Good bloody work, team. It's good to see my endless phone calls come to something substantial. It's a shame we couldn't print all this.

Saltzman totally talks like a stoned robot. You nailed it.

@Stefan: Thanks for making all the phone calls, and for scheduling the interviews. Your help was invaluable in making this happen.

Awesome work, Merc troops. Time to sit down with a bottle of wine tonight and get to voting!

I voted a couple days ago, and I'm amused to see that our ballots and reasoning more or less match (though I picked Bradbury, Metzger & Burkholder), right down to the County Commissioner uber-confusion.

I will freely admit that I have no fucking clue what a Metro President or County Commissioner does. Is there a summary of all that somewhere?

@CC Glad to hear we're in touch with your zeitgeist old chum.

Metro President directs Metro, basically. Land use, garbage, some tourism, and the zoo. In David Bragdon's case that has meant smart policy wonkiness, a willingness to take on a few internal fights, and using his sense of humor to promote and market the organization across the region. He's going to be a tough one to replace, because most people who'd want his job are boring as fuck.

County Commissioners generally mess around for a few years before quitting in disgrace (usually after not showing up enough), going to the legislature (a sideways move), or getting onto city council (a promotion, if only in terms of the amount of political attention you get). It's one of five votes on a board that controls the sheriff's office, mental health and addictions services. Oh, and libraries. The budgets get cut every year. Your best hope is to do something snazzy that's not in the remit, and use it to launch a bid for city office. Or get promoted to chair and hope somebody dies at the state level (see Ted Wheeler, now state treasurer).

The pay check for both jobs is pretty good though. More than $80k in both cases.

"$124,963.
That's just to bring it to the level that anyone would earn at a typical employer. Is $125,000 a good salary? Yes! But the guy has been in the business for over 20 years and has a masters degree. Is that a scandalous sum? No way."

That's a fucking scandalous sum in Oregon, dear. With our record unemployment, that's a scandalous sum. Are you really telling me that Markgraf would say on the record, "Hey, I don't earn that much." Nope. He's rich. But as we said, "fundamentally decent."

@Golson. Yes. They're scandalous, too.

@golson Boohooo! He doesn't make THAT much money!!!

Hey Commenty Colin, here's what the current Metro Prez does: http://news.oregonmetro.gov/6/page.cfm/abo….

Mikey needs to set down the Koolaid and get a clue. I think the dart-throwing comment was a pretty good way to express gratitude for a very qualified field of candidates.

It's not like Karol needs any more fawning after the Oregonian endorsement, and the reasons Mikey lists (Jeff Cogen's accomplishments....Karol was a staffer) don't depict leadership skills, tested judgment, or even real experience. Those accomplishments are fluff, and with the county staring down a massive budget shortfall, a photo op at a farmers market won't get us very far.

Good choice on endorsing Bob Stacey for Metro President. He is the best qualified candidate.

Augh! I really am a LAME and I want just a CHECK LIST!! I don't have time to read through and I DO TRUST YOU GUYS! But just the first category: US Senator, who the hell am I voting for? Wyden, when you slammed him? And who's this other guy that sounds cool, although Republican, his name isn't on ballot. I'm trying to do the right thing here...
Love ya'

Please don't kick me in the dick, Matt Davis. I voted.

Thank Gawd I'm not a 'druggie' (I feel like I'm in Middle School again using that word)
...now...tell me how to vote Hip Weekly Alt Newspaper! I can't possibly do it without you!

Its not your vote that counts.....its who's counting the votes!!!!! Lots of luck ever getting the leadership you truly need.