Ticket to Slide

[January 23rd, 2008]

Last June, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 10, a well-intentioned reaction to previous ethical scandals (see “Ethics Bomb,” WW , Dec. 19, 2007).

Two sections of the bill—a total ban on the “entertainment” of public officials and a lowering of the limit on allowed gifts from $100 to $50 — aimed to reduce special interests’ influence.

In some instances, the new law is changing public officials’ behavior. Last week, for example, Portland Public Schools Superintendent Carole Smith looked on during a lunch at the Portland Schools Foundation, while others, such as teachers’ union president Jeff Miller munched away.

“It seemed kind of silly,” Miller says. “But she said…she couldn’t accept the meal.” (The new law counts meals as gifts and bars public employees from accepting more than $50 from any entity. Smith won’t eat meals others pay for until PPS clarifies its understanding of the law.).

But SB 10 leaks more than ex-Trail Blazer Zach Randolph’s defense when it comes to draining big money’s influence from politics. Why mention Randolph? Because his New York Knicks are playing the Blazers on Feb. 1. Here’s how some of City Commissioner Randy Leonard’s friends—or those who’d like to be—are using the game .