At least the mafia of old delivered something of value to their customers (taxpayers). Today's mafia (The DPO and Legislature) doesn’t do a damn thing for their customers except take, take, take.
The only quibble I have with your article is the onset. I returned to Oregon from New Orleans in 1997 dragging my native New Orleanian wife with me. She was a legal secretary whose last job was running the inhouse council for a private oil company. Her boss (and family) were very well connected in a place where connections are everything. It took her about a year to notice similarities between Oregon and Louisiana. Difference of course was in Louisiana everyone knew the "game" which gave you some advantage, Oregonians were blissfully ignorant. Edwin Edwards would have given his right am to pull the out in the open scams pulled here. It should also be noted that Louisiana elected a series of reform governors following Edwin; Oregon has doubled and tripled down.
At least the mafia of old delivered something of value to their customers (taxpayers). Today's mafia (The DPO and Legislature) doesn’t do a damn thing for their customers except take, take, take.
The only quibble I have with your article is the onset. I returned to Oregon from New Orleans in 1997 dragging my native New Orleanian wife with me. She was a legal secretary whose last job was running the inhouse council for a private oil company. Her boss (and family) were very well connected in a place where connections are everything. It took her about a year to notice similarities between Oregon and Louisiana. Difference of course was in Louisiana everyone knew the "game" which gave you some advantage, Oregonians were blissfully ignorant. Edwin Edwards would have given his right am to pull the out in the open scams pulled here. It should also be noted that Louisiana elected a series of reform governors following Edwin; Oregon has doubled and tripled down.
Good point. Maybe the schemes are now so brazen they're getting caught more.
My bias
Sigh...
Good analysis. Thanks for your work.