Randy Leonard kicks ass

You gotta love a guy who's willing to use the phrase "No shit, Sherlock" when writing a piece discussing the OHSU tram.

He bottom lines the tram situation brilliantly, too:

It is clear to me, unless one believe's Mr. Stadum's defense that he "...doesn't remember the message", that OHSU hid from the city council that they knew the final cost of the tram would be much higher than what was represented to us at the time.

Knowing that, it is shocking that a man of Dr. Kohler’s caliber would actually write something as misleading as he did here understanding as I do that OHSU was part of the cast of characters who intentionally misled the city council (pdf).

I am not trying to blame Dr. Kohler, Steve Stadum, city staffers or anyone else for that matter. I am just explaining what I understand the facts to be.

If OHSU adopted the more rational approach suggested by Issac Laquedem, I would have been more open to their arguments for increased city financial help.

However, while I will stick by my original commitment to building the tram, that commitment was based on a city contribution of $3.5 million. That contribution was based on a cost to build the tram that was represented to be $15.5 million...a number OHSU at the time knew to be wrong.

I wish every politico used this straight forward approach when dealing with the public/issues. Leondard could teach the spine-challenged Dems in DC a thing or two about standing up for the right thing in a direct, yet vocal way.