Portland Police Association Crosses The Line

“The Portland Police Association has "no confidence" in the City Council." Really? How about the employees of the Portland Parks department or the Housing bureau? Or any city employees of any bureau? Since when does any group of city employees have the arrogance to publicly declare they don't have confidence in their employers? If you feel that way then keep it to yourself, file an official complaint or look for the exit door.

So the question arises: Who's in charge here?

It is irrelevant whether or not any employee of our city government has "no confidence" in our city's elected leaders. They are employees. They work for our elected leaders and our city commissioners and mayor work for us. So, in effect, the Portland Police Association is saying, “we have no confidence in the voters of Portland.” That is a step way too far.

So unless the Portland Police Association wants to press their luck and challenge the Portland city council to disband the entire department and then rehire only those who understand who pays their salaries, the PPA needs to reassess who they are and who they serve.

Richard Ellmyer

North Portland

Author of more stories on the politics, players and policies of Public Housing in Oregon over the last nineteen years than all other journalists and elected officials combined.

Author of The Ellmyer Report, a newsletter that informs, educates and influences on public policy. Occasionally distributed to more than a quarter of million readers in Oregon and beyond. Facebook, Portland Politics Plus . Opinion contributor to Patch.com news.