News Apr 26, 2012 at 4:00 am

If the PPA Says "Yes," Can Smith Say "No"?

Comments

1
Actually, what they said was that they liked his philosophy of prudence and protection for the general fund, and that he would be a good steward of its budget. What Turner said about wanting someone who listened and was collaborative instead of adversarial was exactly what Randy Leonard said about what makes a good mayor--while also pointing out their policy and style differences.

To roughly admit all that upfront, and then undercut it as a way to bolster the thesis that it's really policy based business as usual, the evidence is that Smith agreed with the idea of challenging the arbitrator's decision...just not with the requisite sense of telecommunications urgency? Weak sauce. And which of the people involved here, from Turner to Therault to any of the other major candidates, graduated Harvard Law besides Smith? Maybe the lawyer guy might know something about why it's not NECESSARILY a good idea to make grand jury transcripts public. I don't know--I didn't go to HL, either. And maybe there's no gain in calling out a perceived culture when an outside audit of that culture is imminently forthcoming.

Interesting that there's no mention of Occupy in all this. Is the crony of the cops union really the same guy who stood up for the encampment and what it stood for, the longest and loudest? And if he's in thrall to the cops, why not be in thrall to the labor unions and go ahead and say build the bridge? Why intentionally oppose it knowing you'll lose the endorsement (which he did of course, to the person who most enthusiastically said build it!) Why be ethical with one union and corrupt with another? Doesn't make any sense--unless he's actually thinking it through, taking a position, and sticking to it based on his values and the values of Portland, endorsements be damned. And maybe some endorsers just like that about him.
2
So is one of the candidates qualified and intersted in properly negotiating contracts which benefit the employer and do not allow sluffing and further employment of persons responsible for deaths, maiming, shooting with very expensive and accurate scoped rifles breaking of arms of persons not committing a crime ? Possibly they are so interested in impressing members of these two actually small contingents of union members they forget the rest of us. That would be those walking around the city who would like protection from onerous and overly generous contracts and disicipline treatments !! 2 % extra for college grads, when all these guys were college grads, extra OT for a cotton swab which could be taken at ends of shifts , attorneys for the guys like Humphreys who was at fault in many many cases before he was forced into mental leave... who needs this kind of waste when the schools are funded like old toilets.

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