Nevermind the campaign finance law violations and fines Bus has had to pay - you're the irresponsible one for blogging about it. Pathetic.

But, but, but... you just don't understand, their message is more important than mere technicalities.... * cough *

Call Me Irresponsible
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR8yeOI0C-I

Here's the executive summary:

1. The Bus is actually three different companies.

2. The Bus PAC has been fined thousands of dollars for losing track of money and filing its financial statements late.

3. Smith has been paying himself $65 an hour as director, whereas all of the other directors are volunteers.

4. The PAC's financial statements show a series of circular-cash-flow transactions with the 501(c)(4) organization.

5. Questions can be raised about whether the 501(c)(3) tax-deductible "charity" is sufficiently separate from the politically active 501(c)(4) organization and PAC, including on the internet but in other respects as well, to satisfy the tax laws.

If anyone doubts her sincerity or the Bus operation just ask Our Oregon or BlueOregon. They'll vouch for them.

Jack, keep up the good work. If we did what they've been doing, we would be in jail. If you're connected, you get away with it. It's corruption with a smile.

Ms. Baggott's reference to the $40,000 in-kind donations raises an interesting issue. Did any of these donations benefit the PAC, and if so were they shown in the PAC's campaign finance reports? ORS 260.083 spells out the requirements for reporting in-kind contributions. A related issue is the value of in-kind services provided by the Bus Project to political candidates. How are these accounted for and reported?

Sparky, I was wondering about the same thing. Methinks she doth protest too much and the plot thickens. Keep up the good work Jack.

$40K of in-kind branding, website work, and graphic design services in 2008

That's so wrong on so many levels. All that's missing is the word "charette." Though it made me imagine all the Bus kids getting branded like cattle by a Kitzhaber-esque grizzled rancher. A streetcar brand with money falling out the back seems apropos.

Typical liberal response (and I'm no fan of the Rs either, but this type of crap is mostly seen from the Ds) - kill the messenger at all costs, don't respond to the criticism because, after all, you're so wonderful any criticism of your agenda/practices is motivated by fear, insanity, or bigotry. If there's nothing here, your accounting should reflect that, otherwise keep expecting questions.

Maybe if the Bus people ignore you Jack, you will go away.
Keep on this please! This whole business is a scam!

You've obviously struck a nerve. Well done!

Oh and Caitlin, better go get a real job because you are going to need money for the services of a good tax attorney to mitigate the fines you will have to pay to the IRS, or maybe even to avoid going to jail!
Have fun kids!

He is not a journalist, but nevertheless his accusations are baseless and irresponsible.

I'm still trying to parse that one.

"the Bus is one of the most leveraged dollars spent "

Parse that please, while you're at it.

"He is not a journalist". You're right, Caitlin, but he is a tax law professor.

What's equally shameful is that the local press didn't get on this long ago. It should have been news every time a fine got assessed. I bet it would have been cleaned up well before now if it had been.

If I understand it correctly, this has been going on for years. Have the bOregonian, Trib or Willy Week given any excuses for looking the other way all this time?

For Caitlin's sake I hope her other assertions have more veracity than her claim that Jack isn't a journalist. I bet dimes to to dollars that Jack was writing and reporting for the Jersey City Journal before the young lady was a gleam in her father's eye.

Well Bus me to the moon Batman.
There's something shady about Oregon's shady people?
It seems to me Smith is the ultimate candidate for the Mayor of Portland.
He's a career conniver who would be the perfect fit as Portland's Conniver in Chief. He may even be better at it than the current creep and Smith would be a continuation of the trajectory from Katz to Potter to Adams.
Becoming less able and more defective at every step.
And as usual there is this group of people who think he is fab.

Ben - pretty much anyone seeking public office these days, right or left, has all the wrong motivations and personality. We need independent thinkers who are willing to act for the good of the entire "polis" not just act for the good of what passes for aristocracy, or some other small self defined grou, in the US. We need what are known as servant leaders. I cannot think of one person in politics who even comes close and still upholds the basic premise of this Republic that we are all entitled to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".

Is it cold in here or is little Caitlin just getting steely? This memo was signed "Warmest Regards, Caitlin" in contrast with "Love" on her last chippery little note.

It still chokes me that she went to Reed for this .... drivel.

Well done, Jack.

I remember how the creeps at Enron and WaMu became increasingly indignant as they approached their downfall.

I even saved the Enron Powerpoints showing how everything was just fine.

Thank you Jack. Please keep hammering on this one. You are one of very few in this metro area willing to tell it like it is.

The Bus will not be responding directly to this blogger about his posts.

So much for transparency. Maybe they have no obligation to speak to you, but I'm not seeing what I'd expect to see as the first reaction from an organization with a sincere belief in its honesty and integrity, and an ongoing commitment to these things going forward. Instead, I see an effort to control the narrative and to control who they give it to. Not auspicious, to say the least.

Well said Robert Collin and newleaf.
If memory serves me correctly, didn't our "Blogger" receive a Degree in Journalism from St. Peters prior to his JD from Stanford? Oh, but let us not quibble on details.

You are a journalist Mr. Bogdanski, and the emotional response your story evoked from the subject proves the point in my book. I do believe you've been slandered by the Keep-Portland-Weird Bus kids, but then again, since you're a journalist, you probably have to take the slander in stride. Good work.

Keep up the good work, Jack. Other posters are right on with the Enron references. I'm not surprised we haven't heard from Bus people some variation of: "We're on the side of angels."

Puh-leeze, this guy is another Sizemore:
1) Be the face for some political group
2) Claim you're making no money serving the people
3) End up making money and don't tell anyone.

Well, him and Hales are out, this is getting easier.

"He is not a journalist, but nevertheless his accusations are baseless and irresponsible."

I'm with Allan L. The more I read that, the less it makes sense. Does she mean that only the mainstream media can be guilty of baseless or irresponsible statements? And if she has a legitimate complaint, wouldn't it make sense to fire back with some specific factual errors?

You gotta love this one too: "I firmly believe that the Bus is one of the most leveraged dollars [sic] spent in civic and political life in Oregon." Ah yes, leverage. Good to know the Bus uses OPM to cut its losses...

Yes, your understanding of what she said is correct. But not the first part of what you said: "Does she mean..." since what she did say is most likely not what she meant to say. She literally does not know what she is talking about. Sad for a Reed grad to be exposed like this.

But to the gist of the story, this needs to be further expanded upon by the Portland media. How much did Jeffersten get paid by the Bus entities? How much funds were slushed from one fund to the other, and was it legal the way they slushed them?

I can't believe that Portland voters would touch this guy with a ten foot pole, after going all in for Scam Adams. Sadly, my disbelief in those voters will not stop them from going with this guy as well.

Weird.

Stupid.

How does someone appraise the value of in-kind donations of "branding, website design, and graphic design work" for purposes of the donor's tax return?

If Ms. Baggot was so busy building a "joules-based economy" and using her time to "resist the dominant paradigm," then where has she found the time to respond to a blog?

I would say she is making a mountain out of a molehill, which should raise some questions with the stakeholders of the Bus Project.

Why are you drawing negative attention to your stakeholders by attacking down? A blog post is not a newspaper article. The chance a good number of your donors will read it is very slim.

If you are sending out letters like this, then what other frivolous activities may you be spending your time on at work?

Is addressing your stakeholders over a blog article an task worthy of "The Boss?" We know you know a lot about "joules," but how about delegation?

If anything Jack Bogdanski should be absolutely flattered by this reaction from "The Boss" of the Bus Project.

As the old saying goes, "Any publicity is good publicity."

3) End up making money and don't tell anyone.

My intuition tells me that's not it. But if you said "3) Get elected to office and play political money broker with tax-deductible contributions," that would be a line I'd think was worth looking into.

I'm wondering about her words "$40,000 in in-kind branding, graphic design, and graphic design work in 2008". Why the year 2008?.

Does this limited time frame or picking only this year mean that the Bus People have no accounting for the three years since? Or 2008 is the best example, or only example to make her point? Or she doesn't want any introspection of other years? Or she's attempting to hide something?

Funny stuff. As my nom de coward denotes, I am an aficionado of journalism and journalism history, and I think several have hit on the key tell in her note, the tacit concession that, in today's suck-up media world, only the sanctified brethren of the corporate owned press are allowed to be baseless and irresponsible . . . In fact, its pretty much a job requirement, since much of the job requires maintaining a straight face while confusing seriousness with solemnity, as the great Russell Baker so aptly puts it.

I have my differences on some things with the proprietor but he certainly does and continues to earn the title of journalist, despite his journal being printed online rather than in letters as journalists of old used to do. His journal contains his daily finds, musings, the occasional poignancy, and his penetrating insight. The main difference between this blog and " journalism" as Ms. B styles it is not the media but the fact that the blog is generally the last home of un-neutered, undomesticated, unhomogenized reporting and commentary. If only the "responsible" press (to whom is never stated . . .) did as well.

Jack Bogdanski breaks more local news stories (and expands on those that others develop) than the Oregonian and the Tribune combined.

I could start a newspaper with a full-time Nigel Jaquiss, a part-time Jack Bogdanski, a photographer, and an editor and cut the O's readership in half. Throw in a half dozen advertising sales folks and a graphic artist and we'd be more profitable than the O within two years.

I would be surprised if every local reporter doesn't check Bojack before breakfast.

3) End up making money and don't tell anyone.
My intuition tells me that's not it.

I'm still not buying it - These guys craft some persona emodying personal sacrifice on behalf of the people and then neglect to tell us maybe life is not so bad or as you noted they are beholden to some push group.

Several camels have their nose under the tent in our area. Golly, what could go wrong by adding another?

"She went to Reed".

That explains it.

Not only did Ms. Baggott graduate from Reed College she also went to a very exclusive, private boarding school, in Putney, Vermont for her high school education.
Her educational resume should indicate that she is smart enough to not have become involved in a scam like the "Bus projects", but I guess not.
Oh well...she can teach in prison, like Conrad Black does.

Caitlin Baggot is like many people in that camp.
They don't know what they are talking about but don't really care.

Because they think their mission is so grand and their people so well intended that their people are incapable of anything truly inappropriate. And besides even if they are it is necessary and justified.

Unfortunately that attitude also runs throughout the cubicles of the PDC, Metro, TriMet and on and on.

The fact that she must avoid any open public discussion is the ultimate test these people always fail.

Re: "If anyone knows of any factual errors in our stories, please let us know; we'd be happy to correct them."

The wait for "any factual errors" to be identified by anyone is tending toward long.

Caitlin would never have released this response had she not heard either from Jeffersten or the Bus Project's supporters about Jack's original post.

I would posit that the $40k came from the 2008 Obama campaign or its national surrogates, since the Bus Project is a local surrogate.

Well said, Ben.

"Let me know what you might like to know more about, ok?"

1) Are Thousands of dollars in fees a responsible way to manage the donations of your peeps?

2) Aren't these entities really just a vehicle for Jefferson Smith to promote himself?

3) What do you know and when did you know it?

Private boarding school in Vermont.
Shudder.
Youth are terrifying. It took almost 50 years for me to really understand this.
I think someone needs to find an autographed copy of P J O'Rourke's book, "Don't vote, it just encourages the bastards" and send it to her. It would be interesting to be a fly on the wall to observe if a great American humorist assailing the political class could crack just one little titter from her lips.

"he's not a journalist" What a joke.
As much as i hate to say it, b/c JB can be an a@@ at times, he's doing a better job of informing pdx about what's really happening than any journalist in Portland.

Consider that Fox 12 ran a story yesterday about a kid who got a box of viagra and sex toys instead of the paintball barrel he ordered from a vancouver wa company - and people wonder why nothing changes - our journalists are a bunch of idiot clowns directing attention to everything but real news.

Ah, class warfare is alive and well in the posts on this site. I think Caitlin definitely deserves some legal scrutiny and needs to grow-up. While I disdain Reed, going to prep school in New England (or elsewhere) really is not grounds for lynching, verbal or otherwise.

Ben says it well, "They don't know what they are talking about but don't really care."

I don't mean to name-call, but my country Dad had many expressions for these kind like "wet-behind-the ear", "whippersnapper". Bless his soul because he met no harm.

And as my years increase and having Caitlin as an example, I better understand those labels of knowing how little these kind know, but pretending to know all and then dictating it.

In all my years of experiencing many so-called politicals, government staffers around here, Caitlin is more the norm. It is sad, for example, that City Commissioners hire 25 whippersnappers versus hiring 5 than have some life experiences, some knowledge of their assignments, and have some grace from living/working a few years. And it would costs us all less.

What flashes before my eyes on this subject is an experience with Mayor Potter's young aid of maybe 24 dictating, handling major planning meetings with all the heavy hitters regarding SoWhat. It was hilarious her incompetence, and Potter knew it, but it went on. And she was so offending, and then finally telling some to "just shut up" while she knew nothing of the substance. A joke.

LucsAdvo,
I know about the prep school types because I once was one of them. Only I really wasn't because I lived on the wrong side of the tracks, didn't have enough money, and didn't come from the "right" set families".
However it was a good experience, because I soon realized what a bunch of phonies they all were.The sense of entitlement that is rampant in those ivied halls of privilege is astounding, as is the certainty that they are really oh so much better, and know what is best for the rest of us poor slobs.
That is my point about private snobby schools.
A large serving of humble pie would do Ms. Caitlin Boggett, and the rest of her ilk a world of good, IMO.

While I disdain Reed, going to prep school in New England (or elsewhere) really is not grounds for lynching, verbal or otherwise.

Oh, OK, "disdain" is one thing, but which comment, posted after the prep school post, advocates "...lynching, verbal or otherwise."?

Kind of an overreaction, don't you think? Especially using a loaded term like "lynching".

Seems to me that's the most inflammatory comment so far, officer.

Yeah really, Lucs, warfare shmorefare.
Our complaint is not that she attended a school for the privileged. Our complaint is that she clearly didn't get her money's worth.

Never kick a fresh turd on a hot day, as Truman said.

(He also said “the 'C' students run the world.”)

I find Jeff to be very sincere and straightforward. He did not take a salary for the first few years he launched the Bus Project. In fact, he footed the bill for thousands of dollars in expenses. At the end of his high school years, Jeff lost his mother but his family set aside resources to pay for his education and protect his future. He never required a substantive salary from his non-profit work. In fact, Jeff volunteered most of his time, often working 60 hours a week or more to promote voter participation and transparency in government. He could have earned a six-figure salary as an attorney in New York. Instead, Jeff chose to return home and serve the people of Portland. No one is born knowing how to administer a non-profit and the paperwork requirements are byzantine enough that even Solomon might complain. Jeff is committed to efficiency in government and will work hard to help local companies avoid the bureaucratic headaches so many executives confront when running an organization. Jeff is going to be an amazing Mayor because he has a unique gift for bringing people together to solve problems.

Must be that Jeff was so busy and self-sacrificing that he himself couldn't find time to vote.

Jeff is NOT going to be an amazing mayor because he is so like, the one we have now, who is amazing only because of his lack of ability to do anything except cajole underage boys into bathrooms for sex, drink while driving, and all the while be totally incompetent to run anything.
Jefferson Smith would be amazing if he could run a business successfully during an economic recession, drive safely, and not try to evade the tax laws, and take money under false pretenses from unwary citizens.

Or to pay his bar dues. Or to show up in court to prevent his driver's license from being suspended.

I'd love to see his account with the IRS.

When I first spotted this title, I thought it was going to be a thread about Tri-Met's expenditures on advertising and billboards to brag on their Top Transit status (that was later debunked by US News and their rating reduced to 5th):

http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2011/09/us_news_reporting_error_turns.html

portland native - I know someone who went to public h.s. in Brooklyn who has a major sense of entitlement. A sense of entitlement is not about where you went to school, trust me.

As for private snobby schools, sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder. I went to a crappy public high school and an elite private college in New England. My college education was replete with preppies from Choate, Andover, Northfield Mount Hermon, etc. And yeah some of them had major attitudes about ethnic white kids. But 35 years later, we've all come to terms with it. Some of them have lost their fancy corporate gigs, and some of them walked away and made other choices.

I don't judge people by where they went to school, but rather by who they are.

Sometimes where one goes to school does determine how one thinks of one's self or how one wants to or believes he or she should fit into society...just sometimes.
No chip on my shoulder, and yes time blunts everyone's edges a bit.
I would be willing to be you and I have a great deal in common.

So is "Christopher Vetter" the campaign manager or just his designated hitter?

Re: "If anyone knows of any factual errors in our stories, please let us know; we'd be happy to correct them."

The wait for "any factual errors" in what has been reported on this blog to be identified by anyone is tending longer.

Christopher Vetter - so is Smith one of those evil rich, trust fund babies who doesn't pay any taxes? Doesn't use his wealth to create jobs? In the pocket of evil developers? Doesn't pay his fair share? Does public service make up for those deficiencies?

I don't know Smith at all, and certainly his benevolence as you describe make him to be a saint, but how do we tell the difference?

Does public service trump all?

"He is not a journalist, but nevertheless his accusations are baseless and irresponsible."

Priceless.