The City of Portland announced today that ne'er-do-well City Council candidate Emilie Boyles has returned $68,565.01 of the nearly $145,000 in taxpayer funds that she was paid by the city's controversial new public campaign finance system.
Of course, the city says she also must pay back the rest for various campaign fund violations, and we're suspecting she won't be able to. And no word yet on the state investigation into her campaign's possible fraud in the funding process, and I know you're all holding your breath on that one.
Anyway, in our recent pool on the amount she'd return (I said zero), our reader Ellie came closest at $63,584.02. Congratulations to her -- I owe her a nice lunch on the east side of town. Step forward and claim your prize, young lady -- for the good of Portland!
Posted by Jack Bogdanski at June 15, 2006 07:07 PM | TrackBack (0)Looks like Emily's attorney convinced her to empty the account of everything left and return it....but the taxpayers are out the other 70 grand plus fines. No way we will ever see another cent. Nice program Erik.
Posted by: Charlie in Gresham at June 16, 2006 12:33 AMI still want to know this - if the money's kept in an interest-bearing account, who gets to keep the interest?
Posted by: Betsy at June 16, 2006 06:44 AMFacing a looming shortfall in City finances, bloggers have begun issuing demands that City Auditor Gary Blackmer launch an investigation into how the City Council is planning to use Boyles' Free Money.
Rumors are flying around City Hall, some of them fanciful and others more credible.
Opie is said to be getting $5,000 Invisaligns. Fireman Randy is in line to receive a titanium attache case containing a gross of Snickers. Steely Dan is planning a long-delayed Las Vegas getaway. A city official speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that Gramps may have already made a commitment to pay overdue rent for a friend or relative in a neighboring state.
Alone among Council members, Sam the Tram [rimshot] is said to be furiously lobbying his colleagues to cancel their special spending plans, as a new cost-over run report for an obscure City aerial transportation project is about to be released that could threaten already-thin City finances.
Posted by: Ramon at June 16, 2006 07:25 AMHey! I didn't see anything in the rules about not going over, just being the closest... I guessed $69,000.68, which is only $435.67 off from what has been turned in so far. :-)
Posted by: Michael at June 16, 2006 08:03 AMBloggers are demanding Blackmer launch an investigation into how the money returned will be spent? Hell's belles...that's a pittance compared to what he should be investigating.
I'd say that's probably just about enough for Blackmer to avert his eyes and keep his mouth shut. Like he has been since he was elected.
It's nice to dream that, perhaps...one day...maybe...we'll elect somebody to the Auditor's office that knows what they're doing and actually represents the interests of the electorate.
Posted by: godfry at June 16, 2006 08:38 AMMichael appears to have a valid point. But wouldn't it make sense to wait for the 12/31/07 "final deadline" just to make sure? Given her track record I'm sure that Emily will make every effort to come up with more. Who can say? Maybe Erik and Larry will pass the hat or something.
Posted by: Ronald M at June 16, 2006 09:58 AMI'm betting it shows up as an obscure, hidden item in the tram budget..a loan to Emilie to pay it off....Sams payola to Eric and Gary for their support.....I mean really, whats a mere 70k in a 15M...I mean 30M...wait...its more...oh well...an ever INCREASING budget......
Posted by: thaddeus at June 16, 2006 11:14 AMSam the Tram want to apply the Boyle's money to his $50 million erection.
Posted by: Bark Munster at June 16, 2006 11:59 AMIf I were Emilie I'd pay a visit to a good bankruptcy attorney. There are some issues here that might be worth litigating in an adversarial proceeding.
Posted by: Rusty at June 16, 2006 10:20 PMI've said it before and I'll say it again:
No erection is worth $57 million, even a linchpin erection.
Posted by: Mister T at June 17, 2006 04:48 PMIt appears that my nearly $5,000 difference was bested by Michael's nearly $500 difference.
I must say I am shocked. Over $68k returned? I wonder how much has been spent on the inquiry.
Posted by: ellie at June 17, 2006 08:35 PMI announced the winner in haste, while blogging from the road under bad conditions. Now I see that Ellie is not in fact the closest at this point, and that the contest is not yet over. Being that I've already promised Ellie a lunch, however, she gets one, and Michael is in the lead for one as well.
Note, however, that if Emilie Dearest winds up in bankruptcy, the payment she made to the city could conceivably be voided, in which case the city would have to share those funds with other people to whom she owes money.
And as announced previously (in comments), the contest isn't over until Dec. 31, 2007, or sooner if there's clear closure of the issue before then.
Meanwhile, I have asked Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers to investigate.
Posted by: Jack Bog at June 17, 2006 09:57 PMA person could starve waiting until 12/31/2007 for lunch! :-)
Posted by: Michael at June 19, 2006 08:40 AMHey now, Jack, I'm not holding you to that. Besides, I hope to be as some distant (but undetermined) law school by that date. Woo!
Posted by: ellie at June 19, 2006 06:12 PM