I'd like to have several hundred of these. I really enjoyed the face of Erik Sten on the little boy's body in the short pants. Amanda Fritz has certainly not been worthy of her $500,000+ (yes as in over ONE HALF MILLION DOLLARS) "public investment" over the course of one failed voter supported election and the second voter supported time was the charm.

Indeed. Let's just have the developers and Business Alliance pick all the City Council members!

What ever happened to Emily Boyles?

Let's just have the developers and Business Alliance pick all the City Council members!

They still do, only with VOE it's a lot cheaper for them.

What ever happened to Emily Boyles?

Still working on TV in Glendive, Montana.

Still not paying back the money she stole from Portland.

Still working on TV in Glendive, Montana.

I had forgotten we knew her whereabouts. So why can't the DA's office start pursuing this as a fraud case? No, it won't pay back much, given what they might be able to garnish from wages. But it would at least improve the message that's being sent out to would-be VOE fraudsters.

Yes, I know. Don't bother answering my question; I already know what their response would be.

Roger:

Who do you think is supplying funding to the current council members?

Jack,

Here's a question for you... The only VOE candidate listed as an endorser on 26-108's campaign web site is Amanda Fritz (http://yesforportland.org/endorsements).

Is she really the only one out of more than a dozen candidates that supports contining the program, or is the Yes campaign playing games / hiding something?

Doc

is the Yes campaign playing games

Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

So why can't the DA's office start pursuing this as a fraud case?

Because they know very well that the law was written so loosely, and with such poor oversight, that they'd never get a conviction.

I find it interesting that Fritz supports this and yet could not find the the money in her own pocket book to to contribute to other candidates this past election cycle. All in the name of appearing unbiased I guess. If she truly supported this she should have opened her wallet to all. After all, what's $5 for what maybe 20 candidates this past May? On her $100k salary she can afford this.

I feel that VOE contributes to a weak field of candidates, rather than a stronger field and that we have true leaders in our midst that are just not being elected. VOE WILL NOT help this. Our city is so willing to reward the wrong kind of people that until we wake up no amount of public funding will correct this.

Jack - Clever use of Photoshop, but I find it appalling that you oppose Voter-Owned Elections when the only hope for fiscal restraint in this City is someone from the outside to come in and practice it. Did you see the WW article on Commissioner Fritz in which she single-handedly convinced the Council to go with an alternative water filtration system, saving the City $200 million in bonds? Commissioner Fritz also opposed the renovation of PGE Park, which ended baseball in Portland and added more debt.

Yes, VOE represents a taxpayer expense, but at an average of $400K per year, it's a drop in the bucket compared to the city's annual $2.7 billion budget that needs oversight, not to long-term capital projects the City signs up fo. Yes, there have been a few bad apples, but the fact that it allows for new people outside the good ol' boy network to run is reason enough to vote YES.

In a real democracy, everyone with the determination and smarts should be able to run, not just those with connections to the well-heeled, who will continue the power structure in place. If you really want the City to reconsider it's financial approach, you need leadership outside the typical cast of characters. Do you really think a problem like long-term debt can ever be fixed with the same old people? Voter-owned elections is the best tool to accomplish fiscal restraint.

I hope you reconsider your position.

"Oh Come On" -- it's interesting that you post from:

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Ref: http://whois.arin.net/rest/net/NET-159-121-0-0-1

"Clean money" was another dopey Erik Sten idea that gives his Bus Kid buddies money to play make-believe politician with. It wasn't worth millions of taxpayer dollars to get Amanda Fritz.

And "We waste so much money on other things, what's another million or two?" is not an argument I'm buying.

As far as "clean money" attracting smart change agents to government, you've got to be kidding. John Branam? Emily Boyles? Streetcar Smith? Jesse Cornett?

Utterly wasteful.

So many people get this wrong (including WH press secretary Robert Gibbs). The USA is a constitutional federal republic, not a democracy. We hold democractic elections to choose our representatives to the republic.

I like your photoshop of Street Car Smith. Looks like he's still riding the trolley too much. From his appearance a few weeks ago, he needs to join Portland Afoot-well, I think he has-I hope he's practicing.

The sign is funny.

Cheers.

Got logic, got relevance? As in WTF's the difference in the context of this discussion?

I have never understood the fetish for this republic vs. democracy hair-splitting Mrs. Grundyism that people trot out when they want to sidetrack a discussion.

What exactly are the difference in the two forms that have relevance for the question of public financing for campaigns, and which position would each one take where there are differences. Or go fly a kite.