Dangerous liaisons? You can be one. (Jack Bog's Blog)

Here's a gig for you, as sent along by an alert reader this morning:

TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC ADVOCATE
Portland Bureau of Transportation, Portland, Oregon
Closes: Monday, July 6, 2009 at 5:00 pm
If you're a "people person" and customer service is your specialty, Mayor Sam Adams has a job for you. It's a full-time job that pays up to $50,000 per year (depending on experience) with a strong benefits package beginning no later than July 23, 2009.

The position is Public Advocate in the Bureau of Transportation. As Sam's Transportation Public Advocate, you will investigate and respond to the wide range of transportation-related inquiries and concerns that citizens and businesses direct to the mayor. It's a demanding job that requires an ability to address a range of issues in a timely and effective manner. It's also a rewarding job because you help Portlanders in a direct, hands-on way.

To do the job well, you need to interact with people in a calm, professional, and compassionate manner at all times—even when people don't afford you the same courtesy. With the help of your team members you'll work every day to become conversant on the issues that interest and concern citizens and quickly develop an appropriate response. Being a team player is essential. At the same time, you'll need the discipline, motivation, and organization to respond to citizens and resolve matters in a timely way without direct oversight.

Additionally, you will help coordinate constituent response between the bureaus the Mayor oversees. Each bureau has its own Public Advocate, and you will help ensure the response to citizens remains consistent across bureaus.

If this sounds like a great fit for you, please submit:
* A one-page cover letter;
* Resume;
* Three references; and
* a maximum three-page writing sample (that includes an example of how you have provided good customer service) to:

Office of Mayor Sam Adams
Tom Miller, Chief of Staff
1121 SW 4th Avenue, Room 340
Portland, OR 97204

They left out: "You will occasionally be asked to deliver envelopes of cash to troubled gay teens. You'll need the discipline, motivation, and organization to do what you're told and not say anything. The position may expire this fall following the recall election."

Comments (16)

I don't see anything on here that suggests pants are required.

Posted by RJBob | June 26, 2009 12:45 PM

. . . you'll work every day to become conversant on the issues that interest and concern citizens and quickly develop an appropriate response.

Such as, "No comment."

Posted by NW Portlander | June 26, 2009 1:17 PM

Hiring preference will be given to any reporter knowing details of the illegal activity's of the mayor..

Posted by dman | June 26, 2009 1:52 PM

"Appropriate response" means "tell them what they want to hear, regardless of the truth".

Posted by none | June 26, 2009 3:10 PM

They left 'headshot' off the list of submissions.

Posted by none | June 26, 2009 3:11 PM

If you have an opinion, such as believing honesty and fair dealing matter, then you are "passionate" and can't be "calm and professional".

Portland is sometimes such a bad joke,and it the citizenry that is the butt of that joke.

Posted by Cynthia | June 26, 2009 4:12 PM

So, next winter, this person, in lieu of Adams, will do the presser with the snow shovel and admonish us, trapped in our homes by unplowed streets, to clear our own walks? And advise the restaurateurs -- those who have survived last December -- to do the same?

Perhaps this person can provide the narration for the YouTube videos of vehicles sliding into other vehicles or failing to climb an icy hill -- the images of Portland that have entertained the world the past few years?

Posted by Gardiner Menefree | June 26, 2009 4:18 PM

Does anyone know what Dan Anderson does for the PDOT?

Posted by Brian | June 26, 2009 5:02 PM

If this position and person is anything like the completely unqualified nd unaware Roland Champowski who Commissioner Sam had handling the commissionersam.com blog it will be nothing but a public BS tool.

Posted by Ben | June 26, 2009 5:07 PM

"Tool" is the operative word.

Posted by NW Portlander | June 26, 2009 5:45 PM

Expect this position to be filled by the Portland Mercury's Matt Davis or maybe Anna Griffin from the O. lol

Posted by WestsideGuy | June 26, 2009 5:46 PM

They're gonna get a ton of downsized print and tv people applying. Watch for that spot to be filled by a familiar face. I hope that poor weather guy that KATU sacked gets a shot at it.

Posted by RANZ | June 26, 2009 6:46 PM

One major element in the downfall of local government started when public officials decided to add public relation staff, advocacy people, liaisons and whatever you want to call them to their staff.

Since these officials are elected, representing all the diverse interests of all the citizens, then why is it proper to have advocates promoting one viewpoint in disregard to all the various interests?

Roland of Adams staff is a strong proponent of his bosses and his own viewpoint on transportation. Most times he doesn't even begin to listen to other viewpoints but quickly charges into lobbying for his viewpoint. This attitude is exhibited in many other Commissioner's staff, as well in even different city bureaus and extends to Metro and TriMet.

Most are not listening but advocating. That is not what I thought government was about.

Posted by Lee | June 26, 2009 8:10 PM

The saddest part is, when budget cuts strike the transportation bureau, it won't be the Advocate who loses his job, but some poor guy who actually does meaningful work (and yes, there ARE some out there!).

Posted by Michelle | June 27, 2009 10:24 AM

That's a leadership position in the Department of When-You've-Had-Enough Exceptions-that-You-Have-No-Rules.

Once upon a time, there was an idea of general government that everybody who asked the same question got the same answer. It represented a value called "equity" which is part of a larger concept called "democracy". Now we have a system based 30% on the squeaky wheel principle, 60% on the whiskey and cigars principle, and 10% on the It-Says-Here-in-the-Code-Somewhere principle.

Recall.

Posted by dyspeptic | June 27, 2009 12:20 PM

Brian, it would seem that you, like almost everyone else, has missed the subtle change from PDOT to PBOT; eg:
http://www.portlandonline.com/oni/?c=29385&a=252253

Perhaps the eventual PBOT Public Advocate can explain the change and sum its cost.

Posted by Gardiner Menefree | June 27, 2009 12:48 PM

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Friday, June 26, 2009

Dangerous liaisons? You can be one.

Comments (16)

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