Lately I've been so caught up in Saddam and Christmas that I've neglected my duties to readers who come here looking for news and commentary about my home town and home state. Let's get back on track in that regard with a couple of follow-ups on, as they say on the nightly news, "stories we've been watching."

First, the Neil Goldschmidt Influence Store may be temporarily closed for remodeling as one of its high-paying clients just got badly burned for patronizing it. The two top honchos at Saif Corporation, formerly known as the State Accident Insurance Fund, have resigned under major pressure after the news broke that they have been paying more than a million dollars in Saif funds to Goldschmidt for his priceless political insights.

Saif is a quasi-public player in the field of workers' compensation insurance -- a role that spawns enmity among its private competitors, particularly an outfit called Liberty Northwest, run by ex-Saif executives and committed to get even with Saif for its perceived unfair advantages. Saif is also a quasi-public cash cow in a state that's as broke as its ever been -- an attractive slush fund for greedy people. It's been that way since an earlier executive perk scandal in the '80s, and although the latest brouhaha may result in things being cleaned up for a while, without a major shakeup Saif will always merit suspicion.

Saif hired Goldschmidt to keep it out of trouble, and the resulting backfire is quite remarkable. Forgive me if I laugh.

Tossed aside at the end of The Oregonian's front-page banner-headline story was the fact that the defrocked Saifers made around $314,000 and $233,000 a year at Saif. After all, the story noted, the CEO at Liberty makes around $500,000. Yeah, well, a fine job they're all doing for that kind of money.

On another front, my buddy Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard has prevailed in his efforts to install a meaningful regulatory system over the Wild West business of involuntary towing from private parking lots in town. As discussed here previously, many of the local tow truck operators have proved themselves to be gougers and jerks. Lately they've shown their colors as whiners as well.

Now there will be maximum charges, and I hope mandatory credit card acceptance, along with a "customer" bill of rights. Long overdue. Good job, Randy.