Although Mr Saltzman is clearly fair game and accurately pegged by Mr Cullum, the reference ("this guy's work") in this context disparages a genuinely unlikely and most extraordinary life.

We have, btw, lost several noteworthy cartoonists recently. Are we plunging so deeply into this bleak epoch that humor has been defeated? Perhaps it would be better to look for Mr Saltzman and his cohorts among the characters depicted in documents released by Wikileaks?

Speaking of Mr Saltzman and his cohorts, the City advises us today:

"Rosie, the 530-ton tunnel boring machine, has finished tunneling on the East Side Big Pipe project. The East Side Big Pipe is part of Portland's program to control combined sewer overflows (CSOs), and is the largest public infrastructure project in Portland's history."

And:

"The $426-million East Side CSO Tunnel project is the largest construction project in Portland's 20-year CSO control program. Environmental Services is working to complete several other CSO projects including the Balch Consolidation Conduit, the Sellwood Wet Weather Pump Station, the Portsmouth Force Main and Phase 2 of the Swan Island CSO Pump Station.

When CSO construction is complete in December 2011, Portland's combined sewers will overflow to the Willamette River an average of once every three summers and four times each winter instead of every time it rains. The entire 20-year CSO program will cost Portland sewer ratepayers an estimated $1.4-billion."

http://www.portlandonline.com/oni/?c=29385&a=323735