Survivor Portland Bureaucracy: Day 7
Portland may be the home of the "Percent for Art" program, but 27 percent of voters on yesterday's Survivor Portland City Hall: Bureaucracy Edition thought it was high time that Regional Arts and Culture Council Director Eloise Damrosch leave the island. Eloise received more votes against her than any of the other remaining municipal bureau chiefs did. And so leave she must, and immediately. She will receive a consolation prize, however: two season standing-room tickets to the Gerding Theater.
The tally was close. City Attorney Linda Meng (I still can't believe we can't get her photo -- must be attorney-client privilege) trailed Eloise by only a few votes. We'll see how she does today, Day 7, as we're down to the size of a football squad.
And that brings us to our next Tribal Council, in which you, our valued readers, will vote another one of the city bureau directors out of the picture. Do it for any reason, or for no reason, but do it just once a day, please. We'll keep at this, every city workday, until only one bureaucrat survives. The Ultimate Survivor will win our grand prizes: the right to buy a valuable piece of property from the city for a dollar; plus valuable tax credits originally intended for poor people.
None of the remaining players was mentioned by Nigel Jaquiss, Phil Stanford, or Randy Gragg in the media yesterday, and so no one has immunity today.
If you need a better picture of the players who are up for a vote, remember that photos of the entire original cast (except for Linda), and links to each of their bureaus, are here. Good luck to all the remaining players:
| Posted at 2:29 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (7)
Since I'm not voting on this, I was going to mention that I thought it interesting that one of the most powerful people --Ken Rust-- who would be the CAO under the "strong mayor (sic)" form of government...had gotten almost no votes to date. But then...he's got the ONLY vote at whatever this is...2:47am? Interesting.
Ken's an awesome administrator, as is Sue Klobertanz (OK, so I report to them, so consider me a suckup...though not really, I've known both of them a long time and have enormous respect for the actual work they've done.) But, as I said earlier, the problem with this contest is that the voting is really against programs, and less about the individuals, who are mostly obscure bureaucrats. (That you can't even find a picture of Linda Mang makes my point perfectly.) Administrators carry out the wishes of our electeds...that's the name of the bureaucrat game. Sorta unfair to unload on the troops for being good soldiers. But...it's all in fun, right?
Posted by Frank Dufay | May 9, 2007 2:50 AM
Try to have fun, Frank.
Posted by Jack Bog | May 9, 2007 3:03 AM
Thank you for the nice post.
Posted by John | May 9, 2007 3:46 AM
Just for fun we could vote Dean Marriot off the island... something our strong mayor has been unable to do. Dean has civil service protection... and is probably the main reason measure 26-90 is on the ballot. We don't cotton to them directors who refuse to submit their resignations when asked.
Posted by Dave Lister | May 9, 2007 8:42 AM
Hmmm. I've been out of step herein the last few days.
Environental Dean has got to go.
Meng merely carries out Council and bureau director policy in taking litigation positions. Ciy Attorey doesn't set policy re lawsuits and settlements.
Neithe the culture maven or the Neighbrhood Czar cost much money.
But Dean is a piece of work. Look into the SW high pressure sewer line on Vermont and Multnomah. It stinks. (Puns intnded.)
BES agreed four years ago to substitute substandard plastic pipe for steel pipe, after a contract was signed requiring steel pipe guaranteed to last 50 years.
Contractor and "consultant" claimed that substitute pipe would last just as long and was just as good. Cith agreed to a two year guarantee on the plastic pipe that was supposed to be as good as the 50 year steel pipe.
Four years later, pipe has massively failed. Line will need full replacement, with streets dug up, again, and massive inconvenince not to mention the cost.
BES has been asked a lot of questions by itizens. No responses that are meaningful. And BES claims that it destroys all records after two years, and that there are no records of he substitution decision which can be reviewed.
This stinks.
Sewer Dean has got to go.
Posted by Nonny Mouse | May 9, 2007 9:14 AM
Dean has civil service protection... and is probably the main reason measure 26-90 is on the ballot.
Actually all bureau directors now hired are already at will - Dean and several others were grandfathered in though.
Same with 26-90. Everybody currently in a position potentially made at will by Council will be grandfathered in. It's just the new hires to those positions.
Posted by LMNOP | May 9, 2007 4:21 PM
Gee, everyone that I really had reason to vote off are gone - kinda takes some of the fun out of it. However, it is calming to know that I'm not the only one that thinks the folks who have been voted off need to be off - in the real world as in this game. So now I'll just look for the worst of the best (or something like that).
Posted by native oregonian | May 9, 2007 6:09 PM