RUMMAGING THROUGH KATZ'S LOONY BIN
What a hoot. Our Miz Mayor, Vera Katz, was angry because WW reporters looked through her recycling ["Rubbish!," Dec. 24, 2002]. She may possibly take legal action against WW!! Give me a break. We citizens of this great State of Oregon and city of Portland have put up with this loony mayor and the countless ridiculous, harebrained ideas she has espoused for the past six or seven years. She has spent thousands of $$$$ on consultants to cover the 405 freeway, besides wasting her time and ours even considering such a goofy idea. Her leading the way for the debacle of our Civic Stadium has cost and will cost us taxpayers thousands of $$$$ more, and who knows where that is going to lead us? She wants to buy out the present owners of the semi-professional baseball and soccer teams and have them be owned by the city and managed by Mr. Deep Pockets Paul Allen or, god forbid, Mr. Whitsitt. And if that's not enough, she wants to have the city participate in relocating a Major League baseball team here. Why the heck does she think teams relocate from one city to another? Duh, they are not making any money!! I for one am sick and tired of the mayor of this city sticking her hands in my pockets to pay for her harebrained ideas.

Speaking of hands in our pockets, Mr. Sten (remember him?) is backing Miz Katz in her legal wrangle with WW. Mr. Sten says, "I have not talked with the mayor, but my hunch is that she feels her privacy has been unnecessarily violated." "I think she has every right to be angry, and I also think that [WW] made a legitimate point." Well, Mr. Sten, you don't know what anger is. I have anger when an elected official such as you does not have the ability to run or manage a department for this city, namely the water department. You, sir, are going to cost us taxpayers $20 million or more because of your ineptitude. We have been raped by you, sir. Now let me tell you, that is being violated. I'm not even going to comment on "shoot and ask questions later" Kroeker--that's a whole other subject.

The bright side of this whole episode is Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schrunk. What a guy! At least one public official has some sense and sanity in his reaction to having his garbage looked at.

Robert M. Cameron
Northeast Prescott Street