And then along comes Mary
Big Pipe Saltzman is going to have his hands full in the new year. Now he's got four people running to dethrone him from the Portland City Council, and the latest one to throw her hat into the ring may give him a real run for his family's money.
It is Mary Volm, former spokesperson for the City's Transportation Bureau, and later for the Office of Management and Finance. She worked for the city for something like 20 years, and she doubtlessly knows where a lot of bodies are buried. As we get the story, she was unceremoniously bumped from her tranportation gig by Sam "Creepy" Adams when he took over that bureau as city commissioner, because Wonder Boy wanted all the media spotlight on his bad self. Volm hasn't forgotten, I'm sure. She was active in the unsuccessful recall effort against Adams.
In the years that we've been watching the shenanigans at City Hall, Volm's name has cropped up a couple of times. She was involved in a 2008 road rage incident involving a limo driver who allegedly almost ran her over when she was on her way to a "thirsty Thursday" Timbers game on her Vespa. Around the same time, she also served as a city flack in the infamous attempted eviction of Peterson's convenience store by the downtown powers that be. At one point in that episode, she actually told the truth to kids at the Merc, who then published it, much to the embarrassment of the connivers pulling the puppet strings behind the curtain.
The PBJ story about her campaign announcement includes a great money quote about Saltzman, and by implication his long-tenured City Council colleagues: "He’s been there 12 years. That’s long enough. During that time, this Council has not kept its eye on the delivery of basic municipal services. That’s our job, and things are falling apart."
While Volm hammers on Saltzman (and by extension, the Sam-Rand Twins) over the general malaise infecting city government, the incumbent will also be hearing it from another challenger, Jason Renaud, an advocate for the mentally ill. Renaud has been relentless in seeking justice in the fatal beating by Portland police of Jim Jim Chasse in 2006. Now that Big Pipe is in charge of the police bureau, he'll be forced to stand front and center when the civil case over that homicide is decided, most likely this coming spring. A huge verdict against the city sure will be an awkward moment for Saltzman, whose career strategy has been to say one thing, then the opposite, and then run for cover.
Stonemason Spencer Burton and family therapist Ed Garran are also in the running for his seat. And neither one of them is chopped liver, either. It could prove to be one of the more interesting City Council elections in a long time.
Posted at 7:19 AM
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Comments (22)
Ms. Volm will be getting $5 from yours truly. This would be 150K in taxpayer money put to good use.
Posted by jimbo | December 10, 2009 9:02 AM
The entertainment value alone will be well worth the 5.00.
Posted by tom | December 10, 2009 9:30 AM
Good to hear Dan will have some real competition. BTW, where does his family money come from?
Posted by Eric | December 10, 2009 9:52 AM
It's nice that the sell-out Salzman will get some competition. It's nice that the competition has an axe to grind against the mayor. What I don't like is that she is (obviously) part of the 'problem'. She ran (and by extension supports) the nonsense promoted by the "transportation" bureau. And she drives/rides a Vespa - sorry, I will hold that against her.
Sounds like if she got elected it wouldn't be an automatic yes vote for everything mayor creepy wants. But it does sound like she just another player, not really in it for the people in the city as much as personal revenge for herself.
Posted by native oregonian | December 10, 2009 10:33 AM
Is it fair to assume that just b/c she was the spokesperson for those agencies that she agreed with everything? I would like to hear what she has to say about it first.
The vespa issue I agree with. Too lazy to pedal, not cool enough to "ride" LOL
Posted by mp97303 | December 10, 2009 11:32 AM
i've worked w/ mary a little bit...she's...interesting...to say the least. But she's got a good head on her shoulders. Not sure where she stands on issues, but I'll be listening closely as my first instinct is she'd be a great advocate for citizens...and with her communications know-how and well-established relationships w/ local media, she could be a force to be reckoned with on the council. I love that she was actively involved in trying to get Adams out and is going after sellout saltzman.
What else you got for us Mary???
Posted by expop | December 10, 2009 12:51 PM
GO MARY!
I just hope she isn't vulnerable to a smear by the Goldy/Katz/Adams machinery like Dozono and Ball were...I want to see her line up some hard-hitting talent before she goes all in on this.
Posted by RANZ | December 10, 2009 1:01 PM
I hate to say this, but anything or anyone besides Salzman, Randy and Sammy.
Posted by Steve | December 10, 2009 1:13 PM
She's joking, right? All I can say is be careful what you wish for. It would be better to write in noneoftheabove than to vote for her.
Think Sarah Palin on a municipal level.
Posted by Louis | December 10, 2009 2:13 PM
It would be good for the city to have citizens running that have experiences outside of government, not spin doctors, have common sense and have once signed a paycheck other than their own paycheck endorsement. It short fashion, someone with fiscal knowledge and believes in supporting basic services first.
Is Volm that person?
I want candidates to talk about these aspects without the typical politician jargon. The voters around here are ready for it.
Posted by lw | December 10, 2009 2:16 PM
Query: Has Dan Saltzman publicly stated that he is running again?
Posted by none | December 10, 2009 2:26 PM
Great, let's elevate a 20 year bureaucrat to a higher position, that will get rid of favors and vendettas!
Posted by Bob | December 10, 2009 3:11 PM
Mary's cool,
she's no tool.
Little Sammy,
go'in to school
Water,
Sewage,
Garbage too
Cops for robbers,
fires out.
Parks for families,
Paulson out.
Beaver's bats,
and Timber's nets,
cheering at,
the same old park.
Posted by JFree | December 10, 2009 3:51 PM
I've watched Mary's work over the years- she's no spin dr. She's the only one that I've seen that is willing to tell it as it is. Perhaps that is why she was thrown out of her job?
Posted by St.John for Volm | December 10, 2009 4:51 PM
Whoever wants to be successful in the next mayors race had better make re-defining the mission of city government (and it's many splinter entities) the up- front issue.
Posted by RANZ | December 10, 2009 6:11 PM
Mary is no Sarah Palin. And that's a great thing.
Posted by Talea | December 10, 2009 7:48 PM
I'm not sure what some (above) are talking about, but straight up honesty ala Mary style is precisely what not only the city needs, but the entire country. I've had it with forked tongues.
Posted by Tiger | December 10, 2009 8:44 PM
none, the last statement from Mr Saltzman was that he'll keep us waiting until January.
Meanwhile, the O's MaxB has offered a hint that momentum may be gathering to effect changes in the PPB:
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/12/portland_payouts_on_police_use.html
Perhaps Mr Saltzman will read the newspaper regarding problems with the bureau over which he presumes to provide supervision.
Posted by Gardiner Menefree | December 10, 2009 9:50 PM
Anyone who is thinking of endorsing Mary really, REALLY needs to talk with city employees that have worked with her. Preferably not just one or two (though that would probably suffice).
Posted by James Cook | December 10, 2009 10:21 PM
Did she change her Facebook photo yet? The one she has been using is about as slutty as a grown up should use in public. It doesn't scream "running for office" so much as trolling for men.
Posted by Mister Tee | December 11, 2009 6:40 AM
"Did she change her Facebook photo yet? The one she has been using is about as slutty as a grown up should use in public. It doesn't scream 'running for office' so much as trolling for men."
In this case, how does 'trolling for women' work?
Posted by kokanut | December 11, 2009 7:50 AM
I'm not so worried about a potential Goldy/Katz/Adams smear campaign. I AM waiting for the Weiner machine to start up, trash talking and hauling out crap that has nothing to do with the candidates and everything to do with propping up his little city boy triumvirate.
Let's hope for a discussion of what this city NEEDS and not a "who slept with/is currently sleeping with" gossip rat hole. A replay of what the Adams/Saltzman hitman did to Sho Dozono, while it mat be as pruriently entertaining as the Tiger melodrama, is not what will ultimately benefit the city.
One thing's for certain - the current gridlock and consistent voting block mentality at City Hall needs to come to a close. A close that's been a long time coming.
Posted by WomenVote | December 12, 2009 4:52 PM