I saw Ted Wheeler in the Capitol Cafe when I was in Salem yesterday for the Humane Society of the United States Humane Lobby Day. He looks like a decent sort and seems to be trying to do things right. I just wish he had had the courage to challenge the employee unions and investigate Multnomah County Animal Services like he promised during his campaign for Chair.

Frohnmayer did his work on this letter while on the UO payroll half-time. Fair enough. But last year, when he started working at Harrang Long, etc. he was on the UO payroll full-time as well, courtesy of a golden parachute contract from OUS Chancellor Pernsteiner. And OUS wrote him a couple of retroactive contracts, to fill his summer pay. The state auditors are looking into that deal now.

That said, the letter sure paints a damming picture of the DOJ investigation. But then Kroger closed it, concluding no evidence of wrongdoing. So what's the beef?

It would be interesting to know who is paying for this. Maybe Frohnmayer and Gary are doing it pro-bono, given the connections. If so, you sort of think they would advertise that fact.

Attorneys....

Will be sleazebags for billable hours. Evidently, public billable hours are juicy.

Justice is only for the rich.

The letter was dated February of this year. Is he still on the UO payroll half-time?

I don't know Jack.It sounds like good lawyering probably worth the money paid. The letter is a good read with elements of whistle blowing and expose of questionable tactics by DOJ's CJD.

A better question might be how much did this "investigation" by CJD cost taxpayers?

Every taxpayer ought to read the first 9 pages of the letter. If that doesn't convince you of the gargantuan amounts of waste in state and federal government, then I don't know what would.

Frohnmayer is still on the UO payroll half-time.

The Washington State Senate on Monday UNANIMOUSLY passed a bill to ban all "retire and rehire" jobs. In Oregon, OSSHE is notorious for "retire and rehire" contracts, frequently called "600 hour contracts", almost always for administrators.

Taxpayers pay 3 times when this happens. First, for the new hire who replaced the "retired" employee. Second for the "part time" salary to the "retired" person. Third for the 100 % PERS pick up paid during the work years of the "retired" person.

I suspect, but have no direct knowledge, that the "retire and rehire" stuff is rampant in the school districts and ESDs.

Nonny Mouse...retire/rehire is rampant everywhere in state government. Private "consulting" is the name of the game, and sometimes it even comes with benefits too!
Pitchforks?...anyone????

Remember, no matter what and appearances be damned, to quote Cylvia: "I did nothing wrong."

Don't confuse legal with moral.

Pitchforks?...anyone????

We'll be wanting long-handled ones on account of those new tasers.

The Oregonian expose on the unethical tactics of the Oregon DOJ -- and the obvious source of the story was Harang/Long/Rudnick -- was worth whatever they're getting paid. It's becoming clear that Kroger's deputies make a practice of crossing over any legal or ethical lines, as evidenced by this case and his disgraced environmental advisor who doctored the water samples. I strongly supported Kroger, but he needs to clean his own house to prove that the corruption isn't starting at the top.

Miles -

The "outsid" folks at the marion County DA's office to whom Kroger punted that investigation say that there is no evidence whatee4ver that the enviro lawyer at the DOJ tampered in any way with the samples.

Those same folks do say the samplples were collected in his presence outside the plant in Hood River, were collected at his direction, and that he may have participated in taking the samples.

He'sin trouble for not owning up to his active participation in the sample collection, and for not divulging his participation when first asked. Bad moves on his part, but not any proof of phonying up or tampering with the evidence.

IIRC, the company involved did eventually enter a guilty plea to the charges regarding the wastrwater from the plant, after all the stuff about the DOJ guy came out.

Nonny -- Yes, you're right, there isn't evidence that he doctored the samples. I was remembering what some accused him of, but there isn't evidence for it.

That said, I'm not sure I would just characterize his actions as "bad moves". Didn't he specifically lie about his involvement in an attempt to cover it up? And now another DOJ top dog lied about the evidence in a criminal case to badger a witness into a confession.

Either Kroger is failing to provide adequate ethical oversight to his upper management, or he's encouraging them in order to score a "big win" that will help his political future. Both are bad.