Might I suggest an open letter to Lars Larson or comments on the love lives of high profile legislative staffers? That'll spice it up.

Communicating about investigations is going to be seen as political attack, spin and so forth no matter whose investigation is reported. I think, even as that should be public domain information, they should keep the same line as OMB - doctors under investigation are not reported - that is ALLEGATION and is not to be flaked on an official site. Once a decision is reached, it enters the public domain.

Due process. I think it's a mistake to politicize an ELECTION site or blog. It will turn into shit-flinging and pissing matches.

And be of little use to anyone but so-called "political junkies".

Flaked = Flacked.

Not even sure that is the right word..... heh.

Perhaps a special domain for investigations information to be housed would be good, though. But only if formal documents were posted for view, NO opinion writing.

I mean, just how many of you would agree with ANYTHING the Queen of ClackCounty Elections would have to say? Like that...

The self-stated purpose of the SOS blog is to 'educate, explain, and collaborate' - not entertain election wonks or be a companion blog to BO.

rw has it right - commentary on partisan or possibly politically-motivated 'election complaints' and investigations would be inappropriate.

geez Kari... you might want to think about seeking some help on this Sid Leiken fixation. People are starting to have these visions of a stalker holed up in a room plastered with Sid Leiken for Congress posters and blown-up printouts of Leiken-related Register-Guard articles and all of his available official document filings.

Trossie, play nice. If you have a point to make, use your thinking words and not your fangs. You may have an interesting point, but it's of no use if you choose to throw a sharp rock instead!

Not-So-Nice Nanny Bex

Well, Kari, he's wrong to be nasty to you about it - but we DO keep these alive by writing about them. Our complaint often is that the "establishment" purposely "lets things die" that we think shoudl stay in the light of day till finished. Think of Madoff: what if anyone had picked up on the story. WOuld we not be accusative if someone then smothered it or simply let it die of attrition to serve a purpose?

Likewise, you maintain the breath of life in the story until it is complete - so that it does not simply slip away and folks practice the famous mainstream lack of attention span. Attention span and depth of research are what we all crave!

That's what I said. Do not publish investigations, Carla. Publish actual, bonafide outcomes. Big difference between the two. Professionalism, documentation standards...

And clamp hard against any editorializing. If OR ever goes Red, you would be glad of such.

I am ALL for greater transparency and lower thresholds to public records. But I'm also absolutely against lack of standards to control for bias of any kind as possible.

Content aside, the IT standards in Oregon gov are abysmal. You spend as much as any other state and get whatever the programmer decides to dump on you. Try a simple comparison test. Pick a standard state gov function, like the SOS' business registry. Look at Oregon's page and use it. Pick a "backward" state. Use theirs. Which was better designed/easier to use?

Those who have worked directly with the powers that be in the state IT hierarchy can tell you first hand that those directors are more incompetent than their peers in other states, highly contemptuous of the law and OARs, waste money in a way that no one else does in Oregon gov, and deliver software, day on day, that either doesn't work or doesn't follow simple industry standards, like Windows CUA.

This is potentially the best cost saving move that Oregon can make! Get control of your blank cheque IT! If you think that is too progressive, check out the European Greens. They have put open source software, open contracts, and code transparency, right up there with environmental issues in their current platform.

Hm.. I agree with you. Thats not a bad idea to poste in the www. but they should be gain a good reputation to be successfull. And im so sry about that, but if they use a free host like wordpress its really confusing to check out their news or something else e.g. sub-categories. The should be instruct a webdesigner or a web design company.

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