Claiming that intellectual disabilities are irrelevant in regards to holding public office is like saying vision disabilities are irrelevant for airline pilots.... WW’s question was neither “patently offensive” OR inappropriate, and Mr. Smith himself has made it an issue; almost, it seems, a matter of pride or swagger.—“Sally”
WW really put the kid gloves on. I especially liked the leading questions...so all he had to do was say “yeah” and he looked like some kind of hero. As for one commenter’s comparison of ADHD with being in a wheelchair...let me point this out. He managed to make it out of Harvard yet he couldn’t send a letter to the bar with his check on time? ADHD has become an excuse for everything. Don’t compare a person who has no use of their legs being late...to someone who could graduate from Harvard yet forgot to send a payment in. He has a history of this. Is the standard of leadership so poor around here that you people would gush over the example he sets? Please.—“Chris”
Smith clearly has some gifts... The question is whether they are the right gifts for the job of mayor of a large-ish city with a payroll of thousands. Smith seems to do best when he can use his considerable wit and charisma to charm and motivate people. While...inspirational leadership is needed in a mayor, a large portion of the job also involves the mundane, un-sexy work of running an organization that rivals many medium-sized corporations. It’s not clear Smith’s leadership of the Bus Project has prepared him, particularly given the thousands of dollars in fines it racked up under his tenure. While Smith’s ADHD should certainly be off-limits, it is fair to question if, in light of his erratic and questionable personal behavior (missing court dates, driving with a suspended license, not voting), he has the maturity, patience, and persistence needed to be mayor.—“Davey_Blun”
CORRECTION
A recent cover story (“The Crucifixion of Geoff Thompson,” WW, Sept. 28, 2011) misstated the name of the View Point Inn. The story also inaccurately characterized a legal settlement between Friends of the Columbia Gorge and the inn’s owners. That settlement restricted outdoor functions at the inn and off-site parking but did not address restoration or fire insurance. Friends of the Columbia Gorge did not sue over the land use permit for the Inn; the settlement agreement was reached during the appeal period for the permit. WW regrets the errors.
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