On the down low
The craziness of government here in Portland is remarkable. For example, they still haven't started up that new police misconduct review system that the voters passed during George Floyd time. It was a Jo Ann With the Bullhorn production, and so I'm not confident it will do any good, but good or bad, it shouldn't be taking this long to set up.
It reminds me of that statewide ballot measure we passed in 2022 on gun control. Here we are, February of 2026, and still none of it is in place. The judges are looking at it. They move much more slowly than the bullets.
But anyway, to get back to Portland, this week we learn that the volunteer members of the new police review board are being required to sign an outrageously broad non-disclosure agreement that forbids them from talking to the public about anything and everything they see and hear on the board. Including their basic training, and even the flowchart of how cases will be handled.
One alternate board member, an old guy named Bob Weinstein, is refusing to sign the agreement that's been stuck in front of him by the nasties in the city attorney's office. Weinstein agrees that he should have to commit to silence about cases before the board, but he objects to the gross overreach in the draft contract.
He's right of course, but he's getting the usual answer from the City Hall legal crew: Our way or the bike path. Weinstein's been kicked out of board meetings and is about to be thrown off the commission entirely. This in the context of a new process that was adopted in the name of transparency as well as fairness.
According to Weinstein, there's a "cult of secrecy" in Portland government. That sounds like a correct assessment to me. But then again, you're looking at a guy who's gotta pay $750 to see the city manager's compensation package.
Former (now deceased) state legislator Dave Frohnmayer who later became AG, was sponsor of legislation regarding news media access to public records back in the 70's. My understanding is there are legit "costs" that government can charge for public records but, over the years, have become as outrageous as they are phony. These days governmental bodies clearly work to keep public records away from the public. I wonder Jack, if any attorneys these days specialize, or at least, handle fights, over release of public records when government(s) try to (or in your case, DO) charge outrageous fees.
ReplyDelete"Our way or the bike path"- brilliant. These days the term Liberal has morphed into having the liberty to do what the hell ever you want, even if that means being untruthful or insular to the "team". If you are not a compliant crybaby, then you are deemed an outsider not to be trusted.
ReplyDeleteBoo-hoos for former council candidate Weinstein--done in by rank choice voting--but one might observe that the cult of secrecy extends far, far beyond a board set up to harass the cops (on behalf of Jo Ann's true constituency).
ReplyDeleteI've tried, as a kind of experiment, sending queries through the city's official website--didn't even get an acknowledgment of receipt, much less an answer. A few emails direct to addresses winkled out of obscure sources got occasional responses, which tended toward the "ask someone else" variety. Same for county; ditto the board of education. (No one in legacy media bitches, since they have their own back-channels, which would dry up the instant a journo broke an unwritten rule.)
The old charter, which we were told to hate, gave actual elected, political oversight to actual, elected pols. But Wheeler and Julia Meier took care of that even before the new charter kicked in, by creating yet another layer of bureaucracy under the opaque city administrator. And, if you haven't noticed, the city created a new political propagnda bureaucracy--check out their Instagram posts sometime. Wilson may be a wimp--but not after the city bureaucrats get done buffing his feeds.