Willamette Week's Weak Expose
Jeff Alworth
This just in: a long hard look at the way Jeff Merkley manages rental units he owns reveals that in some cases he may have been somewhat unresponsive. Willamette Week, smelling scandal, sent a reporter to sniff out some rental property Merkley owns, apparently expecting to find a seamy underbelly in the affairs of this squeaky-clean affordable-housing advocate. Their conclusions? Although none of the tenants had serious complaints, and although Merkley has never run afoul of the law, some renters may be disgruntled.
About time, says Marsh. According to Marsh, the on-site manager, paid by Merkley to keep up Santee Court, was given a “tight budget” to work with, much tighter than before the Merkleys bought the development in 2002.
Bryan Marsh’s wife, Michelle, was much less sympathetic about Merkley’s efforts to maintain her family’s duplex on Santee Court.
“He has no management ability at all,” she said.
Ah ha!--disgruntled! The picture WW paints--or through innuendo attempts to, anyway--is one of a richie-rich landlord with a let-them-eat-cake attitude. Yet the specific allegations may leave you wonder what's getting exposed in this expose:
- WW: "Together the properties pull in at least $100,000 a year in rent before expenses." Right, before expenses, like mortgages and upkeep. No word from WW about whether Merkley actually makes money on the properties. The indictment here is, apparently, that he charges rent.
- WW: "Yet Danitra, a health-care worker, says she’s tired of waiting for her
water heater and furnace to be fixed. She estimated it’s been a real
problem for a couple months." Going without hot water would suck--but it's not clear from the comment whether that's the situation. We're left with the innuendo, not facts about what Merkley has failed to do.
- WW: "Marsh [a renter] says he’s patched the walls of his unit, installed baseboards and replaced the screen door without getting compensated by Merkley.... Marsh [also] says an on-site manager told him Merkley wouldn’t pay for water Marsh wanted to use on the lawn." If true, these complaints probably represent an issue for a tenant and landlord to work out--but they hardly suggest villainy. And what's worse is that the reporter only picked up what the renter said--and in this case, what he said he heard from someone else. I did a little poking around, and found a suggestion that some tenants had positive things to say about Merkley's management, but they didn't make it into the story.
- WW: "One in Washington, D.C., is currently being used by Lutheran Volunteer Corps as a group home for the mentally ill. The other, which is in Northeast Portland, until July housed volunteers through the Portland chapter of the Christian volunteer group Holy Cross Associates." Oh right, and he also rents out property to nonprofits, which is ... well, pretty cool.
Jeff Merkley has been characterized as a boy scout in the press, and so maybe the suggestion that he doesn't throw his coat down in puddles in the paths of old ladies is newsworthy. "This just in--Jeff Merkley doesn't floss regularly! He gets an occasional parking ticket! He's a Stanford fan!" (I think that last one may actually be true.)
I'm all for holding our leaders to a high standard, and I think we should be looking at their background for clues about how they'll govern. But where's the story here? Merkley, as an advocate for low-income housing, provides it to tenants and non-profits. If the biggest "scandal" is that some of them wish he'd be more responsive, isn't that actually a pretty good evidence that he is a boy scout?
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Sep 12, '07
this is just lame.
honestly.
what is their deal?
Sep 12, '07
Just in time for David Blow-hard to write a piggybacking piece for this Sunday's Oregonian.
Sep 12, '07
Nice explication, Jeff. It's part and parcel of a larger news strategy that WW is pursuing.
Beaver Boundary's got analysis of the screed up at that site along with the contact information to the editors.
Tell 'em that you're not fond of their newfound progressive-bashing.
Sep 12, '07
Give me a break. I'm so tired of WW trying to create news where there is none. Kari being the rogue of the week is a perfect example of this.
1:01 p.m.
Sep 12, '07
I also don't floss as often as I should.
1:01 p.m.
Sep 12, '07
And I'm a USC fan.
1:08 p.m.
Sep 12, '07
I just heard about this. Not wweek's finest hour. Must have been a VERY slow news week, huh? The whole Potter thing, Obama visit, etc., so nothing else to write about?
1:19 p.m.
Sep 12, '07
Stephanie:
Or if they wanted to do a rental story, they could have gone out and talked to people who live in true unlivable conditions out in Gresham.
1:19 p.m.
Sep 12, '07
Whoops, should have added the disclaimer...
I work on the Novick for U.S. Senate web site, but I speak only for myself - not the campaign.
Sep 12, '07
The whole Potter thing, Obama visit, etc., so nothing else to write about?
Oh, and what an Obama write-up it was. Why did you know that Obama is black and most of Portland is white? WW really blew that story WIDE open!
Sep 12, '07
Oh, and that's not just the liberal guilt talking either!
1:55 p.m.
Sep 12, '07
Just for the hell of it, though, I'd like to ask a question. I think I know the answer, but I'm not sure.
Can everyone here honestly say that they'd feel the same way about this item if the landlord were Gordon Smith?
I like to think that I'd feel the same way, but it's hard to be certain.
Sep 12, '07
Not wweek's finest hour.
Wasn't this was about par for the course? Can someone do a reminder of when the Willamette Week has done any real journalism? And I don't just mean they happened to choose a deserving target.
1:59 p.m.
Sep 12, '07
Well, they won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking the Goldschmidt story.
Sep 12, '07
Pretty rich:
One of Oregon's leading progressives, a slumloard.
Thanks JK
2:08 p.m.
Sep 12, '07
Can everyone here honestly say that they'd feel the same way about this item if the landlord were Gordon Smith?
I definitely wouldn't feel the same--I'd chuckle evily. But I can say that I don't think it would change my impression of the report. I'd probably end up thinking--jeez, you got all this cannon fodder on Smith and that was the best you could come up with?
Sep 12, '07
Stolen from the ww blog:
"C'mon people, lighten up. One Pulitzer and Willy Week is suddenly supposed to have "journalistic standards"? Remember these articles are just here to provide visual separation between the adds for escort services and the bar's band schedules."
2:45 p.m.
Sep 12, '07
Hmmm, I wonder if Slick Gordy provides housing for migrant farm workers at his veg packing plants? Tarpaper roofed shacks out behind the processing plant. Pit toilets -- with a cob! And migrant workers, why, that could mean illegal aliens! OK, that's just me being snippy. Sorry. Not really. Seriously, has anybody ever examined this issue regarding Smith. Could be interesting. Could be nothing. I'm just sayin'....
Sep 12, '07
Well, they won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking the Goldschmidt story.
A story they, along with the Oregonian, sat on for 20+ years.
Sep 12, '07
Seriously, has anybody ever examined this issue regarding Smith.
Yes. And I don't think you are going to see Gordon Smith reminding anyone about it by going after Merkley.
Sep 12, '07
Yeah it's a weak story...all of this is nit-picky.
On the other hand when any renter is paying for the landlord to build his real estate portfolio, that landlord should leave no tenant complaint unadressed.
How many units does he own, anyway?
And yes I DO think that if this were a candidate blueoregon didn't like they'd be all over this as a slumlord situation. I call 'em like I see 'em.
5:28 p.m.
Sep 12, '07
Hmmm, I know of no landlords who pay their tenants water (may happen in remodeled old houses which have been converted to separate apartments within it) but any units which have separate metering (like almost all duplexes are) landlords hardly ever pay utilities like water.
What next, disgruntled renters who are peeved their landlord isn't paying for their electricity (gotta run porch bug zappers and exterior accent lighting ya know)...?
5:30 p.m.
Sep 12, '07
Tooth-terrorist!!!
;-)
Sep 12, '07
Wasn't this was about par for the course?
Indeed. The line between the quality of the WW and the Tribune used to be really thin. Now the WW and Fox12 News are a tighter comparison.
This just in: Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.
Sep 12, '07
OMG! He didn't want to pay to water the lawn and the grass turned brown in the summer! That does it, I'm voting Novick.
Fair game to look at landlord behavior. . . . but not sure WW found enough to justify the ink.
Sep 12, '07
As a Novick supporter, I was interested in seeing some dirt on Merkley. But one guy is complaining about minor problems while paying $760 a month for a three-bedroom apartment in a generally okay part of town. Gimme a break.
Ever since the snarky WW review of "Sicko," I've been wondering if Willamette Weak has been hiring interns from the Heritage Foundation.
Sep 12, '07
The guy who wrote this, I'd like to know his politics. I'd also like to question ww on the kari rogue thing, seems like they're doing exactly what they're accusing kari of. Steve's well liked at ww and I wouldn't be surprised if the editors let their young republican go ahead and publish this crap because they like novick. I mean seriously, these people are complaining about a lawn that hasn't been watered? At that point i think the "investigation" is over and the story gets killed, but they ran it? wff? it even said merkley hired a property management company! No story here ww, move on!
Sep 13, '07
Does anybody in this town still respect WW? I mean, I was pretty much done with them when they endorsed Tom Cox for Metro...
Sep 13, '07
Me too - I lost all remaining regard for the WeeWee over the endorsement of Cox, as well as Jack Roberts (who tried to destroy BOLI) for state supreme court, and that insurance company flack for county court (can't remember his name but luckily he, Roberts and Cox all lost). The WeeWee has also consistently opposed ballot measures to improve/expand the Oregon Health Plan and raise the minimum wage. I haven't made up my mind between Merkley and Novick but I wouldn't be surprised if the WeeWee ends up endorsing Smith (after all he opposes the Iraq war, right? Sure ...).
Sep 13, '07
This sort of knee-jerk complaining about WWeek is as inane as conservatives' complaining about "liberal media." It's easy to snipe at an article, and I agree that the Merkley rental story might well have been written about any landlord (inevitably there will be tenant complaints). I took it more as a pitch that he's a member of the property-owning class, a charge that isn't exactly foreign to liberals/progressives. Granted, with the Ds racking up larger contributions than Rs in this cycle, we're hearing less "s/he's rich so s/he's bad," but historically, "rich vs. poor" is a popular D issue.
What's your example of noteworthy journalism, then, to which to compare this article? Surely the charge isn't: "oh my god, the reporter seems to have a slant!" And I don't mean the NYT as a comparison, b/c surely all journalists shouldn't be held to have to compare to the NYT. Look at the Oregonian -- a huge number of stories seem to be AP stories, not original journalism; then there are the "exposes" -- multi-part series on things like meth, which WWeek did a good job of showing was overblown.
From all media, I guess I've seen a lot of articles that shortsell one side's story. Welcome to the world of journalism about public figures. Anyone in the public eye needs to know how to respond, and I expect Jeff Merkley is perfectly capable of getting an audience with WWeek.
Sep 13, '07
"He's a member of the property-owning class?" Are you for real? What in the world is that supposed to mean, exactly? This article is crap, Paul Leonard says he interviewed 6 tenants but only quotes 2 of them. I would really like to know what the other 4 said! I understand holding our elected officials up to a certain standard but an un-watered lawn just does not a bad person make. If the lawns were green I bet WW would write an expose on Merkley's overuse of water.
Sep 13, '07
Ok, so maybe wweek didn't just break the biggest story of the year. But it shows bad judgment on Merkley's part if he really is ignoring the complaints of his tenants and failing to make basic repairs such as a furnace and hot water heater.
I also think it reflects poorly on you all to belittle the reports that he is neglecting his tenants and to question the tenants' credibility without any reason other than your own political affiliation with their landlord.
Sep 13, '07
The article specifically says he responded to his tenant's complaints by hiring a property management company to tend to their needs.
3:39 p.m.
Sep 13, '07
Are you guys all serious - you liberal douchebags - this is against your better judgment, isn't it? A woman has no hot water and no heat and is waiting for our fair representative to fix it. As a person who also rents my side apartment, I would NEVER wait any longer than it took a repairman (oh, I mean person) to fix my tenants heat.
I know, I know. Its WW and we can't take them seriously most of the time. But, there is no excuse as a responsible property owner to treat your tenants as second class citizens, even if their name is Dantria.
We have such double standards in our little party and its insane. It doesn't mean don't vote Merkley, it means hold the man to standards you would hold your own landlord to, please. It isn't too high of a standard to allow your tenant to shower in warm water.
3:58 p.m.
Sep 13, '07
I should also say, I'm a proud liberal douchebag and its important for us to walk our talk - which includes holding our own accountable without drowning them with hypocrisy. We would ALL be upset if we were waiting for a broken heater or house repairs for months.
Tell yourselves the truth - would you personally put up with that? I highly doubt many of us would. But because its easier for us to look down from the towers we've been lucky enough to have, its easy to turn a blind eye to the people our party allegedly wants to help. It may be a trivial story, but there is a critical truth to it. Its like Jeff's friend Obama said, we are our brother's keeper.
Sep 14, '07
C'mon "Karol!" You've got to be kidding, did you even read the article? And I agree, you are a douchebag.
9:03 a.m.
Sep 14, '07
I did indeed read the article. I stand by my statement. Hold people accountable, even if they are members of your party.
9:56 a.m.
Sep 14, '07
What's your example of noteworthy journalism, then, to which to compare this article? Surely the charge isn't: "oh my god, the reporter seems to have a slant!"
and
Are you guys all serious - you liberal douchebags - this is against your better judgment, isn't it? A woman has no hot water and no heat and is waiting for our fair representative to fix it.
Both these comments miss the point. Jonathan, the issue isn't whether it's newsworthy to report on the private business of candidates. It's one of the most important aspects of journalism (let's hope WW scrutinizes Frohnmeyer, Smith, and Novick with the same vigor). The question is, having done the work, what you make of it. This isn't newsworthy because there's no story here. One of the ways we know this is because the evidence presented--presumably the ace material Leonard had--is so woefully weak and rigged.
Having done the research, the WW should rightfully have looked at the evidence and said, nah, there's nothing here to report. Instead, they ginned up an angle of innuendo and rigged the findings (reporting gross profit--come on).
Karol, you have no idea whether the woman in the article went without hot water. Before you start calling people douchebags and assuming that our motivation is suspect, why not look at the text itself. Obviously she didn't go without heat: quoth the article "Yet Danitra, a health-care worker, says she’s tired of waiting for her water heater and furnace to be fixed. She estimated it’s been a real problem for a couple months." Really, the loss of a furnace been a real problem during July and August?
You charge liberal douchebags with "double standards," but aren't your's pretty bad, too? It's good enough for a newspaper you say "we can't take ... seriously most of the time" to level innuendo. Done deal--Merkley's a bastard. Are you ready to hold everyone to that standard?
(Parenthetically, I want to emphasize that I carefully avoided reactionary slamming of WW. Indictment by anecdote is always a loser. This is one crappy article, and the WW has only to be held account for that--not their entire raison d'etre.)
12:31 p.m.
Sep 14, '07
Jeff, Are you really, really telling me that its OK for someone to go without hot water for two months? I can't believe that at all and (liberal douchebagging aside) its not OK. I'll say again, just because we may criticize one thing a candidate does, doesn't mean we don't vote for him.
Merkley is still a good Democrat, he's not a good landlord. We all want a good landlord or we get screwed out of hot water and all basic repairs. I doubt you would let your family go without a proper furnace, regardless of the season. She was waiting for her water heater to be fixed - to me, a reasonable person can assume that she had sketchy water at best, no hot water at worst.
Please, take my words in context. I NEVER said Merkley was a bastard. I love calling our people liberal douchebags regularly, but I don't like that personal business and you should know that by now. I am indeed ready to hold ALL PEOPLE to a standard of decency. As a Democrat, I should. Dale and I had a water heater problem in our tenant's apartment and guess what? He and his houseguest took shower's in our house until the problem was fixed.
Willamette Week is a paper with a mix of news, hipster pontificating, and reviews. They got your boy this time, big deal. Wouldn't it be better to support Merkley by acknowledging, "Ya, this wasn't cool, but he's a good guy and I hope he takes care of his tenants." Let's not be knee-jerk just because its something we douchebags don't like to hear, myself included.
12:34 p.m.
Sep 14, '07
Jeff - I like your articles, I do. But I'm 100% with Karol on this one. As a renter in Oregon with 30 day no-cause evictions, I am at the mercy of my landlord - thankfully I happen to have a great one. He communicates with us, he fixes things immediately, the grounds are well-maintained, etc.
But, what more does Denitra have to say about the water heater? She says its broken and its been a problem for a few months. Do you have proof that she's not telling the truth? Is Merkley claiming that she's not telling the truth? Has he said that it's not broken or that she didn't tell the management about it? Sadly, Merkley wouldn't be the first good hearted but sloppy landlord in the world. Maybe it's time for you guys to accept that.
If this article were about Smith, we'd all be pissed off.
12:48 p.m.
Sep 14, '07
She says its broken and its been a problem for a few months. Do you have proof that she's not telling the truth?
It's not incumbent on the reader to disprove an article--we don't have the data. It's incumbent on the writer of an article to prove his point, especially when it targets an individual. I'm not even saying the renter is lying--I'm saying that needing to fix a water heater doesn't mean she taking cold showers. We need to fix our own water heater, but it still mostly works. You see, that's the problem with this article--it doesn't actually provide info, it relies on innuendo. If you're going to accuse someone of something, you need to do more than imply.
If this article were about Smith, we'd all be pissed off.
I don't know that you're right, but I hope so.
1:38 p.m.
Sep 14, '07
I don't know what to say, agree to disagree? You are right, neither of us has to prove the WW article is true. But, I stand my all my statements. Together we can be our neighbors' keepers - if we get out of our glass houses.
2:00 p.m.
Sep 14, '07
Jeff- I guess my point is that it sounds like you OWN your home/water heater and as the owner and occupier of the home, you can choose to live in any conditions that you want to. Take a lukewarm/cold shower, let your lawn die, leave drywall unpatched, I don't care.
If you're the owner/landlord, you have a responsibility to your tenant to maintain basic services. Once a tenant has complained, the landlord doesn't get to decide whether to fix it or weigh the monetary cost to themselves against the inconvenience to their tenant. What if there was a baby or small child in the home?
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