Novick's DIRECTV Football Flap Lands Him Conservative Scorn

Steve Novick

Portland City Commissioner Steve Novick has exasperated the conservative Weekly Standard so greatly, the only words they could find were in French.

In a blog post titled "Portland, C'est Moi," Associate Editor Ethan Epstein blasts Novick for using his city blog as a forum to share what he felt was a scam by DIRECTV over a football package.

On July 30, Novick blogged that when got the satellite service, he was signed up for a free trial of the "NFL Sunday Ticket" package, and then started getting charged $37.95 when the trial expired—without his consent to keep it. Novick took to his blog (where he also yesterday asked The Oregonian to keep seven-day home delivery) and warned Portlanders of what he says is a scam.

Today, Epstein says that "Novick may have been elected only last year, but he's wasted no time in using his public office to indulge his personal crotchets."

He then says its even worse that Novick asked the state Department of Justice to look into the matter.

"All of which is to say, Commissioner Novick has a rather expansive and self-indulgent view of his role as a public official–one that should alarm any Portlander who believes that governmental power should be limited," Epstein writes. (Editors note: WW is actively looking for them.)

"Indeed, Novick's philosophy of government is best summed up in a quote he included in his press release-cum-screed against DirecTV: 'There oughtta [sic] be a law against this kind of thing.'"

Novick has replied to WW about his new frenemies.

"I'm sure the Weekly Standard will get a lot of public sympathy for their defense of a satellite TV company," Novick says.

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