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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on March 10, 2010 4:57 AM. The previous post in this blog was And now, a message from Ron Wyden. The next post in this blog is The chefs at Cafe Creepy. Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

City of Portland burns $40,000 before breakfast

Now the City of Portland can't even give away money without hiring a middleman who takes a cut. Here's a bid solicitation by the planning bureau for a "fiscal agent" who will make a nice commission for handing out $570,000 of city money as community organizer grants:

The successful Proposer will serve as a fiscal agent for BPS to distribute funds to Community Organizations for outreach projects and events. The goal of this contract is to create an avenue of communication and to offer innovative incentives to engage community organizations that may not traditionally participate in BPS programs. By involving neighborhood associations and community organizations, the City builds a positive partnership within the communities, encourages diversity at the grassroots level, and encourages neighbor-to-neighbor interaction. To facilitate this involvement, these Community Organizations coordinate volunteer-based education outreach and events, Through this program the City helps these organizations earn money to be used in their operations.

The anticipated funds to be disbursed to the Community Organizations for the services described herein are approximately $40,000.00. The incumbent fiscal agent is being paid an administrative fee of 7% of the total disbursement value paid to the Community Organizations to cover their administrative expenses.

There aren't enough bureaucrats in the planning department to process grant requests without shelling out 40 grand for a paying agent? Unbelievable. And note, they already have some outside outfit skimming this 7% now.

To make things even more lame, note that they're already stating in the announcement that the winning bidder will get 7% as its cut:

The successful Proposer would receive an administrative fee based on 7% of the total amounts paid to the participating groups.
Shouldn't the bidders be allowed to underbid that percentage? Oh, never mind. That would be good fiscal practice, and this is the City of Portland.

Does anybody know who's got this contract now? It seems a lock that they'll get it again.

UPDATE, 3/11, 11:50 p.m.; Despite the screwed-up bid solicitation, the contract is only for $2,800. It's the grants that will total $40,000. Further details here.

Posted at 4:57 AM | Bookmark and Share

Comments (11)

Ding! New winning entry in the Incomprehensible Jargon-Filled Tub O' Verbal Sludge Award!!

The goal of this contract is to create an avenue of communication and to offer innovative incentives to engage community organizations that may not traditionally participate in BPS programs. By involving neighborhood associations and community organizations, the City builds a positive partnership within the communities, encourages diversity at the grassroots level, and encourages neighbor-to-neighbor interaction. To facilitate this involvement, these Community Organizations coordinate volunteer-based education outreach and events, Through this program the City helps these organizations earn money to be used in their operations.

When did Vito, Guido, and Rocco move to Portland and climb in bed in City Hall?

Sounds a bit like the East Portland Action Plan. the Budget for the coordinator position is $125,000. What percentage is salary I don't know.

The coordinator is Lore Wintergreen.

Has anyone asked why the city is giving out money to people so they can lobby the city council in return? Isn't that what "community organizers" ultimately are doing? What do you think "avenue of communication" means here? Does not this city give money to the BTA who in turn then lobbies Mayor Creepy for a $600 million dollar bike nirvana? This is just more of the same, IMHO.

If you out there who want to whine about the condo bunker set lobbying the city and PDC for their share of our tax dollars aren't up in arms over this seemingly small turnips heist, then you're not really paying attention.

Just one more of many signs this city is corrupt.

The entire $570,000 is a waste of tax money by a council oblivious to the notion of fiduciary and fiscal responsibility, especially at a time when a deep recession is hurting basic services.

So what is this about?

Paying off supporters in an election year.

The proposal above will surely violate the city's own rules banning racial discrimination. Americans need not apply.

When Maria Lisa Johnson and Amalia Alarcon de Morris direct such funds to someone other than themselves (as in the recent past), likely their anti-American leadership trainees, they can put on a face of being almost not-racially-disciminatory, at least facially.

But: My race is "American" -- not tribe A B or Z.

http://hotair.com/headlines/?p=74725
http://michellemalkin.com/2010/03/09/my-race-is-american/

The City of Portland is instead an official hate group. Tom Metzger did not directly kill Mulugeta Seraw with a baseball. He just had a big mouth, much like Portland's own contemporary official paid big mouths. The hate is palpable, and the tax dollars are being used to fuel it until it becomes a conflagration (. . . like at some Max station, resembling the attack in Gresham, but by a mob with multiple victims.)

Jack, it sounds to me like you've misread the numbers a bit (emphasis mine):

The anticipated funds to be disbursed to the Community Organizations for the services described herein are approximately $40,000.00

Unless I'm missing something (I didn't see the $570K quoted anywhere in the bid solicitation) it sounds like the city's giving out about $40K, and the "fiscal agent" gets 7% of whatever is actually disbursed (i.e., up to $2,800).

Or am I missing something?

The bid solicitation says that the fiscal agent contract is for $40,000. If it was for only $2,800, I doubt they'd even put it out for bid. But who knows? Let's hope that's right.

What is even more absurd about this is probably CoP had another outside consultant to advise them on how to solicit a "fiscal agent", and went through similar procedures of solicitation to do so.

Solicitations on top of solicitations. The next step for CoP is a third level of solicitations.

So if I am understanding this right, someone gets hired to hand out taxpayer money, and gets a percentage of the money they give away? Pardon me, but WTF?

And this...

By involving neighborhood associations and community organizations, the City builds a positive partnership within the communities

Sounds to me like they are paying hush money to get the community on board with their nutty ideas...

I just get goose bumps all over when Portland is in trouble.I have a VOODOO Witch working on a sunomi or an earthquake next.

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Hogue, Genesis Merlot, 2008
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Kim Crawford, Unoaked Chardonnay 2008
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Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2006
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Taylor Fladgate, First Estate Reserve Porto
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Edmunds St. John, Bone-Jolly, Gamay Noir 2008
St. Innocent, Pinot Noir 2006
Jigsaw, Pinot Noir 2007
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Merlot, Indian Wells 2007
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Edmunds St. John, Bone-Jolly, Gamay Rosé 2009
Cameron, Willamette Valley Chardonnay
Il Valore, Sangiovese, Giovane, Puglia 2008
Duck Pond, Chardonnay, Wahluke Slope 2007
Kim Crawford, Marlborough Pinot Noir 2008
Domaine du Pesquier, Cotes du Rhone 2005
Cantina Zaccagnini, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2006
Domaine Matrot, Chardonnay, Bourgogne 2007
David Hill, Oregon Sparkling Wine, Brut
Chandler Reach, Monte Regalo 2006
Elk Cove, Pinot Gris 2008
Kirkland, Columbia Valley Merlot 2008
D'Aragon, Old Vine Garnacha 2008
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2005
Pavin & Riley, Merlot 2006
David Hill, Estate Pinot Noir, Barrel Select 2006
Castle Rock, Paso Robles Cabernet 2006
Magnificent, Cabernet, Steak House 2008
Conundrum 2008
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1998
Saint Cosme, Cotes-du-Rhone 2007
La Granja, Tempranillo 360, 2008
Santa Rita, Mendalla Real Cabernet 2006
Columbia Crest, Grand Estates Merlot 2006
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Newman's Own, Cabernet 2007
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Woodward Canyon, Columbia Valley Red
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The Occasional Book

David Sedaris - Holidays on Ice
Donald Miller - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith
C.S. Lewis - The Magician's Nephew
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ivan Doig - Bucking the Sun
Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Grace Lin - The Year of the Rat
Oscar Hijuelos - Mr. Ives' Christmas
Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Steven Hart - The Last Three Miles
David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day
Karen Armstrong - The Spiral Staircase
Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
Jonathan Schwartz - All in Good Time
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
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Jeff Noon - Vurt

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