzman is a failed leader. In fact, I have found him to be a person deeply concerned with Portland and have particularly valued his work on children’s issues. But Portland needs leaders right now that have more than good intentions. We need independent voices on the Council that are not beholden to special interests and who can articulate visionary solutions to the common problems we face. Our city deserves tough and principled Council members who can rally the city around a vision for a prosperous and united community. Dan Saltzman, despite all his good qualities, is not that leader. Commissioner Saltzman replaced Portland City Commissioner Gretchen Kafoury when she retired from public office but he never has managed to fill her shoes. As the campaign develops I will be looking for a progressive voice to support that I have confidence will put our great city back on the right track.