This is typical political machine stuff...it's a club and you ain't a member. The numbers here--$303K--are stunning; and of course the racial angle is the glue that keeps the machine functioning. All we need is a hovering nonprofit (Cooper's destination; bet. on it).
If a client had instructed me to draft a termination provision that didn’t allow the him to terminate in case of breach of contract, I would have told him he was out of his mind and fired him. I hope the lawyer who drafted this gem at least explained the risks clearly to the client, obtained the client’s acknowledgment in some form and documented everything in a CYA memo. Or does ODOJ culture frown on that sort of thing? Go along to get along?
The inability or unwillingness of Oregon media to provide the sort of skeptical, damn-the-consequences reporting and savvy political editorializing this story deserves is infuriating.
The Oregonian might as well be an arm of the Kotek-plus-spouse communications team, so faithfully does it repeat what sound for all the world like Kotek-plus talking points.
For example, no Oregonian story is complete without the observation that other states have offices of first spouse.
So what? Did the reporter miss class the day they taught about the who, what, when, why and hows of journalism? Do they think that since they’re no longer in j-school, they’re off the hook for writing compare-and-contrast pieces?
Why did other states create such offices? What was the justification? Have any of the existing offices of the first lady given rise to controversy or scandal? Have they been shown to beneficial to the state? If so, how? How do the circumstances of the creation of the position in other states compare with Tina’s wife’s apparent power grab? How does Tina’s ass-backwards, fait-almost-accompli gambit compare with the way other states have gone about it?
What role did the legislative branch of government play in the formation of the first-spouse office in the other states, and how does that compare to the potted-plant approach of the ruling party in the State House in Salem?
Where did the idea of the Oregon first spouse originate? If it is widely known among insiders that Tina’s spouse was the prime mover, why the heck isn’t that being reported?
I’m out of touch with the news here in Japan, where I’m enjoying a respite from the culture wars, so did I miss the part where the Republican legislative leadership is denouncing this noisily for the huge political scandal it is?
Why is Tina-plus leaning so hard on the “first lady’s in recovery and a bit mental” message? Is that meant to shield the First Lady from the harsh criticism she deserves for pushing herself onto the people of Oregon uninvited? In normal times, that combination of conditions would be grounds for greater transparency and caution, not qualifications for getting to whisper into the Governor’s ear on matters of state.
What is her mental illness, what is its history and, most importantly, is she impaired? If so, does it affect her judgment or behavior? How?
Could the airing of what others might consider dirty laundry just be a conspicuous display of intersectionality on the First Lady’s part to counter claims of white privilege?
Speaking of Tina’s communications office, it was outrageous when one of her key spokesmen came out with a statement that Tina’s move is in keeping with “the modern governorship,” or something to that effect. What?
How could a reporter have heard or read that statement without demanding that he explain what the heck he was talking about? What does modernity have to do with this mess? Frankly, nepotism is a classic move from the smoke-filled-room move era and earlier that gives the middle finger to the voters. There’s nothing at all modern about it. It stinks whether the people involved are in an old-fashioned man-and-wife marriage or a modern same-sex one.
The most laughable aspect of Cooper’s contract is how little resemblance the lofty HR outcomes Cooper is being overpaid a bloody fortune to produce bear to the profoundly dysfunctional and incompetent state of Oregon’s bureaucracies.
Is anyone ever going to call definitive bullshit on the Emperor’s-New-Clothes charade Oregon’s progressives are operating on so many fronts - transgender madness, addiction, homelessness, crime, race and housing?
In the meantime…..schools cutting budgets and begging for money through increased taxes, cannot maintain snow plowing without a special funding effort, spending millions to perpetuate the homeless crisis to feed the nonprofit machine…All the while this is “acceptable” behavior from our leaders. Great work as usual Jeff! Keep blowing the whistle, eventually it will be heard.
A late addition from KGW8 Joint homelessness committee in PDX has spent 720 million dollars in 9 years and still don’t have a credible database and are now pointing fingers to brush off the questions on why they don’t know what they’re doing. 720 MILLION! Boy did some non profits make profits…..
And who pays for this? A rhetorical question. This shows and proves that the left has no concern for your hard earned wages and their blatant confiscation through taxes. All three of the principles mentioned will earn a pension for life, which is a tax for life of you and me.
On a side note, it looks like AI can easily replace 50% of the staff in the marble nut house.
Once again the.State of Oregon looks to Louisiana and says " Hold my beer and watch this" OTOH Kotek Wilson has reportedly stated her issues with alcoholism and mental heath are qualifiers for her, however nebulous, position with the Governor; I agree
Great column, Jeff...
This is typical political machine stuff...it's a club and you ain't a member. The numbers here--$303K--are stunning; and of course the racial angle is the glue that keeps the machine functioning. All we need is a hovering nonprofit (Cooper's destination; bet. on it).
If a client had instructed me to draft a termination provision that didn’t allow the him to terminate in case of breach of contract, I would have told him he was out of his mind and fired him. I hope the lawyer who drafted this gem at least explained the risks clearly to the client, obtained the client’s acknowledgment in some form and documented everything in a CYA memo. Or does ODOJ culture frown on that sort of thing? Go along to get along?
The inability or unwillingness of Oregon media to provide the sort of skeptical, damn-the-consequences reporting and savvy political editorializing this story deserves is infuriating.
The Oregonian might as well be an arm of the Kotek-plus-spouse communications team, so faithfully does it repeat what sound for all the world like Kotek-plus talking points.
For example, no Oregonian story is complete without the observation that other states have offices of first spouse.
So what? Did the reporter miss class the day they taught about the who, what, when, why and hows of journalism? Do they think that since they’re no longer in j-school, they’re off the hook for writing compare-and-contrast pieces?
Why did other states create such offices? What was the justification? Have any of the existing offices of the first lady given rise to controversy or scandal? Have they been shown to beneficial to the state? If so, how? How do the circumstances of the creation of the position in other states compare with Tina’s wife’s apparent power grab? How does Tina’s ass-backwards, fait-almost-accompli gambit compare with the way other states have gone about it?
What role did the legislative branch of government play in the formation of the first-spouse office in the other states, and how does that compare to the potted-plant approach of the ruling party in the State House in Salem?
Where did the idea of the Oregon first spouse originate? If it is widely known among insiders that Tina’s spouse was the prime mover, why the heck isn’t that being reported?
I’m out of touch with the news here in Japan, where I’m enjoying a respite from the culture wars, so did I miss the part where the Republican legislative leadership is denouncing this noisily for the huge political scandal it is?
Why is Tina-plus leaning so hard on the “first lady’s in recovery and a bit mental” message? Is that meant to shield the First Lady from the harsh criticism she deserves for pushing herself onto the people of Oregon uninvited? In normal times, that combination of conditions would be grounds for greater transparency and caution, not qualifications for getting to whisper into the Governor’s ear on matters of state.
What is her mental illness, what is its history and, most importantly, is she impaired? If so, does it affect her judgment or behavior? How?
Could the airing of what others might consider dirty laundry just be a conspicuous display of intersectionality on the First Lady’s part to counter claims of white privilege?
Speaking of Tina’s communications office, it was outrageous when one of her key spokesmen came out with a statement that Tina’s move is in keeping with “the modern governorship,” or something to that effect. What?
How could a reporter have heard or read that statement without demanding that he explain what the heck he was talking about? What does modernity have to do with this mess? Frankly, nepotism is a classic move from the smoke-filled-room move era and earlier that gives the middle finger to the voters. There’s nothing at all modern about it. It stinks whether the people involved are in an old-fashioned man-and-wife marriage or a modern same-sex one.
The most laughable aspect of Cooper’s contract is how little resemblance the lofty HR outcomes Cooper is being overpaid a bloody fortune to produce bear to the profoundly dysfunctional and incompetent state of Oregon’s bureaucracies.
Is anyone ever going to call definitive bullshit on the Emperor’s-New-Clothes charade Oregon’s progressives are operating on so many fronts - transgender madness, addiction, homelessness, crime, race and housing?
Once again Kotek (both) get the gold mine while us taxpayers will get the shaft. Ain’t Oregon Democrat politics great?
In the meantime…..schools cutting budgets and begging for money through increased taxes, cannot maintain snow plowing without a special funding effort, spending millions to perpetuate the homeless crisis to feed the nonprofit machine…All the while this is “acceptable” behavior from our leaders. Great work as usual Jeff! Keep blowing the whistle, eventually it will be heard.
Scumbaggery is alive and well! Excellent reporting, as usual.
A late addition from KGW8 Joint homelessness committee in PDX has spent 720 million dollars in 9 years and still don’t have a credible database and are now pointing fingers to brush off the questions on why they don’t know what they’re doing. 720 MILLION! Boy did some non profits make profits…..
And who pays for this? A rhetorical question. This shows and proves that the left has no concern for your hard earned wages and their blatant confiscation through taxes. All three of the principles mentioned will earn a pension for life, which is a tax for life of you and me.
On a side note, it looks like AI can easily replace 50% of the staff in the marble nut house.
Once again the.State of Oregon looks to Louisiana and says " Hold my beer and watch this" OTOH Kotek Wilson has reportedly stated her issues with alcoholism and mental heath are qualifiers for her, however nebulous, position with the Governor; I agree
Thanks for the great article, Jeff. Tina keeps getting stranger
hanky-panky in Salem, who would have thought?
Why does this awful woman get away with all this shameful nepotism and John Kitzhaber’s career was torched over less in 2015?? Disgusting!!