Boyles is a piece of work that boggles the mind. However, her fraudulent thieving manipulation of the Voter Owned Elections should not be reason enough to slam the whole system. Yes Amanda Fritz might have run without the public campaign funding..but would she have had a chance in hell to run a viable campaign without this funding? I don't think so. I am not going to throw out those hackneyed phrases like level playing fields and giving more people a chance to get elected..oh look i just did. In some ways it's a good thing that Boyles did what she did...we know there are flaws (understatement) and loopholes (understatement) that slimy folks can take advantage of and they will now be fixed.
Hate the cover of WW.
Sidebar - To see the whole riotous tape of Steve Colbert at the White House Correspondents Dinner check out http://youtube.com/watch?v=rJvar7BKwvQ&search=colbert%20bush

C'mon...did you really think this was a revolution, a paradigm shift, a change in the dynastic order? Of course you didn't, Jack.

That our "alternative weekly" (or is that weakly?) so strongly supports the status quo in their endorsements...is that really so shocking?

One might think...wouldn't it be less rude to at least poll the toiling masses before we subject them to the same old same old...at their additional expense? (I read just today how we can't afford to mark crosswalks...ah, but paying Emilie's rent...)

I'm amused --truely-- that Willamette Week thinks Saltzman made the right call on the Tram and the resevoir covers. That they endorse the, uh, "diminishment" of our public employee pensions in endorsing Kulongoski. Truly our hero, this man of the people, that Ted.

That they --or anyone who's part of this-- finds REAL neighborhood --or employee-- empowerment distastefull...well, those folks should vote the "alternative newspaper" slate for the status quo. And PBR for everyone, dude.

How is this guy an auditor? He can't impartially evaluate or monitor something that he is so intent on pimping for. Every "finding" he makes is accompanied by a series of sales pitches and spin.
Why didn't someone run against this guy?
With an auditor like this, bojack's warning of a looming municpal bankruptcy isn't a shocker.

Sorry to chime in again so soon, but a thought occured to me that I hope someone can answer:
Who is the hearings officer or equivalent body for this type of appeal? Is it Blackmer? City Council?

Help! My city's fallen and it can't get up.

"Future candidates and the public are learning that this system works for those who adhere to the rules"

I believe any system works for those who follow the rules. Even old Erik can easily juice the VoE for more than $150K now, I guess (he got extra when Burdick cleared $150K.)

Same old, same old.

the identified office space was the only building available to meet the needs within the requirements of the ADA.

Totally absurd. Her violation of VOE was not the type of building she leased, but rather the fact that she signed a year-long lease without knowing if she'd last past the primary.

Frank, you wouldn't have a conflict on interest on the pensions thing, would you?

Let's just stop calling it "Voter Owned Elections" and call it what it really is - "Candidate Welfare" or perhaps "Taxpayer Subsidized Elections".

This is my finger, this is finger flipping off Emilie Boyles. F-k her seriously. No other office space that is ADA compliant? I know of at least ten ground floor office spaces she could rent cheaply that are accessible.

The only solace is that in two weeks she'll go away.

All that being said, one asshole lunatic candidate should not kill VOE.

How about two? Two out of four.

FYI for those who might care. In an interview earlier this week with State Investigators, Lucinda Tate was told that she is now considered "Just a witness" as nothing her campaign did broke any laws and no colusion or connection to the Boyles campaign could be found. As a matter of fact they appologized to her.

Was she guilty of being eager to qualify? Perhaps. Guilty of trusting a man who put on a good show? Probably.

I only post this because despite sending 10 pages of documents to the newsmedia in town outlining every event as it unfolded not one of them chose to tell her side of the story, and probably never will. (The recent article in the O doesnt count as many of the facts were dead wrong and none of the important details were shared)

Lucinda is an outstanding individual who didnt deserve a lot of the 'less then kind' comments lodged her way by you and your readers. I hope that now you will take these new facts into consideration and separate her from the ongoing Emilie debacle.

Sorry. Anyone who's dumb or crooked enough to turn in the signatures she did, knowing as she did the highly suspicious circumstances in which they were produced, deserves all the criticism she gets.

So when repeated calls were made to the Auditors office every step of the way asking if their were any issues at all surrounding Emilie's qualifying signatures only to be told "No, not at all, no investigation, no issues, She's qualified come on in with your signatures" Lucinda is crooked or dumb?

Hindsight is 20/20.

To answer the earlier question about who chooses the hearings officer:

1. As provided in Section 2.10.030 A.4., the Citizen Campaign Commission shall recommend to the Code Hearings Officer for appointment Hearings Officers to review cases and make determinations under this Section.

2. The City's Code Hearings Officer shall designate and appoint the Hearings Officers based upon the recommendations of the Citizen Campaign Commission.

Specifically, the choise is NOT up to the Auditor, since he is a party to the hearing.

So when repeated calls were made to the Auditors office every step of the way asking if their were any issues at all surrounding Emilie's qualifying signatures only to be told "No, not at all, no investigation, no issues, She's qualified come on in with your signatures" Lucinda is crooked or dumb?

Yes, crooked, dumb, or both. Please don't join Boyles in blaming the system. When you start playing games with a guy like Vladimir, you should take the consequences. Ms. Tate's political career is probably over -- and it certainly will be if you keep making an argument out of this.

As for those "everyday Portlanders," all I see is Amanda Fritz, who says herself that she would have run anyway.

Yeah, but Amanda would have been outspent something like 10 to 1 by Dan Saltzman. Amanda probably couldn't have raised more than $50,000 - and if it was a serious challenge, Dan could easily have raised a half million.

[Disclaimer: I built DanSaltzman.com, but don't speak for him or his campaign.]

Amanda probably couldn't have raised more than $50,000 - and if it was a serious challenge, Dan could easily have raised a half million.

Sounds like Francesconi.

Chris Smith:

If Amanda Fritz does not advance to the general election, will you be willing to admit that VOE accomplished nothing?

will you be willing to admit that VOE accomplished nothing?

Alice, the Stennies do not "admit" anything, especially not lack of accomplishment. "Clean money" is the linchpin of democracy.

I should probably know this, but I don't: What is Emilie Boyle's disability? Is it a mobility issue?

Boyles disability I believe is a Rare form of having ones Head stuck firmly in their Behind.

Due to Candidate's Disability and the disabilities of campaign workers

What is this? The Special Olympics now?
Good grief...

I wonder what the O's attorney could simultaneously do in aid of Boyles and against Sten. It surely would not reference the ADA.

Kari, your take of Sten's take might be enough for me to cover the cost of placing an insert in the O. I have not been demanded to reveal any donations or spending in my super low budget write-in campaign. I must be guilty of something too? What could you do in terms of civil or criminal penalties that would enhance my free speech rights? Surely you must have some ideas.

As an individual who reviews disability claims for large employers, I would certainly like to take a look at her claim. If she can drive, walk, use a computer and steal money, she certainly doesn't appear disabled to me. What a crock.

laurelann,

"steal money"

Mr. Gary Blackmer left the checkbook out in the open. Now he's covering his ass, using his elected position to do so. He has a bit of a conflict problem, as he must cover his own loss here, personally. It looks like Mr. Gary Blackmer's conduct, precisely because of his position, is worse than Ms. Boyles. The penalty itself is overkill, regardless of Ms. Boyles lack of competent counsel.

I'd probably be a lot more tolerant of the so-called "Voter Owned Elections" thing had we actually been given an opportunity to vote on it.

Liz: According to the Mercury, she has epilepsy.

For the record I had childhood epilepsy (luckily I was able to get over it with medication) so I know how debilitating it can be if its not under control. I have also spent a lot of time working with college-bound disabled students with disabilities far more severe than that (I've worked with people who could only move their head, deaf mutes and so on) and so know a lot about accessibility of buildings.

Therefore, I find it really offensive that she is claiming that her "epilepsy" limits her from renting a number of spaces to work. Honestly, I don't know if she's stupid, manipulative, merely dishonest or all of the above but to claim that as an excuse is to dishonor the vast majority of the disabled community (of which I am a part) which works their asses off to overcome their limitations and never make excuses as to what they can't do.

As stated above, the only thing good about this situation is in less than 2 weeks she'll be gone and we'll never have to hear from her again.

As for VOE itself, I have come around to agreeing with Jack. It is time to put it to a vote, in Fall 2008 if not sooner, and let the good people of Portland decide.

So what made the office she picked "safe" for someone that has epilepsy? Are all the surfaces and objects padded to prevent injury?

I dunno for sure but generally what makes an office safe for epilepsy is minimal stairs, extra space, not necessarily padding. Most people who are epileptic are medicated and so if you have a seizure it is mild and short-lasting. Think of what would make an office wheelchair accessible and you get pretty close to what I think it might mean.

I'd say that the most significant of Boyles' disabilities are not recognized by medicine or the law.

Yeah, but Amanda would have been outspent something like 10 to 1 by Dan Saltzman.

So?

When did the inability to raise funds or come up with other grassroots ways to be a viable candidate become a "problem" that taxpayers are supposed to fix?

Yay to Misty for trying to overcome the trashing of Lucinda Tate on this and other blogs. Unlike the obnoxious statements and over the top rhetoric of the Boyles camp, Lucinda has returned to what she does best, caring about and for the unseen, unrepresented citizen's of this city. She needs to be applauded for her good works, not attacked for something that the STATE, not local, officials have exonerated her for. Leave this woman alone!!! She has taken the high road and so should we!!!

"Clean money" is the linchpin of democracy.

Um, don't you mean "'clean money' is the underpants of democracy"?

Oh, and thanks, SES, for pointing out that Tate found the "unseen, unrepresented citizen's [sic] of this city" -- or was that Vladamir?

Clean Money is the Pair of Underpants for Democracy.