One of Portland's most endearing features is the identity of its neighborhoods and the relative strength of its neighborhood organizations and associations. At my last count, there are more than 80 distinct "neighborhoods" in our city, represented by associations of neighbors that have come together for a common good. But not every city is so fortunate.

Back in L.A. while I served on my local neighborhood council, one question I got a lot of was just how strong are these neighborhood groups, anyway. I answered that it depended on the ability of the groups and their members to both communicate their needs clearly and never stop hounding city hall. But, you see, the problem in L.A. was that people often felt unappreciated, thinking that city hall didn't listen and, even if they did, their power to affect change was minimal at best. My friends and neighbors often believed that, despite our best efforts, city hall wouldn't listen or care.

Well don't tell that to Sam Adams, who continues to rack up endorsements from key neighborhood leaders and spends lots of time outside of city hall, working to bring all of Portland's residents into government and the decision-making process.

I just finished reading Sam's endorsement by local neighborhood leader Dick Levy, and it's a strong affirmation of just why neighborhood leaders across this city are supporting him for Mayor. Dick cites Sam's dedication to every corner of Portland and his performance on neighborhood issues in city hall, writing:

As a neighborhood leader on the eastside of Portland – I can tell you that Sam knows every corner of Portland like no other candidate for Mayor because he has worked on issues in almost every corner of Portland.

Sam believes city government should be judged by how it performs in each Portland neighborhood. Time and again, Sam has taken neighborhood problems back to City Hall for action.

In the past three years Sam has:

• Improved the safety at Portland's most dangerous intersections with a first-ever allocation of $11 million in one-time General Funds.

• Sponsored the Neighborhood Small Grant Program that distributes $200,000 in small grants to neighborhood-based organizations and projects in each coalition area of Portland.

• Helped fight traffic-choking proposed Wal-Marts in neighborhoods that are often overlooked.

Dick also quotes heavily from other neighborhood leaders from around our city, such as Ruth Hander, who notes that "Sam... kept his promise to keep coming back to our neighborhoods and paying attention to our needs after being elected to the Portland City Council."

Empowering neighborhoods, their organizations, and their people is important work. Portland can only function well if all Portlanders have their say in what's going on at city hall. As Dick says, Sam's been working hard to do that throughout his career; the examples he cites go a long way to showing how Sam doesn't ignore the problems of local area groups and actively works to strengthen these crucial organizations and areas. Moreover, the fact that leaders from so many different neighborhoods in all parts of Portland are supporting Sam for Mayor show that he has both wide-reaching support and that he truly cares about issues that affect every corner of our city.

Having served in neighborhood organizations in the past, I realize their importance and the need to continue to empower citizens. That Sam also realizes this is so refreshing in a public servant, and goes a long way to show what sort of Mayor he would be.

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