My my how time flies- that's what yoy get for appointing right wing Republicans...

"November 24, 2003

Governor Kulongoski Announces Intent to Appoint John Minnis as Director of Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (SALEM, OR) - Governor Ted Kulongoski today formally announced his intent to appoint Senator John Minnis as Director of the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) on January 2, 2004, with the appointment to take effect the same day.

“Senator Minnis is an extremely capable person and I know that his vast experience in law enforcement has prepared him to take on this important position,” said the Governor. “He has served Oregon faithfully as a legislator and I’m looking forward to working with him as director of the DPSST.' "

Not a chance, but I'd like to see both investigated for chronically lowering the caliber of Oregon politics.

Second hope would be that someone has gotten caught for their illegal use of contractors.

No, it'll likely be that on his Honduran fishing vacation he brought back an illegal bony fish, in violation of the Lacy Act.

Will Ben Westlund get the last laugh?

I bet it involves certifications- just a pure guess based soley on scant reading of tea leaves...

I'm going to guess it has something to do with a family member and a favor. Remember the whole pizza chain/rape incident several years ago?

Boy, Teddy's appointments to those $100K+/yr jobs just keep getting better.

Previously they were just unqualified, now they're crooks also.

4 to 1 Bad cop, no donut! (100% guess, of course)

Don't smear all appointments: Shetterly and Williams seem to have worked out pretty well.

As opposed to the Ted K. appointments who never got confirmed (as well they shouldn't have been).

"Don't smear all appointments"

You're right, after all Teddy was one of Neil G's appointments.

One day you'll realize, regardless of party-lines, politics in this state pretty much is a stinky pop stand from city-level on up.

Steve,

Isn't that true of most states? I don't know any that don't have quite a bit of corruption, hidden or otherwise.

http://wweek.com/editorial/3201/6925/

"Isn't that true of most states?"

OK< our new slogan should be - At Least We're Not New Jersey.

Foolish me, I thought the idea of govt was to make life better

Maybe he altered the test scores when Bob Skipper was trying to get re-certified. )

Ahem. New Jersey also has no self serve gasoline pumps. I hope there aren't too many other parallels.

Rumor is that it is much worse than rent-a-cops. Not a huge surprise to many familiar with the very cocky Minnis. Westlund has his skeletons he'd rather not have investigated and given his health issues, likely won't be. The problem is the appointment good 'old boy (and gal) legislators who have distinguished themselves most by their avarice and bullying, and it's a long list, not confined to Ted the K.

Westlund has his skeletons he'd rather not have investigated and given his health issues, likely won't be.

Meanwhile Medical Marijuana users with cancer puke their guts out in a jail cell for growing a plant in their bedroom.

Bring it "know one goes to jail for that" apologists. I had no problem find plenty, just as I described, when it came to distributing cranberries and turkey.

Whatever Minnis gets charged with it won't be equal to what he and his toxic SO have done to the State.

Anita Berber - Meanwhile Medical Marijuana users with cancer puke their guts out in a jail cell for growing a plant in their bedroom.

Kurt Chapman - Pleae Anita, give us the particulars of ONE single cancer patient who is also a MM card holder here in Oregon currently in jail for growing 6 or fewer plants in their home or apartment. I'd be interested in that as would others.

Anita, I can actually tell you much much more about people who are currently abusing the Medical Marijuana program. And I'm all for it, from my perspective in AIDS and HIV work. However, I've met more people who abused it than I managed to meet who belonged on it bonafide!

This is not to say I support Chapman, I've not much use for this guy. But perhaps you need to wax anecdotal on this one, for the sake of discussion.

Plenty of time for that. I want to see what Minnis did first. Maybe he had less than 6 plants in his closet. And Kurt, there's a difference between a jail in Oregon and an Oregon jail. The Feds are positively spiteful about prosecution.

I was disappointed that no one wanted to ask any of the last round's AG candidates about their position on Fed v Oregon State law. Don't know how we can seriously talk about progressive politics if you can't even ask a central question like that. Maybe it'll become thread relevant. Maybe Minnis was taking orders from Feds, out of channels. Like that would be investigated and prosecuted.

Not to go down the rabbit hole, but for a personal sized grow, assuming that the person didn't qualify for the medical marijuana program, the presumptive sentence is probation unless you've got two violent felony convictions. Then, the presumed sentence (with three violent felony convictions) is 10-11 months.

I suppose I could manage to drum up a modicum of sympathy for repeat violent felon cancer patients with some effort, but it would have to be a lot of effort.

The real travesty is the fact that there are a number of people with prior commercial dealing convictions (non-marijuana convictions) who are licensed growers. This is a system ripe for abuse.

HOWEVER, getting back to the main point, it must be something pretty awful if the guv isn't even going to let him ride out the 5 weeks until the end of the year. I'm guessing that it's not just neglecting to pay payroll taxes for his housekeeper.

Let's hope it has something to do with Humphreys.

Really anita?lease name ONE federal penitemtiary in Oregon that is housing someone only on an Oregon MM card conviction.

mlw, that is simply not true. You're assuming that one cooperates and accepts monitoring. If you say, "this isn't a crime; I'm standing firm", you go to jail.

It's just like the Catholic Church making it all about whether Galileo recanted or not. The justice system cares about two things; getting you on custodial supervision and getting a statement denying that your behavior had any merit. BTW, which statement often requires keeping dark where you are and what you did, so people like Kurt can proudly huff, "that doesn't happen. yer makin' it up"! They aren't going to say otherwise, on here, are they? Talk about "not being a part of the solution being part of the problem"...

So, you're probably right. People that don't do that deserve to rot in jail. "Only if you believe in your heart and profess on your lips that the State is Lord, can you be saved"! Just like breaking a horse. Corral the ones that are "too wild" and send 'em off to the glue factory.

The whole logic is specious. "6 plants"? I love the way proponents use common language like that's what they are referring to. We're talking Feds here. A seed is a "plant", weighing 2.2 pounds. There is a Federal death penalty for more than 100,000 plants. I know a guy with that many seeds in his freezer, no plants growing. He's a "seed bank" freak. Has hundreds of kinds of heirloom squash seeds up there as well. You telling me he'd get probation? And from Afghanistan to corrupt politicos, you can't show me one toxic element in US politics that doesn't either owe its origin to, or hasn't been greatly exacerbated by the War on Drugs. Maybe it is relevant on topics like "let's raise taxes again". No matter which side you come down on, it's obvious that those wanting to constantly raise taxes are as unwilling to consider major changes to how we use them, as trolls are unwilling to consider that taxes are good for society. Bigots yelling at each other. And that IS relevant. That is why people like the Minnis' are successful at politics.

Who smacked your balls, Kurt? I've never understood how calling people liars advances the conversation. I can understand if you're used to talking with gen X types. That the problem? Then don't. Not everybody uses the algorithm "discomfort perceived, lie". Most born before then don't.

I don't know particulars, but I know that there is a legal firm at [email protected], associated with American Alliance For Medical Cannabis, based in Sheridan Oregon (not a coincidence) that for $100 will file a motion to dismiss, in cases where MM cardholders are being held in Fed pens, and weren't arrested in DC or Puerto Rico. But maybe those lawyers are simply wasting their time in the mistaken belief that Sheridan Oregon's Fed facility is full of MM users. Yeah, likely.

I am sooo glad that this is the progressives' water cooler! Sanity check. If you can imagine Glenn Beck reading your post, but not Bill Moyers, you ain't progressive!

Peri, who in the hell licked the red off of your lollipop? I called nobody here a liar. Someone made an outlandish claim and I asked for ONE bit of empirical data supporting said outlandish claim. they then changed the claim so I asked for the name of ONE federal penitentiary holding one person in Oregon solely for a MM Card related crime.

Until/unless some data can be brought forth the claim(s) remain outlandish as does your hyperbole.

Have a nice Sunday.

First of all, everyone has the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty.

Second, a friend's phrase "hubris is followed by nemesis" comes to mind.

As it did when I read Alex. Does Alex have documentation that a sitting statewide elected official has done something wrong since being sworn in?

If not, it is at best rumor mongering and at worst slanderous to make such a statement.

And before someone starts casting stones at another person, remember that "thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor" is a Commandment just like the more famous ones. Anyone making a charge against a public figure which they can't back up is bearing false witness.

And before someone starts casting stones at another person, remember that "thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor" is a Commandment just like the more famous ones

(This joke requires considering the Catholic doctrine that Mary was conceived without sin.)

And Jesus said to them, "Let the one among you that is without sin cast the first stone". And a little old Jewish lady came out of the crowd, picked up a humongous boulder, and dropped it on the man. Jesus turned to her and said, "Mother, some times you really piss me off"!

Bump.

So, what's new on Minnis?

I'm not seeing anything.

Posted by: Wheatpup | Dec 7, 2009 11:10:00 AM

Bump.

So, what's new on Minnis?

I'm not seeing anything.

These stories are run way before the investigation could ever be completed because there won't be a story when they are! A good 25% of the content here is nothing more than the equivalent of a clique of ratty 6th graders, wagging their fingers and laughing at a different clique.

On the other hand, one can't get any more disgusted by this than the person that starts picking through dog shit and gets nauseated by the smell. No matter what you discover, you're still poking around in dog shit and you shouldn't have expected different!

Heard this on the car radio as I was leaving work, and it is now on the front page of the SJ site.

<h2>http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20091208/UPDATE/91208017/Chief-Minnis-conduct-with-employee-focus-of-investigation</h2>