Gonzalez beats City Hall, just before joining it
I see that the City of Portland's $77,000 fine against council candidate Rene Gonzalez has been overturned by a state administrative law judge. The city, which says Gonzalez underpaid for space he rents from real estate tycoon Jordan Schnitzer, didn't prove its case.
The bureaucrat running the city's "free money for politicians" office says she's "shocked" that she lost. But when the government imposes penalties on people, usually the government bears the burden of proving the violation. And here the city didn't prove diddly.
Stepping back from this petty squabble, the whole system of taxpayer financing of elections is a bad idea. It's brought us the absolute worst City Council in 50 years or more. I wish people would stop nattering about how wonderful it is and get rid of it. Put the money toward police recruitment, garbage pickup, some shrinks and drug rehab people, and the million other things that we need so much more than an endless supply of otherwise unemployable bobbleheads.
Lived in this place called “Portland” my entire life (I’m 70).
ReplyDeleteToo chaotic and lawless to be called a ‘city’ and is nothing like the Portland I once loved.
And at my age, it’s not coming back.
The bureaucrat that levied the fine probably thought the ensuing publicity would help the other candidate
ReplyDeleteJust think how many ill advised and petty wastes of tax payer money will there be when we have 12 commissioners with all their minions.
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