Give me your resignation, Kitz demands
Oregon's incoming retread governor has a list of state department heads whose resignations he wants on his desk. He says he isn't going to accept all of them, but once they put theirs in, they weren't fired, they resigned.
I remember when Tom Potter did this upon assuming the loo throne at Portland City Hall. Old Dean Marriott at the sewer bureau told Potter where he could go look for his. That provided some laughs. Maybe we'll get a similar chuckle out of this round down in Salem. Let's see... Max Williams at Corrections... Elizabeth Harchenko at Revenue... Dale Penn at the Lottery... are those heads going to roll? They've been on the state payroll a mighty long time.
UPDATE, 12/7, 8:15 a.m.: I forgot, Dale Penn is now a judge, back in the courthouse where he framed prosecuted Frank Gable. Another great appointment by Governor Ted.
| Posted at 5:44 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (13)
"Tom Imeson, provided more information about Kitzhaber’s campaign pledge to shake up state agencies"
Good start, hire Goldshmidt's partner to carry the long knives.
More same old, same old.
Posted by Steve | December 6, 2010 8:22 PM
A reader writes:
Notice that the "Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development" is not on the list of agencies the Directors of which have been solicited to submit resignations. That may be because Miss Cylvia has ongoing contracts with that department. She may have already vouched for them anyway, so why worry?
Posted by Jack Bog | December 6, 2010 8:31 PM
Just pass out the heir sickness bags, Jack.
Urrrpff....
Posted by Mojo | December 6, 2010 8:47 PM
Now if Dale Penn was in Corrections, that would get a chuckle!
Posted by Starbuck | December 6, 2010 8:53 PM
He could bunk with Frank Gable.
Posted by Jack Bog | December 6, 2010 9:02 PM
Too bad he isn't demanding the resignation of the entire TriMet Board of Directors...
Of course, being that Kitzhaber is a supporter AND beneficiary of a lot of the light rail madness here in Portland...he'd probably give the job to Goldschmidt and Imeson... Time to make the Board voter-elected instead of Governor appointed!
Posted by Erik H. | December 6, 2010 9:12 PM
Transportation slot opening up. Commissioner Peterson of Clackamas County will get that one for sure, she's a rubber stamp for light rail and related schemes.
Posted by Eric | December 6, 2010 9:55 PM
Too bad he isn't demanding the resignation of the entire TriMet Board of Directors…
I don't think you really want that. I sure do, because Metro would take over TriMet.
Posted by Aaron | December 6, 2010 10:32 PM
Dale Penn hasn't been at the Lottery for a few months now. I believe he is now a Judge.
Posted by Dave | December 6, 2010 11:14 PM
"Peterson of Clackamas County will get that one for sure" (Transportation).
Indeed. Look for roundabouts to be installed all the way down I-5.
Shovel ready!
Posted by seymourglass | December 7, 2010 7:11 AM
Dale Penn hasn't been at the Lottery for a few months now. I believe he is now a Judge.
Oh yeah, I forgot that!
Michael Francke rolls over in his grave yet again.
Posted by Jack Bog | December 7, 2010 8:14 AM
I don't think you really want that. I sure do, because Metro would take over TriMet
Every study commissioned has shown that while Metro can legally take over TriMet, it isn't in Metro's best interest to take over TriMet.
TriMet would simply overwhelm Metro and stick it with hundreds of millions of dollars in debt. Metro would have to make sure it has the ability to tax residents and businesses - the law doesn't automatically grant Metro's rights on that front. And Metro has its hands in too many places; if it were forced to take over TriMet, it would probably be so occupied with TriMet's problems that it'd have to find a way to dispose of many of Metro's "core" missions (not that it would be a bad thing?
Yes, Metro could take over TriMet, but that would be the long, drawn out, messy approach compared with simply making TriMet's board an elected board. Both would accomplish the same thing, but the former would require a lot of legislative wrangling and backroom deals, the latter would require just one change in the law and an election.
Posted by Erik H. | December 7, 2010 10:40 AM
I, too, have long been a fan of the idea of making TriMet's board elected.
Yet, as I watch the voteing patterns in the metro area, I am les and less enthused abouty having the Multnomah County electorate making the chouces.
Yes, I know the TriMet area comprises more than Mult. County.
Yet the majority of thje TriMet board positions now seem to be from within Mult Co.
An elected TriMet board, I fear, would be dominated by Mult Co elected wanna' be pols, who think the way the majority of Mult CVo voters and the "creative class" do.
"Street car shiny. Street car good"
Scary.
Posted by Nonny Mouse | December 7, 2010 11:43 AM