The nomination of Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon for the 2008 World Mayor Award has been widely welcomed by the people of his city. The vast majority of comments praise the work he has done so far. However, there have also been a few dissenting voices. Below we publish a representative selection of comments received about the Mayor of Phoenix.

FOR
Comment: We are so proud that Mayor Gordon has taken the initiative to defend the civil rights of our Hispanic Phoenicians.  Our beautiful city and state is famous for its multicultural flavor and we all support his stand to protect and respect the dignity of every person who resides here in peace.  He is embarking on a very difficult path, challenging a sheriff who makes us feel like we live in a police state. Our mayor is our hero.  Good luck, Phil!

Comment: Mayor Gordon is willing to do the right thing no matter what the political cost.  This is a man with his head and heart in the right place.

Comment: As an Alumnae of Arizona State University, I am writing in strong support of Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon.  The City of Phoenix has no official responsibility for education, which is the responsibility of local school boards and the State of Arizona.  But Mayor Gordon has made education a priority and is rebuilding our community around education.  In five short years, he has proposed and opened small, technical high schools that prepare students for immediate entry into specific professions.  We have opened a public safety high school, for example, that graduates students to become police officers, firefighters and paramedics.  But most impressive is what he has done at the university level.  Five years ago, Gordon proposed opening a campus of Arizona State University (ASU) in downtown Phoenix.  ASU's main campus is located in the City of Tempe, just east of Phoenix.  Less than four years later, it opened -- and became the heart of a greater, downtown campus that includes our other two main universities in a phenomenally unique partnership.  To illustrate this, let me tell you one example.  The University of Arizona, located in Tucson Arizona, opened a College of Medicine in Downtown Phoenix at Gordon's urging.  Arizona State University opened their College of Nursing on the same campus.  These two rival universities now share facilities.  The medical and nursing students share classrooms and faculties.  They learn together and train together.  Add to the mix a Pharmacy School (and a soon-to-be-established hospital) an you have a comprehensive campus to train the medical professionals of tomorrow -- for Phoenix and the world.  Right next door is a major research center that is seeking the cures for cancer, Alzheimer's and other diseases.  In just a few years, this research facility (TGen) is within 50 genes of determining the cause of Lou Gehrig's disease.  And, again, five years ago none of this was much more than a few sketches on the Mayor's notepad.
 
To  the medical facilities we have added the Walter Crokite School of Journalism, KAET Channel 8 (PBS), and several other university programs.  This has not only added to our educational capabilities, but has energized downtown Phoenix itself.  This one brilliant idea has brought more new people into downtown Phoenix than building and occupying 5 high-rise office buildings.  And to top it off, the Phoenix campus and the Tempe campus are being linked with a 20 mile light rail system that is changing Phoenix forever -- and providing thousands of jobs and development along the rail line.
 
They say that Phil Gordon gets up at 3:30 every morning, works late into the evening and still believes there aren't enough hours in the day to move his community forward.  I say he deserves your full consideration for the honor of World Mayor.  In all my 57 years, I've never seen anything like this remarkable man.

Comment: Mayor Gordon is the real deal.  He's more like Arizona's Mayor.  He represents Phoenix with dignity and passion.  While most sit and spew partisan rhetoric, Mayor Gordon is known for his consistently outreached hand reaching toward the people on both sides of an issue.  Mayor Gordon brings people together and finds middle ground, collaboration, compromise...solutions!  While the conservatives of Arizona label him and are stuck on one issue, Mayor Gordon focuses on the human element, human rights, and human dignity.  The Mayor has shown he isn't afraid to stand-up for his true beliefs and take the lead on the tough issues.  Phoenix and Arizona are lucky to have Mayor Gordon and while the city grows and flourishes, one thing I know for sure, all politics are local and there's no Mayor more in tune and connected to the neighborhoods, the people, and the issues of our city.  Vote for Phil Gordon!

Comment: Phil Gordon is a fine mayor and a tribute to the changing and growing state of Arizona. He has shown himself informed on state policy, including environmental concerns. I would definitely vote him into office again.

Comment: A progressive thinking mayor who doesn't shrink from tough issues and dedicated to making Phoenix an even greater place to live.

Comment: Phil Gordon is a visionary. Far and away the best mayor I have ever seen.  He works 18 hours a day and does things that need doing. I admire him more than words can express when it would be so much easier to go with the flow, do nothing, and move on.

Comment: Our mayor is a man who builds bridges; his complex and diverse constituency makes the job especially difficult in this era of anti-immigrant sentiment.  He is intelligent, fair, open and, above all, creative.  He doesn't just see our city as his domain, he sees Phoenix as a global citizen, partner and player.

Comment: Mayor Gordon has lead our city with strength, dignity and a strong commitment to making us the best city in the world. He gets my overwhelming vote of support!

Comment: Mayor Gordon has gone above and beyond his duties by having the courage that most other politicians don’t have and not only saying what is on his mind but defending citizens and "non" citizens of Phoenix. It doesn’t matter if you were born here or not, we are all human and he has defended all our rights as they are being violated and will not stop until it is taken care of. Truly a working mayor not a mayor working to take our money.

Comment: He is one of the best mayors in the world, smart, he always makes good decision, he never takes decision based on popularity or what people says.

Comment: Mayor Gordon shows he cares for the people of Phoenix. He listens and has open communications with the citizens through his office, public meetings & even through working at a Starbucks.  He has listened carefully first then taken a stand against bigotry.  He has foresawn the need and took a stand to improve public transportation. He has encouraged and aided growth of small business. He has also strengthened the police department. I feel we have a safer more forward-looking city due to Mayor Gordon.

Comment: He is one of the best mayors in the world, smart, he always makes good decision, he never takes decision based on popularity or what people say.

AGAINST
Comment: It is troubling that this mayor would pander to the supporters of illegal aliens rather than allow his police force to enforce Federal immigration laws to the point that innocent policemen and citizens are being killed, injured, raped, etc.  I thought the job of mayors and governments in general was to protect the citizens from harm.  He should not be chosen as the World's mayor 2008.

Comment: Phil Gordon is choosing to ignore the rule of law for the city of Phoenix, AZ, and he has and continues to turn the city into a "sanctuary city" for illegal aliens.  The true citizens of Phoenix are tired of his manipulations and accusations towards everyone in Phoenix and Maricopa County who are trying to enforce the law and stop criminal illegal alien activity in the city and county.  Recall efforts are now on to remove him from office before he does more damage than he already has.

Comment: He should NOT repeat NOT be voted World Mayor. He would rather stand with illegal aliens than with the people of his city who have spoke out on this problem.

Comment: Mayor Gordon seems to feel more strongly about the interests of developers in Phoenix than the needs of the residents.  My recent experience with a city council session revealed a yawning Mayor Gordon waiting for the passionate pleas of residents to end so he could proceed to approve an issue residents had been fighting for years, without any explanation as to why.

Comment: Phil Gordon should be disqualified from this contest.  He has made Phoenix a Sanctuary City for Illegal Immigrants against the will of the voters and demonizes anyone who disagrees with his views.  He does not represent the people of Phoenix and is not likely to have a bright political future.

Comment: In no way should mayor Gordon be World Mayor. In Phoenix we have the Roosevelt school district, the worst school district in state. Violent crime and property crimes have continued to grow at a alarming rate. The mayor does absolutely nothing. The residents in Phoenix have begun a recall petition to rid the city of phoenix of this useless Mayor, if only he would do what was morally right and not try to pander to special interest group. His desire to run for governor has severely hampered the mayor from doing anything for fear it will hurt his future political aspirations.

Comment: I am Hispanic, and I do not support the Mayor's "Sanctuary" Policies- The Illegal Immigration issue is not about 'brown people' as the Mayor likes to believe. Illegal is NOT a Race. It is about doing what is right for U.S. citizens in the city of Phoenix. He is not helping hispanics like myself by aiding and abetting illegal entry into this country. That is not exemplary of a Mayor 'Doing what is Right'.

Comment: Mayor Phil Gordon appears to not get the difference between LEGAL and ILLEGAL within the city of Phoenix.  Illegal immigrants do not have a right to be in Phoenix or anywhere in the USA for that matter.  Although Mayor Gordon has done a lot of good for this City Phoenix is a city of the United States of America.  The mayor should not be backing those that have shown disrespect for our borders and our laws to come here.