Sam Adams, who's running for Portland Mayor, is known for his strong transportation record and advocacy. But did you realize that he also has sterling economic credentials and has spent his time in City Hall working to create jobs and improve our city's business climate for small businesses and workers? As they put it in a release today, they're "approaching policy-making just a little bit differently" in Sam's office.

But what does that mean? Let's take a look at some of the things he cites below the fold.

In the campaign release, the Adams campaign point to a strong record of accomplishment; he's been working hard to ensure that Portlanders have a fair shake. Here's the meat-and-potatoes of it all:

Portland has a low median family income compared to the counties in the region. Our wage growth has been mostly flat. So to dig into the problem, here was part of my strategy:

* I visited 100 businesses in the first 100 days of my term as a City Commissioner – I am up to about 200 now.

* And I got a better feeling for what working Portlanders face today when I worked 100 hours at Portland’s lowest paying jobs. I took what I learned on-site and working elbow-to-elbow and went back to City Hall to change city policies.

* I pushed through the first-ever reduction in city taxes on smaller, family-owned businesses.

* I recruited new businesses to Portland, like Assurity NW that has brought over 35 jobs in East Portland’s Lents neighborhood.

* I helped slash bureaucracy in the City’s workforce training programs and put administrative savings to work for Portlanders who needed to upgrade their skills.

* As a candidate for City Council I supported setting aside tax increment funds to build more affordable housing and as a city commissioner I helped get it done – adding millions to the effort of affordable housing.

Going back over the above points, there's a lot there that's good for Portland. When he first got into office, he spent long hours visiting 100 businesses of every make and model, working to understand what they needed to happen to be successful. Then, following up on that, he proceeded to engage the worker-side of the equation, working 100 hours in some of the lowest-paying jobs in Portland. For full disclosure, this all was happening while I was on his staff, but I can honestly say his dedication, passion,and earnestness in approaching each of these tasks impressed me. He worked hard to reach out to the business/working communities, and got great responses. As he said, he wanted to take his experiences back to City Hall, so he could craft smarter, better policy.

In terms of direct support for businesses and workers, his tax reduction had the right focus: helping smaller, family-owned businesses here in Portland is the right way to go. It keeps our local businesses thriving, and that keeps Portland unique. Moreover, his record on workforce training and affordable housing (as noted above) really helps support the backbone of our local economy: our proud, dedicated blue-collar workers.

Sam's known for his transportation record, but he also is strong on the economy and on education. He's growing a grassroots network so he can be a Mayor for all of Portland, and he's willing to tackle the tough issues that need to be dealt with. He's a strong leader with a bold progressive vision, but he also doesn't forget about the important nuts-and-bolts issues (economy, education, etc.). That's why I think he'll be an awesome Mayor, and it's just another reason why I support him.

I'd also encourage you to head on over the Blogtown, PDX, where Amy Ruiz asks the Mayoral candidates why they're running. Sam talks about his experience, and his Oregon history. Go take a look!

If you want to get involved with Sam's campaign or if you want to learn more about his candidacy, please visit his campaign website. Also, if you want to learn more about his work in City Hall, visit his CommisssionerSam blog.

Disclaimer: I worked for Sam Adams' office in 2005 and I'm an ardent support, but I speak and write only for myself.