The only right outcome in Clackistan
The Bluebirds are circling their wagons around Clackistan county chair Charlotte Lehan. She's in a close re-election race against John Ludlow. Here's Jonathan Poisner over in Jefferson Smith Land crowing about how important it is to the county, the region, and indeed the world that Lehan be re-elected.
We agree with Poisner that this is an important election, but we come out the other way. The voters of Clackistan have made it clear, on multiple occasions, that they do not want light rail from their area to Portland. Lehan and her colleagues on the county board have decided that they know better than the voters about that. When that sort of thing happens, the voters' only recourse is to vote the rascals out. As was graphically illustrated in the recent light rail bond fiasco, the courts aren't going to help, even when laws appear to have been broken. And so now the only right thing to happen is for Lehan to be replaced. She can go work for Metro, or Portland State, or some other refuge for local political burnouts. She really does not deserve a paycheck from taxpayers whose clear wishes she chooses to ignore.
Friends tell us that Lehan is a wonderful person, and that Ludlow is a hothead. Even if that's true, it's important that a change be made.
| Posted at 2:48 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (22)
I live in Southeast Portland, near the new light rail line. I am not excited or supportive of this line. Your post concerns me. It sounds like you want to replace a politician who has generally served Clackamas County well and replace her with a one issue hothead. The rail line is being built. It is time to move on.
Posted by Dave Audet | October 9, 2012 4:21 PM
If you think there's only one issue in Clackamas County your opinion doesn't mean much. She will lose big and deserves to. Let the ballot speak. Because you are bulldozed over once, doesn't mean you have to settle for it forever. She will lose and she deserves to.
Posted by Joe | October 9, 2012 4:44 PM
He says he lives in Clark County. Does that fact strain his credibility?
Posted by dg | October 9, 2012 4:57 PM
Dave Audet makes good points. And for other reasons, no Ludlow, please.
The last thing Clakamas County needs is another one-issue obsessive hothead elected onto a commission. If Luddie is elected, Clackamas County Board of Commissioners will end up like those whacko Commissioners still hanging on and ruining the Claclakmas River Water District. It's as though there's cryptopolitica in the water there.
See "It's in the water" https://bojack.org/2012/10/its_the_water_2.html#comments
Let justice be served on the light-rail short-cutters thru the courts, As is already underway. Public trials, public courts of appeal, and a Supreme Court. Btw, important election there, too.
Posted by Mojo | October 9, 2012 4:59 PM
The rail line is being built. It is time to move on.
Yes, it is. It is time for Lehan to move on. What a hero.
Light rail is but one of many issues relating to "urban renewal" and similar real estate development scams that are fleecing the taxpayers. Ludlow will probably reflect the majority of the voters' views on many more of those issues than Lehan would have.
Posted by Jack Bog | October 9, 2012 5:01 PM
Anyone who thinks Lehan is wonderful must also think the same thing about Sam- Rand and the rest of the regional gansters.
Dave Audet,
You haven't a clue and obviously have not been following bojack's Clackistani coverage if you think Lehan is politician who has generally served Clackamas County well.
That is total crap. She's been a shadow government conniver her entire career. She narrowly escaped a recall as Mayor and ran up Wilsonville Urban Renewal debt which now rips off $6.5 million per year from schools and other essential services.
Only Portland and Salem are worse offenders. And she did so by abusing UR the same way she later described herself as a misuse of UR.
Lehan lied about the Sellwood bridge fee and got PolitiFact on it. She lied about Urban Renewal as chair led the commission's despicable decay measure to the ballot to try and thwart the voters.
She then lied anout the rail vote and led the shadow government payment of TriMet 4 days before the rail vote.
Lehan sides with Metro and is opposed to the people of Damascus deciding their own destiny. She is against the majority public in Lake Oswego who do not want the Streetcar or Homer Williams development.
Lehan is against the public who does not want Milwaukie light rail, or the park Avenue station plan or the McLoughlin Area Lehan is against the people of Boring who have been assaulted with property rights restrictions. On and on it goes.
Ludlow is not a hot head at all. Quite the contrary he is a mild mannered gentleman, balloon tying friends of kids, community volunteer and will be a considerate Chair who sides with the public ahead of the regional scoundrels.
Lehan fabricated that hothead label when she tried to throw him off the Wilsonville planning commission for objecting to her plans. He sued, Lehan lost, got scolded by the judge, city had to pay 30K and the judge praised Ludlow's principals.
Lehan is wrong about everything in adhering to all things Metro, TriMet and Portland.
Damon is no better. Both must be thrown off the county commission. They are the unwanteds who betrayed the citizens and voters over and over again.
Dave Audet and Mojo,
Do you have anything real to justify your Lehan over Ludlow pitch? Or are you just coughing up what Lehan and BlueOregon does?
Posted by RailVote3-401 | October 9, 2012 5:16 PM
I made my basis crystal clear. Don't get mad -- Get smart, people!
Posted by Mojo | October 9, 2012 5:26 PM
I've met and spoken with/heard Lehan, Ludlow, and Damon. None of them are hotheads. Damon is a very reasonable centrist who tries to find common ground and uses common sense. Lehan is very measured in her thinking and has definite ideas about what local government should have as priorities or provide. Light rail and urban renewal are a couple of those ideas she is obviously dedicated to. Ludlow is well spoken, definitely center-right riding a wave of "right wing" indignation at the moment. Maybe that's why he gets labelled a "hothead". He didn't strike me that way, but he's certainly a conservative Republican. I don't believe he's a "single issue" guy either. I think he's conservative on a lot of issues, anti-tax, limited government, anti urban renewal, etc. Those who think Ludlow would be a bull in the china shop need to understand who Lehan is right now. Ludlow is just a different side of the coin.
Posted by EL | October 9, 2012 5:35 PM
From my 10:56 a.m. Oct 7,2012 post at BlueOregon:
Lehan is a prime example of a liberal politician who believes that the bulk of her constituency are "rednecks and peckerwoods" and that their opinions count for nothing. The end run that the commission did to get around the will of the people with regards to the Portland-Milwaukie light rail clearly shows the contempt that Lehan holds for the great majority of Clackamas county voters. Does anyone with half a brain see Multnomah county as a role model? Does anyone think that Portland with 50% of its available property tax receipts going to unfunded city employees' pensions and crony urban renewal projects, is a laudatory "partner"? And, of course, let us not forget that the dreaded "Tea Party" is involved. I mean how can any progressive person call for a smaller and more efficient government that doesn't provide free health care for life after 10 years of work (see trimet) or 41k a month in retirement benefits (see B
Posted by ronwade | October 9, 2012 5:42 PM
This is far from a one issue race.
But the worst offense and reason to throw Lehan and Damon out is:
Lehan and Damon paid TriMet $20 million just 4 days before they knew voters would take that decision away from them.
Which they did with a 60-40% victory of 3-401.
They also both tried to thwart the 3-386 UR vote with a decoy measure. It passed passed by 70%.
The both tried to force the county residents to pay for part of the Sellwood bridge knowing they did not want to. The fee repeal passed by 63%.
"I made my basis crystal clear. Don't get mad -- Get smart, people! Posted by Mojo | October 9, 2012 5:26 PM"
No you did not, I'm not mad and you're not too smart.
What you did was cough up a red herring like Lehan supporters always do.
You brought up the water district brouhaha and falsely equated it's cause to a Ludlow chair victory. As if that's the problem at the water district. Ludlwo type people are not causing the problems as you try to misrepresent.
And therefore you have not stated any real basis for supporting Lehan.
EL
Damon is no reasonable centrist at all. That is a phony act.
Her lengthy resume and history with cooking up consensus to impose the racket's policies goes way back.
She is a Lynn Peterson protoge.
The rebellion is not a "wave of "right wing" indignation".
It's the voting public against the anti-public government partners.
1. Ludlow is a hothead? Wrong
2. Luldow would cause trouble like the water district. Wrong.
3. Damon is a reasonable centrist. Wrong
4. This is a wave of right wing indignation. Wrong.
Posted by RailVote3-401 | October 9, 2012 5:58 PM
I moved to Clackamas County three months ago now, gee how time flys. I am voting for Ludlow and Tootie Smith. Bring it on.
Posted by John Benton | October 9, 2012 6:07 PM
I heard John Ludlow speak last week for about 8 minutes giving a quick synopsis of his positions on over 6 issues. Lehan takes about 12 minutes to cover one issue. And then you still wonder what's her position.
He's been respectful in all the settings I've seen him. In a way he isn't as polished as some, but he isn't as political savvy like many politicians. That's refreshing. But he knows the issues and has a fundamental basis that will guide him as new issues develop.
Posted by lw | October 9, 2012 6:28 PM
The conversation here is much appreciated. The Clackos pulling that backdoor Bank of America deal on the bag money for METRO's railroad job was, indeed, unforgivable.
2. Luldow would cause trouble like the water district. Wrong.
It would be helpful if Ludlow would promise that, RailVote3-401.
Peace of Mind ~ Van Morrison
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH3YGAczAPQ
Posted by Mojo | October 9, 2012 7:13 PM
Jack, I agree that a change is necessary.
It's funny, though, that your logic does not extend to the presidential election.
Both stooges are stooges, but if you re-elect a stooge, then all the stooges think they can get away with being stooges.
Vote every one of the incumbents out until they start listening to us.
Posted by Don Smith | October 9, 2012 7:20 PM
"Oh they looked like politicians, but underneath they were thugs...."
Musical interlude encore:
Big Time Operators ~ Van the Man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCY5CeI9tco
Posted by Mojo | October 9, 2012 7:26 PM
I have met John Ludlow on a couple of occasions at the Oak Grove Community Concil meetings, I do not know John or much of his history, however I have found him to be straight forward, honest and "normal". I have however met Jamie Damond and also Ms. Lehan a couple of times and do not have the same warm fuzzy feelings. There is some very serious slime issues with these two. Very uneasy , nasty feelings. Yes, I am a sales type and deal with a lot of varied
backgrounds. These two need shackles measured and a cell reserved.
Posted by BoBo | October 9, 2012 8:31 PM
There are no words that can change votes of haters. Mostly they're 'conservative.' Mostly that's the definition of hater, hanging on to and won't let go of, conserving, hate, maybe from receiving an injury, or insult to themself or their role model, their idol, in the past, and nurture that grudge into a hardened heart and deaf ears.
There is what, maybe 30? folks commenting here with claims of representing many more. One of the fundamental flaws in conservative 'thinking' is a belief (denying empirical stats) that their point-of-view is in 'the majority.' America is a predominantly liberal citizenship, which is consistent with the principle(s) of, by, and for the very inventing of constitutional law and founding of this country. Conservative has always been the outlier 'view' and 'thinking process.'
Clackamas County is a local scale of the same proportions.
Jon Ludlow and Tootie Smith are smooch-smooch suck-up favorites of Lars Larson, taking all the free air time he gives them and saving thousands of campaign dollars not having to buy 'exposure.' I've worked with Lehan years ago, in Wilsonville, and I've worked against Smith a long time, (she should shrivel back in the hidey-hole that keeps her and give up). I've never met Ludlow and I hope not to, after from hearing him in Larsonia.
Now there's a new word. Can it change hate-hard votes or voters' thinking?
NFW, no f'ing way.
Posted by Tenskwatawa | October 9, 2012 9:07 PM
There are no words that can change votes of haters.
Mirror, mirror...
Posted by cc | October 9, 2012 9:14 PM
Tensky,
What a hypocrite. You the smooch-smooch suck-up to Randy Leonard of all people.
Lehan and Damon could go on the radio any time they want. Lehan did go on Kremer and Abrams.
Her performance explains why she doesn't go on any more.
Hear it yourself. http://www.clackamasdems.org/?p=299
The clack dems think she did a bang up job.
As for the hate card, you must not be paying much attention to the disparaging remarks by the anti-voter light rail shucks.
The Oregonian just endorsed Lehan and Damon.
Posted by rail vote 3-401 | October 9, 2012 9:35 PM
Jefferson Smith land?
Blue Oregon's two most recent posts about the mayoral election are (1) a post about possible write-ins, and (2) Bill McDonald's piece blasting Smith.
In the first of those, BlueO founder Kari Chisholm stated he's still on the fence between Smith and Hales. (He was a Brady supporter.)
Seems like a strange summary of the sentiment over there. Though it could well be there are more Smith supporters among the commenters.
Posted by Pete Forsyth | October 9, 2012 11:30 PM
Hothead?
That wasn't the impression I came away with after meeting Ludlow. He spoke in passionate (and blunt) terms about the things that have gone wrong Clackamas County and he was knowledgeable about a number of county issues.
I received a straight answer to my question. I was especially impressed that he will voluntarily decline PERS benefits.
I'll take "pithy with principles" as a leadership style over the "we need to try harder to be a regional player" philosophy that Lehan advocates.
We need someone who is willing to tell Metro to go pound sand when appropriate. Lehan will never be that person.
Posted by PanchoPDX | October 10, 2012 4:13 PM
I covered Lehan as a reporter in Wilsonville. During my 20-year career I never witnessed a more secretive, arrogant or simply law-breaking City Hall.
Public meetings with no notice. Hundreds of thousands of dollars spent with no public council vote.
Asking citizens "are you done yet" during public testimony, pushing major projects like the Fred Meyer complex through at the 11th hour, and a barn renovation project that cost upwards of $600,000 I could never find a public vote on (yes, I said barn).
It truly was amazing what she could get away with. She was always respectful and nice, but I have to tell you, if you are looking for someone who valued the opinions of the voters, she isn't it. It's Charlotte's way, or the highway, err, light rail line.
Posted by Patrick | October 11, 2012 5:31 PM