Even I did not see this coming. I mean, someone told me about it, but I couldn’t find it on the paper’s website despite Googling “Saltzman” and “Mayor” alongside the words “Shitty Website Oregonlive.” So, even when it came, I did not see it coming. But here’s the scanned version.
“He only might run to be Portland’s mayor someday.” Jumping…
I get it. You guys like to pretend you have opinions, other than being solely required to serve your fascist publisher’s whim, the needs of the Portland Business Alliance, and of course, the status quo. But for crying out loud, try to have opinions that actually make sense.
And speaking of opinions that don’t make sense, the Portland Tribune tried to turn Saltzmangate into an issue about the Mercury‘s endorsement of his opponent, Jesse Cornett, this morning. Again, I’d link to the website, but it only works on my 1984 Apple and I’d rather spare the hamster in their basement from having to run any faster in that wheel.
Saltzman vs. Mercury
Another issue did emerge in the Saltzman race just weeks before the election, when the Portland Mercury reported that he committed a possible ethical breach. According to the alternative newsweekly, in January 2009 Saltzman sat on a committee that allocated $600,000 from the Portland Children’s Levy to Cares Northwest, a North Portland charity that serves child-abuse victims. Saltzman’s girlfriend, Liz Burns, is a development specialist for that agency, but he did not disclose the relationship before the unanimous vote.
Saltzman and Burns denied any wrongdoing, and the city attorney’s office cleared him of breaking the law. But the taint of the minor controversy could linger in the closing days of the campaign. The Mercury, coincidentally, is the only local newspaper to endorse Cornett over Saltzman.
Coincidentally, the Tribune’s owner, the R.B.Pamplin Corporation, gave Saltzman’s campaign $500 on April 10. But I don’t see that mentioned anywhere.
In which Matt Davis gets all pissy about other newspapers, again. This is fucking dumb. Where’s three more posts about Cornett lying about his involvment with that PSU thing? Maybe a poll?
@Graham I think you and I have the prerogative on “getting all pissy,” don’t you? But I’ve gotta say, I don’t think Cornett’s PSU drama is anything like as serious as Saltzman’s “ethical breach,” at all.
I did not find either of the stories to be especially damning, I still plan to vote for Cornett to punish Saltzman for his soft touch with the PPB. My greatest fear is that Saltzman gets less than 50% and Volm takes second. If I thought the Cornett story weakened him seriously I would be back to voting for Saltzman, and in a way I still hope Saltzman gets tough before November so I can again give him my vote in good conscience.
Man, the Tribune got it wrong. I think they meant to write “not coincidentally.” Why else would Cornett tip off the Merc?
Matt, you still have not answered a question asked of you twice after your wrote a story about candidates gone wild. Why did you say the reason this race was left out was maybe because Saltzman didn’t want to participate? Why not Jesse Cornett or Mary Volm? Did someone tell you he declined to participate? He has participated in candidates gone wild in the past.