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Since 2000 I have been trying to obtain a copy of the AG's Opinion/LOA on the grounds for removal of a member of a Building Codes Division Board.  I have written a letter  (2000), spoken personally to the AG General (Hardy Myers) outside the office during one of his smoking breaks, spoken to a member of the AG staff at a later date; and have still not gotten any reply. 

This AG advice exists in a 3-ring binder located in the Building Codes Division in Salem.  But they have contually obstructed releasing the information.  One time they required that I know the exact date (even though they could have just brought the binder to the front counter and we could have paged through it together).  At another time they utilized the fact that state agencies can charge a fee for producing public records.  They concocted an exorbitant fee of $600 to produce the document.

The sad truth is that the AG exists solely for the purpose of defending state agencies in court, should the public sue them for not following state statutes (which they often do not).  The AG is not interested in seeing that state government actually follows the laws and statutes.

I asked a Senate  Committee Chair (Kate Brown) to request this Opinion or LOA from the AG at one of the Board Appointment Meetings; and she indicated there would be a significant charge from the AG to produce that, and that she wasn't interested.  Thus, when people are appointed to state boards, there is still no information given to them as to any grounds for their removal.

A Board Member may be removed from a Board for actions "contrary to the public good."  In the case of the Building Codes Division's Building Codes Structures Board and Residential Structures Board; such contrary actions certainly would include deliberately weakening the earthquake design provsions from the national model building codes as they are adopted into Oregon.

I believe that under former AG Hardy Myers, the interpretation of the Oregon public meetings law has been also deliberately weakened: so that state agencies and Commissions are now having meetings "in secret" to avoid not only public scrutiny, but also the keeping of minutes and any documents which should be considered public records--but these records are not accessible without a lawsuit against the offending entity.

James

posted 3 years, 5 months ago
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The sale of bonds backed by the state of Oregon might seem harmless; but the $200 million in bonds for the new UO Arena actually affects the "other" bonds (and hence needs/projects) that the state can issue.  This is because the state limits the total amount of bonding indebtedness at any one time- since they have to service the debt.

Bonds for the seismic rehabilitation of statewide public school buildings, possibly higher education buildings as well, police and fire stations, and hospitals were authorized by the voters back in the November election of 2002.  But no bonds have ever been issued!  The $200 million in bonds issued for the UO arena are one complicating factor or crouton in the soup; as the total amount of bond indebtedness that the state can handle at any one time means that even bonds that are "authorized" may not be issued-- if the state is at the determined indebtedness limit.

One wonders how many buildings (possibly with students in them) are on the UO campus that are in need of seismic strengthening and retrofit?  What capital plans and campaigns are in place to address these issues? It is always troubling when "entertainment" trumps most other real societal needs and concerns.  It's as different as day and Knight!

John Wooden, famed UCLA basketball coach, said it best:

• "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail."
• "Don't mistake activity for achievement."
• "Intensity makes you stronger.   
              Emotionalism makes you weaker." 
• “If you don't have time to do it right,
              when will you have time to do it over?”

posted 4 years, 1 month ago
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