Pigs at the trough. The limit is supposed to stop cronisym. Sure does work doesn't it. Keep on the look out for a string of the to avoid the process.

The old revolting door.

Kudos to the Oregonian for reporting on the story.

"No matter how uniquely qualified I am, I don't need this,"

Really after all she can barely spend the money she made already.

With a public pension of $13OK a year, I believe her when she says " I don't need this".

"I don't need this"

In other words, how dare you ask about how public money is spent! You're violating Portland Polite.

http://www.wweek.com/portland/citypay
As promised in this week's print edition of WW, here is the compensation information for every city of Portland employee in the 2011 fiscal year.

Remember this list?

"Enge told The Oregonian that his can-do attitude drew resistance."

I'm not sure Enge knows what a can-do attitude actually is.

I am in no position to doubt Yvonne Deckard's value as a management consultant, or her special knowledge of Portland city government, but I sure as heck see a problem with hiring a highly paid manager who turns out to need expensive management training. Couldn't he have taken a couple of courses before he applied for the job?

I kinda thought we were past the "coaching" BS. Yet that's what they hired Deckard for.

Two different worlds - The people who pay for this crap and the people who spend it.

One more thing - Looks like she's expecting more of these handouts, she's set up a consulting company.

At the risk of stepping on a third rail, I note that Portland hires these "management coaches" for male African-American managers, but I've never read of one being hired for anyone of any other race.

Well, to each their own.
If I were retiring and making over $10,000 a month, I think a nice break/vacation would be on my list. I also would be thinking of all the people out there looking for work and in distressed economic times and I would not be wanting to take work away from those who really need it. If I really wanted to continue, I would then because of appearances as in these two examples, pursue work in the private sector.

"No matter how uniquely qualified I am, I don't need this," Deckard said of having to answer questions from The Oregonian. "I have the professional experience and expertise to do the jobs I'm doing."
It sounds like this person held a high position in the city and that she doesn't like being questioned. Is the implication that if Ms. Deckard moved to another city, there would be no one else in this city so qualified to do that work?

The first time I saw a city vehicle emblazoned with "The City That Works" my thought was "don't these rubes know that Chicago already uses that appellation?" -- Silly me, I now realize it was a truth in advertizing warning that Chicago style political patronage was now in play. Sure, it had its problems, but this used to be such a nice little town; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0667827/quotes

I'd guess she has dirt on enough senior folks they had to "contract" with her to keep it quiet.

"No matter how uniquely qualified I am, I don't need this,"

"Ain't nobody got time for that"

"Man, the bullsh*t piles up so fast you need wings to stay above it."

- Capt. Benjamin J. Willard

There are lots of incompetent white people working for Portland, who got their jobs because they were friends of an elected, or their ethical compass was in alignment with an elected (or mis-alignment). So when a black person gets appointed this way, it appears to be "racial". The Portland Bureau's are stuffed with "friends" and acolytes of current and past commissioners and mayors. Is it not "equitable" that all races should be allowed to feed at the same public trough? It's a rainbow coalition of political patronage. Stop whining Portland, you voted for this. You can change it.

If some one is hired for a job paying $145k a year shouldn't that person be qualified for that position withOUT further on the job training?
Transparency?...in Portlandia?...nahhh!

When it comes to getting a management coach, it doesn't appear to be an equal opportunity situation.

In any event, if you need a management coach, you shouldn't be a manager, no matter what the color of your skin is.

Stop whining Portland, you voted for this.

This year, rather than make this comment, we're asking readers to simply cite its number -- it's comment 6B. It saves a lot of bandwidth, because that comment is left here nearly every single day. Thank you.

6B

"Stop whining Portland, you voted for this."

Actually, I didn't.

Steve, that reply is "6C." Again, thank you in advance for using the citation.

6B!!!

And not 6C, since I moved out of voting range.

And for the really uptight righty-tighties, I nominate 6D for a more strongly worded version of 6B:

'STFU you stupid Portlandia sheople!'

Delete this comment as needed and ban away as well.

The PPS board has always been a stepping stone to run for a city or state office. Now it is a nice slush fund too.

NEVER vote for ANY school bond and NEVER re-elect any of these clowns.

It would seem if you're so incompetent you need "coaching", you should be fired. That's what probationary periods are for.

I also think the internal service bureaus are under some pressure to reduce budgets. That tends to produce some blowback.

6B?
(To B or not to B, that is the question)

The year of the 6!
2
0
1
3
Total 6

Maybe some accountant could tell us if this expense (paid by the CITY) for the benefit of the SCHOOL DISTRICT would show up in the PPS all funds budget when calculating the annual cost per student?

The Oregonian ran an "Truth o Meter" piece some months ago which place this fuzzy ratio at between $ 12,000 & $ 15,000 per year. My guess is, these "contract services" paid by some other government agency is NOT included.

But since "Parking Meter acquisition Consultant" is now a little riskier, I can understand why the need for THIS deception.

At the risk of stepping on a third rail, I note that Portland hires these "management coaches" for male African-American managers, but I've never read of one being hired for anyone of any other race.

Thank you for noticing this, Mr. B. This happens at a precious locally owned, multiple outlet business too.

"Steve, that reply is "6C."

Sir, I don't want to quibble (well, I guess I really do) about taxonmy since you've been nice enough to provide a forum for the disparate voices here (and I haven't been booted yet).

However, since 6B covers people who did indeed vote for this regime, shouldn't there be a new section for those who demurred by actively NOT voting for said same regime - Might I suggest reply 7c?

A couple of additions to the Oregonian story. There seems to be a lot of coincidental happenings here. Jack Graham was Deckard's boss until she retired. Enge was the head of Business Services for the Bureau of Transportation several years ago and probably knew Deckard. And why was he being coached? If he received racial insults why didn't the City investigate and disciplint the employee. This is way fishy, why is the manager responsible for other peoples inappropriate actions. Oh than't right they needed a reason to hire Deckard. Also Sean Murray (African-American), worked for Deckard as a Labor Relations Coordinator, then the Police Bureau before landing at PPS. Interesting how this all just happens to comme together with thousands of extra $ for Dexkard. She must have the key to the skeletons in the closet.