$3,150: That’s how much taxpayers paid for the design and printing of brochures whose only apparent purpose is to trumpet the alleged accomplishments of former Mayor Charlie Hales.
Hales, as noted in an earlier editorial, had handed out the brochures and posted it on his personal charliehales.com website before he left on an extended sailing trip. Under the title “We all live here together,” the brochure, designed by Portland firm Murmur Creative, made a number of boasts with varying degrees of accuracy. For example, the brochure claims that during Hales’ term, $800 million was diverted from urban renewal programs to fund public safety, parks and other services. Nope. Hales’ urban renewal changes didn’t “divert” $800 million to other services. Rather, that’s the property value that was returned to tax rolls. Or consider the claim that repaving went from 35 miles a year to more than 100. Nope again. Most of those 100 miles aren’t being repaved – they’re being maintained through less durable fog and crack sealing.
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So far, no one is looking to have Hales repay the $3,150. It appears to have been authorized by his then deputy chief of staff, Diana Nunez, and was classified as a constituent communications expense. While it’s small consolation, at least Portlanders can breathe a sigh of relief that they are his constituents no longer.
– The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board
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