Char-Lie wins
There's no sense waiting until next week to start getting used to it: Portland's new mayor is Char-Lie Hales.
In some ways, it's really satisfying that the voters are putting an end to Jeffer-Slam Smith and his parents' delusions of grandeur. They probably think he'll be back, and now that they've crowned Hales, Smith's longtime pals at Willy Week, who invented him, will try to reinvent him. But that possibility is as dubious as Smith's hairline. He'll be a middle-aged guy next time around -- one who's never had a real job. And given all that he's put himself through over the past few months, one wonders what he's going to do for a living in the meantime. Maybe a D.C. think tank will call. But the sooner he's off the Portland scene, the better for everyone.
The city has dodged a bullet. But any sense of order produced by the Smith implosion is more than offset by dread of the Hales administration. Portland's biggest problem these days is that its basic government services have been crippled by runaway bureaucracy, unfunded pensions, and City Hall subsidization of bad real estate development. Hales was an eager participant on all three fronts during the reign of Mother Vera, and despite whatever platitudes he's mouthing during the campaign, he is going to continue all of those unfavorable trends, with gusto in fact.
Perhaps the most depressing aspect of the election was how the frontrunner, Eileen Brady, was thrown under the bus over the definition of the word "founder" and a comment she once made in a moment of anger to a police officer. Because of that, and Brady's utterly inept campaign, we got to choose between Nutsy and Char-Lie -- two fellows whose characters were far less respectable. Smith's severe personality problems caused a spectacular downfall, and Hales was given a free pass on his lying about his residency when he lived in Washington State. He either lied for tax purposes or lied for voting purposes; either one is a felony if done willfully.
So the Sam Rands get replaced by Hales and Novick. And the sad story continues.
| Posted at 11:40 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (32)
1470 more days...
Posted by reader | October 30, 2012 11:53 AM
Brady wanted to run for mayor in the worst way... and that was the way she ran. She received lots of good advice from many (myself included) but the kids running her campaignwere obsessed with making so sure she was green and hip and progressive that her message was lost. As it was she was more concerned with photo ops in chicken coops than talking about jobs.
Then came the televised debates. Smith did great; if you didn't know anything about the guy you were bound to be impressed. Brady did terribly. At that point she looked like an also-ran, and it was downhill from there.
I personally urged her campaign on three or four occassions to pick up on the garbage collection mess and run with it. A commitment to restore weekly garbage collection would have been worth, I think, fifteen or twenty points. Her managers wouldn't let her touch it with a ten foot pole.
They insisted that she be green and blue. She ended up black and blue.
Posted by Dave Lister | October 30, 2012 11:55 AM
Who ran that campaign?
Posted by Jack Bog | October 30, 2012 11:56 AM
Brady was definitely the lesser of three evils. That's not a very inspiring campaign message, but it was the truth. I think she could have won on a "no more slop buckets" platform.
Posted by Frank | October 30, 2012 12:17 PM
But she actually likes the slop buckets. You won't find a mainstream politician in Portland saying anything bad about them.
Posted by Jack Bog | October 30, 2012 12:21 PM
Jack,
I have purged most of the e mails but the names I remember from her campaign crew were Jenna Beesaw, Jon Isaacs and Natalie Sept. Most of my suggestions went to Jon and Jenna. Jenna, I recall, was quite young. Jon did not like most of my suggestions... too conservative.
Posted by Dave Lister | October 30, 2012 12:26 PM
Gee whiz, Brady spent a million bucks.
https://secure.sos.state.or.us/orestar/publicAccountSummary.do?filerId=15023
Hales is simply nauseating with all things rigged and conflicted
https://secure.sos.state.or.us/orestar/cneSearch.do?cneSearchButtonName=search&cneSearchFilerCommitteeId=15089
from every angle
Cash Contribution 10/28/2012
Amount : $100.00 Aggregate : $400.00
John Kelly
Occupation : City planner
Amount : $100.00 Aggregate : $600.00
Marjorie Kafoury
Occupation : Govt. relations consultant
Amount : $600.00 Aggregate : $600.00
Liam Thornton
Occupation : Senior Vice President of Development
Amount : $600.00 Aggregate : $600.00
Barton Eberwein
Employer Name : hoffman const. co. portland OR
on and on and on with an endless list of pay to play donors
Posted by Cry me a donor | October 30, 2012 12:36 PM
It is depressing, isn't it? Corrupt political machines are all over, but here in Portland they've got it down pat and it's not going to change anytime soon.
The elders of the Church of Sustainability will continue lining their pockets with backroom deals and by the sale of indulgences to a gullible public seeking salvation for their polluting souls, while the rest of us have to support the whole sham on our backs.
Posted by Mr. Grumpy | October 30, 2012 12:38 PM
It looks like they're taking over the Portland suburbs as well. It's such a bummer.
Posted by Jack Bog | October 30, 2012 12:45 PM
It's a great day if you're a developer who loves Streetcars - you now have a red carpet entrance into City Hall.
Everyone else? Yeah, don't bother the King, he's too busy to deal with you minions and pheasants.
Posted by Erik H. | October 30, 2012 12:47 PM
Speaking of slop buckets, your canditate of choice just released a survey reporting that satisfaction with garbage service (as well as a number of other essential services) has declined rather drastically. No big surprise, really. Too bad those in office won't take heed.
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/10/portlanders_report_drop_in_sat.html#incart_river_default#incart_m-rpt-2
http://www.portlandonline.com/auditor/index.cfm?c=58996&a=417733
Posted by Ugh | October 30, 2012 12:50 PM
Char-Lie wins-Recall Liar!
Posted by Anne | October 30, 2012 12:54 PM
The poster several weeks ago said it best... the creation of Metro and land use planning essentially fooled the public into handing over government to real estate developers and investors. Residents are now merely disposable 'clients'.
Posted by Mr. Grumpy | October 30, 2012 1:08 PM
Oh my this is special
https://secure.sos.state.or.us/orestar/gotoPublicTransactionSearchResults.do?cneSearchButtonName=next&cneSearchFilerCommitteeId=15089&cneSearchContributorTxtSearchType=C&cneSearchFilerCommitteeTxtSearchType=C&cneSearchPageIdx=2
Amount : $250.00 Aggregate : $500.00
Laurel Butman
Occupation : deputy county administrator
Employer Name : clackamas county oregon city OR
just click away and the parasite reveals itself
Posted by Cry me a donor | October 30, 2012 1:31 PM
Brady showed up for the primary election debate at Concordia University in chick boots and a somewhat short dress. Other than possibly pleasing the young so-called creative and restless, and eye candy for dirty old men, her appearance was anything but mayoral. One wonders who made that outfit choice.
Slop Buckets - the true legacy of Sammyboy - including pouring slop buckets full of commingled public funds into the municipal misaligned priority feeding trough clearly demonstrating his total lack of fiscal accountability and responsibility.
Posted by TR | October 30, 2012 1:36 PM
Charlie is still under formal investigation for election law violations that could lead to his being removed from office. I may be forced to compel the Secretary to hasten her investigation of my formal complaint in court, but it remains on her desk. How long do you think it takes a reasonable person to pull records from a few agencies and interview a few neighbors?
I look forward to the special election this will lead to. Who do you want to run to replace Hales?
Posted by Seth Woolley | October 30, 2012 1:37 PM
"He either lied for tax purposes or lied for voting purposes; either one is a felony if done willfully."
I think he is a felon willfully or not. The real question is why is he not being persued and prosecuted? Yeah I know, we don't have a real Atty. General or Secretary of State.
If it hurts when you hire / vote for these people, why do you keep doing it?
Dr. Phil wants to know how is that working out for you?
Posted by BoBo | October 30, 2012 1:40 PM
just click away and the parasite reveals itself
Is it just me, or does that link pull up a blank page?
Posted by Mr. Grumpy | October 30, 2012 1:46 PM
oops sorry Grumpy
was supposed to be this one
https://secure.sos.state.or.us/orestar/cneSearch.do?cneSearchButtonName=search&cneSearchFilerCommitteeId=15089
Posted by Cry me a donor | October 30, 2012 1:56 PM
"If it hurts when you hire / vote for these people, why do you keep doing it? Dr. Phil wants to know how is that working out for you?"
Obviously, for some people who comment here, it is working out great!
I used to think that people here at Bojack represented an accurate cross section of Portland voters. That is wrong. Many if not most people, both libs and cons, have intelligent things to say here, and yes, they probably have an IQ higher than room temp. Not so for the average Portland voter, who continues to inflict damage by electing buffoon after buffoon into office.
Posted by Harry | October 30, 2012 2:34 PM
Charlie is still under formal investigation for election law violations that could lead to his being removed from office.
He has been given a pass, anyone else would not have been allowed on the ballot.
In my opinion, the Portland oligarchy has wanted Charlie all along, throwing Eileen under the bus, waiting for the appropriate damaging time to do the same to Jefferson, and declaring Charlie a win, even though so many are still undecided, many saying they don't want the two on the ballot, and last but not least ignoring a serious write-in.
The playbook is to never give the people a real choice.
Posted by clinamen | October 30, 2012 2:43 PM
Let's not be too sure that Brady would have been a better mayor.
While CharLIE talks the talk about being sustainable and green only to make sure his buds get to fleece us, Brady actually believes that crap.
Posted by Tim | October 30, 2012 2:46 PM
Sam was also given a pass for his bathroom shenanigans with a 17 yr old. Anyone else would not still be mayor and had not both been gay somebody would be in prison.
All hail Portlandia!
Posted by Mr. Grumpy | October 30, 2012 2:47 PM
I don't think Brady struggled in the primary because of press coverage over "founder" or past interactions with the police. I think she tried to run a Rose Garden campaign, where she avoided specifics. When she first got in, it was understandable that she might not know the intracacies of City government. But six months later, she was still short on specifics, responding to most questions with "Sustainability! Jobs! Kale!" She's smart, and had she spent some time developing specifics, I think she would have won.
Posted by Miles | October 30, 2012 2:49 PM
I checked that link. Who are all the out-of-staters and what do they have to gain? (Or, perhaps I should ask who do they represent and what has already been promised to them?)
Posted by Mr. Grumpy | October 30, 2012 3:17 PM
RECALL All the phony ones who refuse to do as they are told.
Let us start w this one.
Is that a light rail bridge being built?
Didn't the tax payers who voted say NO more than once?
Let us start w this one.
Posted by fancypants | October 30, 2012 4:17 PM
Charlie Hales was the front runner from day one.
None of the information regarding his residency issues is new. Portland voters have known Hales he was fraudulent for months, and yet he always remained ahead in all the polls.
He was always going to win.
Posted by Justin Morton | October 30, 2012 4:34 PM
I may be forced to compel the Secretary to hasten her investigation of my formal complaint in court, but it remains on her desk.
Of course it does.
Does anyone doubt she is part of the insider group?
In my opinion, it will remain on her desk or essentially off the plate until those who want our water and water rights have Charlie step in and finish the job. Considering he was with HDR, and they are big on water, he needs to recuse himself from water decisions, due to conflict of interest.
Hales is already talking regionalization. Do you all know what that means? There could be 25 entities making decisions on our Bull Run Water, we are reduced down to one vote about decisions on our water and what we drink, including if the 24 say we drink Willamette River water and we with 1 vote say no, too bad folks.
Hales has said he is for fluoride. Isn't the same PR/marketing firm doing PR for Hales and for the fluoride issue?
Considering what I wrote above, doesn't this "regional idea" seem like a great maneuver to take away our vote?
He could say that even though the public voted again not to put fluoride in our water, it is not up to him now, as the regional vote prevails and they have determined our overall water usage to prepare for the future growth and generations.
Just like he told neighborhoods who did not want density that Metro is making us do the density requirements when he was also Chair of the Metro Policy Advisory Committee. See document p. 160
http://books.google.com/books?id=WypGIjIkKZsC&pg=PA160&lpg=PA160&dq=charlie+hales+metro+growth+advisory&source=bl&ots=x1f2Co3Eeq&sig=F2ztuZT7W8as5IVTGdn6D19qwFM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1XeQUKz2Naq3iwLq8YA4&ved=0CDkQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=charlie%20hales%20metro%20growth%20advisory&f=false
____________________________
It is not only our water we have to be concerned with Hales “if” unfortunately he gets in. See, I can't even fathom Hales back in so I have to type "if." Jack, how about giving us another week of hope that all other write-ins will keep Hales out.
Seth, how serious is your document, and would it really oust him if the law prevailed?
Posted by clinamen | October 30, 2012 7:04 PM
Don't blame me, I voted for Scott Fernandez...twice.
Posted by JD in the NE | October 30, 2012 9:05 PM
clinamen, you can read it for yourself here:
http://swoolley.org/files/hales_complaint_sept27.pdf
It describes the consequences in detail. Nobody has found any holes in the arguments so far. Best they can do is ignore it as long as possible until the next election.
In theory maybe if he decided to re-file his taxes to say he was an Oregonian he'd have a better chance, but in the reply to the first complaint, he said he was a _temporary_ resident of Washington so he could file his taxes as a non-Oregonian. That's not available to him as I point out, he doesn't live in barracks or a school or a boarding house. He lived in a permanent house with his family for reasons other than temporary work or education. He also tried to move his Oregon registration to a location other than the last place he lived in Oregon, which is itself excluded by the temporary option part of the statute. So even if he could claim he was temporarily there, he is caught by the explicit allowance of the last place he lived -- on Hayden Island, not Eastmoreland.
His filing his registration card in 2008 is thus no way accurate since it is not consistent with the law, so he cannot be eligible for mayor. The law says the registration doesn't count unless it is accurate.
Paperwork snags happen frequently and disqualify people quite often. I point to case law on that. This is a normal thing if you're not the insider golden boy.
Kate's campaign team is the same as Hales's (both clients of Winning Mark Weiner, also the pro-fluoride PR firm), so either Knute gets in (note the WWeek interview video where Knute himself questioned Hales's registration), or I pursue this the long hard way in court, I expect.
I think there's enough here to be taken seriously, otherwise I wouldn't have pursued it.
I'm planning on pursuing this as far as it can legally be taken. You don't get to vote without being taxed on those items up for vote in my philosophy. I cannot let this turn into a precedent.
There were a significant number of lawyers who complimented me on the original filing who I won't name, so I think it's not without serious merit even among lawyers.
Posted by Seth Woolley | October 30, 2012 9:36 PM
Thank you Seth! Keep up your pursuit of Hales. If/when he gets in he needs to be ousted. Who to replace him: there's only one clean money candidate, write-in Scott Fernandez.
Posted by Jenny | October 31, 2012 12:21 AM
I'm a firm believer in sticking around and fighting the good fight instead of packing up and moving, but just in case, you know that Fort Worth is ridiculously mellow, right?
Posted by Texas Triffid Ranch | October 31, 2012 6:30 AM