Reinhard is a Greedy Bastard
We all knew that Reinhard was a greedy, selfish Republican. The extent to which his greed could overtake his sense of common decency, however, was not seen until Sunday's article.
He completely ignores the purpose of the Portland City campaign finance law. He does not mention the new ability of people to run for office regardless of their financial prospects. He only proposes wasting city money because, well, he can.
Simply because there is a loophole in the system that would allow someone to take advantage of it is not reason enough to take advantage of it. Reinhard does not propose running for city council in order to try and win, but only to be a drain on the city's finances.
Way to go, fiscal conservative.
Ignorance
Reinhard ignores some basic facts about the campaign finance program:
1- The law is meant to help people of limited financial means to run, not rich and greedy bastards like Reinhard.
2- The law provides money for advertising, posters, commercials, and the like, the costs of which are too high for the poorer candidates to supply. Reinhard proposes using all of this money on doughnuts; presumably, he is not fat enough.
3- While mentioning the requirement for access to city funds (1000 people donating 5 bucks to your campaign) he does not propose doing this in his own campaign. Presumably, he understands that after his editorial this Sunday, nobody would give him money so that he could waste taxpayer funds.
By ignoring this last point, he tries to overlook the flaw in his argument: the law is constructed so that jackasses like Reinhard can't jump on the ballot just to waste money.
Faulty Thesis
Reinhard suprisingly used a thesis statement at the beginning of his article. Bravo, dittohead; the next step is to make a thesis and defend it.
The thesis is that in a left-leaning city, a right-wing zealot can use city money to run for office, even though he has no chance of winning.
He uses this thesis as proof of the program's futility, but does not address the main purpose of the program: to allow everyone to run, and put their ideas into the mainstream, regardless of clout or finances.
Isn't it a good thing that people who would otherwise not be listened to can get a forum for their ideas with this law? Any reasonable person would see this is an advantage of the program, but Reinhard uses it as the centerpiece reason why the program is flawed, without actually defending it.
Instead, he makes an assertion, and moves on to his poor attempt at satire.
Now, on to the quotes:
Moment of Candid Hypocrisy
"Suffice it to say, this is not an easy pot of free dough to pass up."
Just like a Republican. Milk the government for funds whenever you can, and then bitch and moan about having to pay taxes.
Unforgiveable Writing Flaw
"That's particularly the case for someone who thinks this money should go, instead, to vital -- and we're constantly told 'under-funded' -- government services. Or someone who believes, with Thomas Jefferson, that 'to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinion which he disbelieves is sinful and tyrannical.'"
This sentence pair leads one to believe that the money should instead go to Thomas Jefferson. Still having trouble with that subject-object pairing, Reinhard?
Surprising Moment of Truth
"My fellow Portlanders, I am that man, and it would be sinful and tyrannical to compel our city's lefties to fund the propagation of my right-wingery."
I completely agree. It is sinful and tyrranical that in order to get the city';s only daily newspaper, I have to fund the propagation of his right-wingery.
Fire this hack, editors of the Oregonian. Find a conservative with some actual writing skills to replace him.
He completely ignores the purpose of the Portland City campaign finance law. He does not mention the new ability of people to run for office regardless of their financial prospects. He only proposes wasting city money because, well, he can.
Simply because there is a loophole in the system that would allow someone to take advantage of it is not reason enough to take advantage of it. Reinhard does not propose running for city council in order to try and win, but only to be a drain on the city's finances.
Way to go, fiscal conservative.
Ignorance
Reinhard ignores some basic facts about the campaign finance program:
1- The law is meant to help people of limited financial means to run, not rich and greedy bastards like Reinhard.
2- The law provides money for advertising, posters, commercials, and the like, the costs of which are too high for the poorer candidates to supply. Reinhard proposes using all of this money on doughnuts; presumably, he is not fat enough.
3- While mentioning the requirement for access to city funds (1000 people donating 5 bucks to your campaign) he does not propose doing this in his own campaign. Presumably, he understands that after his editorial this Sunday, nobody would give him money so that he could waste taxpayer funds.
By ignoring this last point, he tries to overlook the flaw in his argument: the law is constructed so that jackasses like Reinhard can't jump on the ballot just to waste money.
Faulty Thesis
Reinhard suprisingly used a thesis statement at the beginning of his article. Bravo, dittohead; the next step is to make a thesis and defend it.
The thesis is that in a left-leaning city, a right-wing zealot can use city money to run for office, even though he has no chance of winning.
He uses this thesis as proof of the program's futility, but does not address the main purpose of the program: to allow everyone to run, and put their ideas into the mainstream, regardless of clout or finances.
Isn't it a good thing that people who would otherwise not be listened to can get a forum for their ideas with this law? Any reasonable person would see this is an advantage of the program, but Reinhard uses it as the centerpiece reason why the program is flawed, without actually defending it.
Instead, he makes an assertion, and moves on to his poor attempt at satire.
Now, on to the quotes:
Moment of Candid Hypocrisy
"Suffice it to say, this is not an easy pot of free dough to pass up."
Just like a Republican. Milk the government for funds whenever you can, and then bitch and moan about having to pay taxes.
Unforgiveable Writing Flaw
"That's particularly the case for someone who thinks this money should go, instead, to vital -- and we're constantly told 'under-funded' -- government services. Or someone who believes, with Thomas Jefferson, that 'to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinion which he disbelieves is sinful and tyrannical.'"
This sentence pair leads one to believe that the money should instead go to Thomas Jefferson. Still having trouble with that subject-object pairing, Reinhard?
Surprising Moment of Truth
"My fellow Portlanders, I am that man, and it would be sinful and tyrannical to compel our city's lefties to fund the propagation of my right-wingery."
I completely agree. It is sinful and tyrranical that in order to get the city';s only daily newspaper, I have to fund the propagation of his right-wingery.
Fire this hack, editors of the Oregonian. Find a conservative with some actual writing skills to replace him.
posted by platon at 1:58 PM
4 Comments:
If Reinhard's against it, it must be a good idea.
That a**hole couldn't find 100 people to give him $5.
Personally, I find it more offensive that Blowhard essentially just up and stole this routine from a fellow colimnist, namely Phil Stanford over at the Portland Tribune.
1- The law is meant to help people of limited financial means to run, not rich and greedy bastards like Reinhard.
One problem is, it won't really do this. Try getting 1,000 $5 checks -- checks that clear -- from Portland's poorer neighborhoods. It probably can't be done.
How are the po' of NoPo supposed to get over to Gabriel Park to get their requisite grassroots money? MAX and streetcar, I guess.
So far, who's coming out of the woodwork to take advantage of clean money? Which downtrodden minorities? Amanda Fritz and Ginny Burdick? Pardon me while I wipe the coffee off my computer screen.
Reinhard is bad, but clean money is goofy. And its days are numbered.
Greedy Republican
Reallly reallly reallllllly
liberal republican
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