Seen a Rogue on the loose? Get in touch with our Roguemeister: JOHN SCHRAG jschrag@wweek.com (503) 243-2122 FAX: (503) 243-1115 The word "outrageous" is overused, but if ever anyone should be outraged, it's the people of this city, who were ripped off by this week's offenders, Sgts. Richard Barton and Bradford Bailey--and their bosses, Police Chief Mark Kroeker and Mayor Vera Katz. The Barton and Bailey circus drew public attention last year when the two officers surfaced in the $165,000 overtime scam ("Breaking Ranks," WW, Aug. 18, 1999). Last August, within days of being notified that they faced termination for approving bogus overtime, both men filed stress-related disability claims. Last week, the police and fireman's pension board voted to grant their claims, even though the "stressful events" happened eight years ago. Both officers presented doctors' opinions that they were suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, which may be true, but the timing of the filing of their claims defies credulity. The claims are a disgrace to every honest cop in the city. As for the other two rogues, it's important to understand that the police and fire pension board consists of 11 city employees, including the police chief and the mayor. The new top cop, Kroeker, missed the vote, his spokesman says, because he was on a cruise celebrating his 35th wedding anniversary. With all due respect to Mrs. Kroeker, that's a bogus excuse. If Chief Kroeker can't understand how symbolically important his vote last week would have been to restoring public confidence, we may soon be waxing nostalgic about Charles Moose. It's not like Kroeker didn't know what he was missing--Susan Dobrof, counsel to the pension board, says the agenda is circulated at least a week in advance. And, Dobrof says, there's nothing to prevent Kroeker from asking for an agenda item to be held over to the next meeting. Katz has criticized the vote, but she too skipped the meeting, for a funeral. She has noted, in defending her absence, that she only gets to vote in case of a tie. That's another bogus excuse, and a potentially damning one: How could she have known the outcome in advance? Katz could have sent a proxy, as she has in the past, to at least voice her opposition. And, like Kroeker, she could have asked that the vote be postponed so she could have weighed in at the meeting--instead of in The Oregonian the next day.   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published March 22, 2000