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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Politics More Council Drama
Posted by on Wed, May 14 at 10:00 AM
At every council meeting, Mayor Potter asks if anyone in the audience would like “to pull any items from the consent agenda,” the part of the budget the council passes without discussion. Usually, the crowd is silent. Today, a guy in the front row, in a red polo shirt, said he did want to pull an item. Potter asked him which one. He started reading off the numbers of all of the consent agenda items: “608, 609, 610…”
Potter cut him off, and asked him to leave. A security guard approached him, and reiterated Potter’s request. The man refused, and a few others in the audience backed him up—they appeared to be folks related to the protest outside—asking what he’d done wrong. Potter—and Leonard—said he was disrupting council.
The council went ahead and approved the consent agenda, without pulling any of the items.
“This place gives me the creeps,” one protester said, as he got up and walked out. The security guards are hovering over the guy in the red polo. I believe they’re waiting for the police. The man is dialing a number on his cell phone. Council is carrying on.
And we haven’t even gotten to the budget drama yet!
Comments
As established last time this happened, Potter is violating the City Charter by refusing to let someone pull items from the consent agenda. There is no restriction in the Charter on how many items one can request be pulled.
Was the City Attorney asleep, or is this another case of no one on City Council, or in the City's employ, giving a shit about the Charter, the City's highest law?
I know from an insider that it is pretty much going to fall to Saltzman to craft a compromise budget.
Here's why protests matter. Potter is obviously rattled by all the attention being focused on him for his continuing mishandling of this situation, and is making even more mistakes in response.
Shame on Mayor Potter for stonewalling and not stepping up and serving the needs of ALL of the community.
Leonard, too, apparently, since he stood by Potter. That's too bad; Commissioner Leonard seems like a nice enough guy.
Anyone hear from Sho Dozono on this topic in the last week?
And I'd like to re-iterate the thanks to Amy and Matt and the Merc for the continuing coverage.
W00t! thanks Amy!! gooooooooo BLOGTOWN!!!!
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Oh Amy. I am going to enjoy refreshing my BLOGTOWN PDX screen all day long. Thanks for your reporting!