I was a guest yesterday at the debate between Commissioner Bobby Green and his challenger Rob Handy. I don't know much about either of them, but it was obvious that Mr. Handy wasn't comfortable answering the questions. One of them, a question about which county services were most important, and which he would curtail or eliminate to fund the most important services, he simply refused to discuss it. (Green said critical public safety functions were the highest budget priority and he would follow the county strategic plan in deciding which cuts to make. There was nothing evasive or confusing about that.)

Several times during the debate my host shook his head and said, "He's wrong", or "That's just not true", so I asked him to explain on the way back to the car after lunch. He said that Mr. Handy wasn't even close on the numbers or the other facts central to running Lane County government. For example, Mr. Handy was asked to explain the "structural deficit", a term which describes one of three core problems the county has to address to recover from it's current crisis. Handy had no idea what it was, so he said it was "$3 million dollars" and then prattled on about what it's like to own a business. But "structural deficit" is a condition which produces an annual shortfall, not a specific dollar amount that remains constant from year to year. It refers to a split between the rate of growth in costs (between 6% and 7% and the increase in net revenue (at or below 3%). On a $425 million dollar adopted budget, the associated dollar amount would be closer to $14 million, not $3 million, and that doesn't account for the loss of the secure rural schools money.

Handy also completely misunderstands the principles and the math underlying the property tax incentives that are offered to large employers like Sony and Hynix when they agree to move move to our area and build large manufacturing facilities. He touted the "cost per job" of tax breaks for companies like "Glory Bee" while criticizing the cost of larger breaks provided to the larger companies which bring thousands of jobs with average salaries several times higher than those provided by Glory Bee, a small local company that produces food, candles and gifts. He completely missed the point that Hynix converted rural land that was producing almost no tax revenue (in deferral) into commercial property that was producing hundreds of thousands in property taxes. He sees it as "giving money away" rather than competing for an employer that will provide hundreds or thousands of high-paying jobs and millions of dollars in property tax revenue. Mr. Handy simply understood none of it.

The scary thing is that I didn't know it either, so I didn't know how confused and lost Handy was until my host, a CPA, pointed it out and I had a chance to come back and compare the numbers on the county website.

Even I could tell that Mr. Handy wasn't particularly sophisticated or comfortable discussing numbers and financial principles -- he's a high school graduate who works as a landscaper -- but I didn't know how ignorant he was about county challenges and government finance until somebody else pointed me back to the real information. That's scary, because the commissioners have to make hundreds of decisions that effect the management of our money and critical services.

Handy probably gets away with being completely clueless about this stuff about 95% of the time. Unfortunately, he only needs 51% of the voters to buy his line to win. I found that very, very scary indeed.

To be fair: Someone running for Office is running on his/her basic beliefs/common sense. They have a life doing whatever it is they do, and they are taking time out from that life to immerse themselves in running for Office. It is unrealistic to expect them to know/understand the arcane details involved in doing that Offices' duties. What you have to do is compare Handys' stated basic Point of View, with Greens' proven Point of View. Of course, just because you might like 'where Handy is coming from', that doesn't mean he will be able to change anything, but you could trust him to try.

Well it looks like Handy knows how to push himself away from the dinner table. Green.................?

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I belong to PETA...People Eating Tasty Animals

I have no idea what Handy can do or will do. Has he ever done anything?

I understand he's in his fifties and he's a high school graduate who mows lawns for a living. That's hardly an awe-inspiring resume for a guy who aspires to manage a system in crisis and a complex budget in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Handy sure seems to scare the heck out of the Sheriff and the DA. they're in the "anybody but Handy" camp. Who can blame them? Handy thinks more money needs to be taken from the law enforcement system, already in crisis and the worst-staffed in the country, and given to "public health". This guy wouldn't have a prayer anywhere but Eugene.

I could not agree more with what you have to say here Hope about Mr. Rob Handy.

You folks should also notice that Mr. Rob Handy & Mayor Kitty Piercy conspired together with others to illegally influence the Lane County Elections officials to keep Nadia Sindi off of the Primary and this coming November's election ballot for Lane County Comissioner.

Mr. Rob Handy has also been using fear intimidation tactics to keep Nadia Sindi's supporters from openly supporting her.

Mr. Rob Handy adds peoples names without consent or knowledge to his list of supporters on his website.

Mr. Rob Handy steals, distroys, and replaces election signs of his opponents with his own election signs.

Mr. Rob Handy lists some of his supporters several times within the same list to boost his numbers of his so called supporters.

Mr. Rob Handy places his election signs on private property throughout Lane County without knowledge or consent of the property owner.

Mr. Rob Handy has election signs of his opponents moved to illegal posting areas to make himself look better in the eyes of the public.

Mr. Rob Handy has been hard at work to insure that anyone that is not white and affluent is kept out of political debates as well. Isn't interesting that both Steve Sherbina, a long time manager at EWEB, and Nadia Sindi, a long time community servant, were left off the Primary election ballot?

And that Nadia Sindi who desired to stay in the race has been convieniently left off the election ballot for Lane County Comissioner this November?

I disagree with where Bobby Green stands on the issues facing Lane County, but at least he understands the job. He's had 12 years to fix what's still broken in Lane County.

I say let's elect Nadia Sindi for Lane County Comssioner. She's been involved in the community for over 20 years on different committees and such with nothing but sound judgement and integrity. She isn't using any of the dirty politics that Rob Handy is using and not using Lane County's website to promote their run for elected office like Bobby Green is doing. She is running her entire campaign out of her own pocket and free resources.

I'd say that's effective and good management, wouldn't you?

In conclusion, you can check with the State of Oregon and ask about the election fraud investigation that is currently in the works concerning Kitty Piercy, Rob handy, and the Lane County Elections Office if you think these things I said are not true and you want to believe the fancy graphics on Rob Handy's website instead.

Nadia Sindi's website is at: www.nadiasindi.110mb.com.

Lightheart...

Some pretty bold statements about a candidate and others.  Hopefully, you can provide specific incidents and examples.

But as to the statement "Nadia Sindi who desired to stay in the race has been convieniently left off the election ballot for Lane County Comissioner this November", you my not know the electoral process (but even I don't know if it is a statewide law or rule, or whatver it is called - but it's been talked about at every election by the media). If a candidate received over 50% of the vote, they do NOT have a run-off in November, and a winner is declared after the primary.  But if no cadidate received over 50%, as what happened in this election, the top two vote getters have a run-off in November.  That is why there are only two candidates on the ballot in November.

I don't have a dog in this hunt as I don't live in the district being contested.  But I also want to see fairness and proof of such statements.  I seems that this year, there is  lot of mudslinging and accusations that are partial-truths taken out of context.  On all sides.  It's getting to where I'm about to stop watching TV until after this madness.

Go Beavs!!!!   :-)

I'll tell you what's scary: http://www.bobbywatch.com This is a website that shows what Bobby Green is really like. There are even videos that show Green in action. The worst thing about Green is that he serves the big business donors that bankroll these campaigns...on the bobbywatch site they show something like 80% of Green's money coming from special interest. At least Handy is getting his money from us "regular people".

I've known Rob Handy for years and its quite unfair to characterize him as unsophisticated and just a lawn mower. He is a landscaper for many beautiful homes on college hill and the South Hills... not a lawn care company by anyones' standards. I have hired his staff for various projects and have been impressed with their knowledge and expertise. I don't know if Mr. Handy is a college graduate but I do know that he will not make the same mistakes Commissioner Green has made over the last 13 years. I am very upset with the budgeting choices Commissioner Green has made as well as his support of a tax levy that the community voted down. Please, research your notions prior to posting. More harm is done by ignorance than informed analysis.

These are horrible are unfounded accusations. Get your facts straight! Nadia did not submit her information timely to get in the voters pamphlet period. As a candidate you are responsible to get your paperwork completed timely - it's the way it works.

ALinkerler & all,

I think you are not aware that, I'd filed and paid my fees on Thursday March 6-08!

Please check the election office website, before you deny any statement by Lightheart!

I think, you are the one who's confused and need to have your facts straight!?!

quester:

I'll tell you what's scary: http://www.bobbywatch.com

This is a website that shows what Bobby Green is really like. There are even videos that show Green in action.
...

Oh my goodness, LOL. That's the funniest thing I've seen in a long while. That's a political site fashioned in the model of the site buit to bash Anna Morrison. It couldn't have less to do with the truth. It's like those silly ads taking Jeff Merkley's statements out of context and then grossly misrepresenting them. Talk about dirty politics.

I prefer to judge a politician on more fact-based things, like voting record over time. In the absence of such a record I look to other real world experience that would prepare the candidate for the job she/he seeks. In the absence of that, I look to education that would be expected to prepare the candidate for the job. In the absence of that I'm left trying to judge the person's fluency in terms of the challenges of the office.

I'm sorry, but whether Mr. Handy is a "lawn mower" or a really creative plant arranger, he's got ZERO experience doing anything even remotely relevant to the job he seeks. Education? He has none. None! Sorry, but that's scary when you consider the challenges he'd be expected to process. Still, I waited to see if he had somehow educated himself through his interest in politics. He hasn't. He has nothing like my level of understanding, and I consider myself a newcomer with a comparatively superficial understanding of county finance, the Secure Rural Schools Act, bonding and construction practices, employment law, Oregon pension practices and the hundreds of other complex subjects that county commissioners must work with every day. Mr. Handy has nothing -- no background, no education, no fluency in the subject matter. He may be a very nice man, but he's obviously not a rocket scientist, because he's either not taken the time to learn any of the material relevant to the job he seeks, or he's been unable to understand it. In either case, he's not ready for the job he seeks. Not even close. The fact that he got a lot of votes in the primary is evidence that many of the local citizens vote without being informed. That's scary too.

Lightheart:

I could not agree more with what you have to say here Hope about Mr. Rob Handy. You folks should also notice that Mr. Rob Handy & Mayor Kitty Piercy conspired together with others to illegally influence the Lane County Elections officials to keep Nadia Sindi off of the Primary and this coming November's election ballot for Lane County Comissioner. Mr. Rob Handy has also been using fear intimidation tactics to keep Nadia Sindi's supporters from openly supporting her. Mr. Rob Handy adds peoples names without consent or knowledge to his list of supporters on his website. Mr. Rob Handy steals, distroys, and replaces election signs of his opponents with his own election signs. Mr. Rob Handy lists some of his supporters several times within the same list to boost his numbers of his so called supporters. Mr. Rob Handy places his election signs on private property throughout Lane County without knowledge or consent of the property owner. Mr. Rob Handy has election signs of his opponents moved to illegal posting areas to make himself look better in the eyes of the public. Mr. Rob Handy has been hard at work to insure that anyone that is not white and affluent is kept out of political debates as well. Isn't interesting that both Steve Sherbina, a long time manager at EWEB, and Nadia Sindi, a long time community servant, were left off the Primary election ballot? And that Nadia Sindi who desired to stay in the race has been convieniently left off the election ballot for Lane County Comissioner this November? I disagree with where Bobby Green stands on the issues facing Lane County, but at least he understands the job. He's had 12 years to fix what's still broken in Lane County. I say let's elect Nadia Sindi for Lane County Comssioner. She's been involved in the community for over 20 years on different committees and such with nothing but sound judgement and integrity. She isn't using any of the dirty politics that Rob Handy is using and not using Lane County's website to promote their run for elected office like Bobby Green is doing. She is running her entire campaign out of her own pocket and free resources. I'd say that's effective and good management, wouldn't you? In conclusion, you can check with the State of Oregon and ask about the election fraud investigation that is currently in the works concerning Kitty Piercy, Rob handy, and the Lane County Elections Office if you think these things I said are not true and you want to believe the fancy graphics on Rob Handy's website instead. Nadia Sindi's website is at: www.nadiasindi.110mb.com.

Don't you know that Rob Handy is the Anti-Christ, and thus has complete control over all of Satan's slaves?   How else do you think that he is capable of doing all of these vile things that you claim here in your post??  He is clearly coordinating the minions of Hell that live here in Lane County to do his sinister and evil bidding.

However, compared to the inept and incompetent Bobby Green, even the Anti-Christ will be a most welcomed change as our new County Commissioner.

Hail Lord Satan!!!




P.S.  -- Please accept my apologies for mocking your post, but it certainly does deserve to be ridiculed in a most extreme way.

.

Apparently this site gets "Troll" activity too :)

He won didn't he?? in spite of the inbred trolls

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I belong to PETA...People Eating Tasty Animals

rgl1345:

He won didn't he?? in spite of the inbred trolls

I think you meant, "...BECAUSE of the inbred trolls." :)

We have a new State Treasurer too. The guy who won was recommended by nobody. He was a Republican, then changed to Independent, then changed to Democrat, all in less than five years. He was repeatedly in the news for sexually harassing women in his former office, and he has a recent DUII-cocaine-possession case. Even the Oregonian said it wasn't a close-call, because his opponent was qualified, competent and trustworthy. The wishy-washy-criminal crackpot won anyway, by a landslide, because the other guy labeled himself "Republican". Why would anybody care about party affiliation for the Treasurer? Oh, well. Our voters are insane, obviously.