I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.
(Thomas Jefferson)

If we truly had an independent judiciary, I'd agree with you completely, but what are the chances of obtaining meaningful reform from the courts in this state, which are full of judges who have been appointed by the same people who create the problems in the first place?

Many posters have commented that the main reason to vote for Obama is to ensure that we don't have Romney picking Supreme Court justices. The only differences between the federal appointment process and the state appointment process, both of which have the CEO (POTUS or Gov.) making the appointment, subject to Senate confirmation, is that 1) state judges have to run for "election" (if you can call it that) after their initial appointment, and 2) there is a complete lack of press coverage on state court appointments. Other than that, the appointment process is as partisan at the state level as it is at the federal level, and your chances at meaningful reform are virtually nil.

Randy must have some kind of dirt on the Jelly Fish, surprises me. I always thought there just wasn't much there.
They are all liers, thieves, and scoundrels!

Jack, I respectfully agree with Columbia County Kid. I understand your point about the potential pitfall of exposing one's case, maybe angering a judge, etc., but public opinion sometimes affects judicial outcomes. And if it doesn't, maybe the exposure will at another level.

The future is bleaker for dirty rats when cats are let out of the bag.

Judges may not like it when a case gets tried in the open by the press. But, the public doesn't like it when it seems that the legal process is getting clouded by nit picking in front of an accommodating judge.

I witnessed the sad day at a city council hearing when Fish could have gone with the businesses and citizens who wanted a stop put to projects and the spending and debt, but instead he gave the third vote needed to pour another $80 million into that Powell Butte project.
This was a very serious pivotal point to the water bureau's "grand plan" that made some water watchers very upset to see how they marched on despite going against public interest.
Sam/Rand are leaving at the end of their term.
Fish should be recalled.

Problem is that citizens have to put enormous amounts of time, energy and money into combating the abuse. Meanwhile, council carries on, no worry or cost to them, as we also pay for the city attorneys.
Then when all is said and done as others have mentioned,
an independent judiciary is needed.

Increased awareness on a wider scale possibly nation-wide, and an attempt to turn public opinion against these lying scoundrels may be the only recourse left.

Is this a judge that must periodically stand for election ... by those same pesky taxpayers that don't appreciate efforts to keep them in the dark?

Jack,
All of the documents WATR obtained are public records.

The documents were released in the interests of transparency.

Floy Jones
Water Accountability Trust and Reform

I just wish the court system would move faster so that maybe this wasteful spending could be stopped soon. (Or at least they would have to rob the money from somewhere else than directly from us water/sewer rate payers.)

And then I hope that they can be held personally liable and maybe their retirement funds could be garnished to pay the money back. (I know it would still be us paying ourselves back...)

This is the thread where LarsLars steered his audience to pop in today, and hate governance, and rite some coment -- and he be having himself some of that 'revealing exposés' sensationalism by association of jumping on other people's work. "If we were the judge in that lawsuit, we would not be amused by the plaintiffs trying the case in the press." It's to amuse the hate radio audience, Jack, (the paying customers at Lars sponsors' stores), which judges deplore and denounce, and another example how and why (I told ya') Lars 'favor' on a political position or issue is the slobbering kiss of political death. (See, here for instance, Republican Party deathwish coming true.)
Media names hope America fails, caught on camera, and they teach viewers to lose.

Sorry I'm not informed on the corruption in the Water Bureau -- have any reporters been covering it? Are there any real news reporters, or are the ones still working only the media liars?