Inbox: Kitzhaber And His Consultant

Once again, another layer is peeled from the onion, and another layer of John Kitzhaber's total failure as governor is brought into daylight ["Kitzhaber's Secret Weapon," WW, Feb. 25, 2015].

And it sounds like Patricia McCaig is in it up to her neck, too. Given her background, what on earth would possess her to undertake things like the Columbia River Crossing project or Cover Oregon?

Sadly, I think there is even more yet to come.

—"J E Nielsen"

This all comes back to Kitzhaber's real personality…the heart of the king. Bringing McCaig on to smoke-screen Cover Oregon to get re-elected was a slime-bag move made by a desperate candidate hell-bent on covering up the third-term dents to get to the unprecedented fourth term.

Especially since she had no health care experience. That makes it 10 times worse.

—"Harley Leiber"

Kitzhaber should go to jail if it's only for putting someone with no knowledge of the health care industry in charge of a $300 million debacle after she ran another $300 million debacle into the Columbia River.

We Oregonians are idiots. This guy oversaw both of these and we re-elected him.

—"Douglas Williams"

Who would have thought the closest thing to Richard Nixon since Richard Nixon would be a blue-jeaned, cowboy-booted governor by the name of John Kitzhaber?

—"Dave Lister"

GOV. BROWN PUT TO THE TEST

Your article "Carbon Copy?" [WW, Feb. 18, 2015], with the stated premise that "a climate-change bill will test Gov. Kate Brown's independence," was wrong to suggest she must oppose the carbon fuel standards bill to demonstrate her independence from former Gov. John Kitzhaber.

Her independence will, in fact, be tested by whether the position she takes on the bill is dictated by her conscience, sound science and enough backbone to withstand the corporate lobbying of the energy industry and the Republicans whose strings they control.

WW's piece is anything but journalistic independence; it simply rephrases the Republican Party's talking points, which attempt to manipulate the governor to their own ends.

CORRECTION

In last week's story on local cider pubs ("Pickin' Pubs," WW, Feb. 25, 2015), we misnamed one of Portland Cider Co.'s co-owners. He is Jeff Parrish. WW regrets the error.

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WWeek 2015