Nolan smells the money
Portland City Council candidate Mary Nolan -- whose husband has taken the city's taxpayers for many a costly ride financially -- says that if elected, she wants to run the bureaus that control real estate activity in the city:
Nolan said that her strengths as both a state representative and small-business owner lie in managing infrastructure and investments. In a perfect world, she said, she would oversee the Portland Development Commission, the Bureau of Development Services and the Bureau of Transportation.
One shudders to think what Nolan and her Goldschmidt Party pals will do to the city's finances if they can get hold of those three bureaus.
Meanwhile, incumbent Amanda Fritz says she's comfortable with the portfolio of relatively powerless bureaus she currently has:
Fritz, a one-term incumbent, said she would ask for the same portfolio -- the Office of Neighborhood Involvement, the Bureau of Emergency Communications, the office of Healthy Working Rivers, and the newly created office of Equity and Human Rights -- because it includes "small but mighty" bureaus that require heavy community involvement.
A return to the major scams of the past vs. the same old same old -- quite a choice in that race.
UPDATE, 1:11 p.m.: A reader points out that we missed the fact that Fritz said she would ask to add the water bureau. We'd welcome her getting that assignment, but with all the back room deals that have been made in that operation, we suspect that that one is going to Big Pipe Saltzman.
| Posted at 8:45 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (9)
Nolan, Novick, and Hales/Smith---shudder. Although with both Nolan and Novick harboring aspirations to higher office, perhaps they'll cancel each other out, somehow.
Posted by Dave J. | July 30, 2012 9:38 AM
LOL. The town I grew up in had five city councilmen. All five councilmen insisted on being on the zoning committee - because, of course, that's where the real money was. (The standard practice was for the city councilman or a front to buy property zoned residential, and then magically re-zone it commercial or industrial. It was just like printing money!)
Posted by Random | July 30, 2012 9:52 AM
For kicks to check out the "Friends of Mary Nolan" contributors on ORESTAR. Either in this race or as a state legislator she has taken money from every special interest imaginable including:
Philip Morris
Comcast
Oregon Forest Products (PAC?)
Wal Mart
The PFD union (BIG TIME)
And on and on. She is an insider of the democratic party establishment and will be an excellent conspirator in her husband's ongoing quest to fleece the taxpayers.
Posted by Robert Collins | July 30, 2012 11:23 AM
And the sheeple will think she is progressive.
Kicking the money changers out got Jesus in big trouble.
Even mentioning doing the same thing in the council chambers is way beyond most folks grasp of how things work around here.
We have a long, long ways to go.
Posted by Tim | July 30, 2012 11:33 AM
Jack, you omitted Commissioner Fritz' most important Bureau request as reported by the Oregonian--The Portland Water Bureau. She has been a persistent critic of Randy Leonard's Water Bureau and would be a dramatic improvement over the ratepayer-milking management of the last seven years.
Posted by Kent Craford | July 30, 2012 11:57 AM
Nolan's position on fluoride, she indicated she was for it several months ago despite opposition from citizens at a meeting.
Novick is for it unless he has changed his mind.
Before any of these "career politicians" enter our city hall chambers making decisions,
we need to know exactly where they stand on all important matters.
Good luck on that, as the press isn't pressing and candidate fairs aren't the best arena to get answers for the public.
Posted by clinamen | July 30, 2012 12:08 PM
"In a perfect world, she said, she would oversee the Portland Development Commission, the Bureau of Development Services and the Bureau of Transportation"
Dear god, the trifecta of pubilc money rip-offs? Mr Mary Nolan would be in heaven, he could piss away even more money on stuff like Triple CCC baseball stadia with luxury boxes, condos and monuments to Godlschmidt galore.
We are really screwed with this crew running things, the hole is going to be so deep with so few HS graduates and so many deeper potholes, we may break records.
Say what you want Fritz has my vote. Shipwreck at Mult County is enough wasters of public money in local govt.
Posted by Steve | July 30, 2012 2:53 PM
Am I the only one who feels that this quote by Mary Nolan is scary?
"One way the government can be responsive to people is to accept their contributions," she said. "It's a healthy way for them to participate" if they don't have time to knock on doors or answer calls in support of her campaign, she said.
Really, government is responsive by taking the citizens' money? Nothing more needs to be said than that...
Posted by Thoughtful Goober | July 30, 2012 10:24 PM
Am I the only one who feels that this quote by Mary Nolan is scary?
No.
In my view, Amanda needs to take some giant steps to show leadership
on issues rather than taking measured steps. My perception has been that
she is too much of a go along in order to get along, not so much a fault if
that is her personality, but a huge spine is needed here.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, Nolan has it, but that spine will be used against us.
Posted by clinamen | July 31, 2012 10:02 AM