Lee Perlman, a prolific reporter for the Hollywood Star News and other local publications, tangled with volunteers who were gathering signatures for the campaign to recall Mayor Sam Adams on Thursday, according to two volunteers.
Around 11 am, volunteer Gaye Harris says a man approached her in the parking lot of Albina Community Bank on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and acted as if he wanted to sign the petition.
Instead, he scribbled across the recall petition (see below). Was he trying to disqualify the signatures? Hard to say.
Volunteers took note of his license plate and a police officer subsequently visited Perlman’s home nearby. But he wasn’t there. Portland Police spokeswoman Mary Wheat says the officer hasn’t been able to talk to Perlman yet and there’s no charge against him. Perlman could not immediately be reached by WW for comment.
Reached at home Friday afternoon, Perlman offered a less than clear explanation. Here’s a partial transcript:
WW: Do you dispute the volunteers’ account of what happened Thursday?
Perlman: I have very sloppy handwriting.
WW: Oh, OK, so that scribble was intended to be a signature?
Perlman: I have very sloppy handwriting.
WW: That line doesn’t look like a name.
Perlman: Well, names are different.
WW: I’m afraid I’m not understanding what you’re telling me.
Perlman: I’m telling you what I’m telling you. I’m giving you an answer.
WW: Yes or no, were you signing the petition?
Perlman: I have very sloppy handwriting.
Cellphone photo by volunteer J.M. Favata
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Tags: Lee Perlman, Oregon, Portland, recall, Sam Adams
It’s now resorted to this? Sending minions out to impersonate recall representatives in order to steal signed petitions and/or to intimidate volunteers and to vandalize and invalidate taxpayers signatures? Those were peoples hopes and desires crossed-out. People who obviously took the time to make their voices heard.
But this should really come as no surprise to anyone, with all the other; dishonesty, lies to obstruct justice, corrupt activity during the last vote, prior to and during the subsequent investigation, threats, intimidation, suppression of evidence, the smearing of local citizens and whistle-blowers.
What occurred here violated the petition signers right to be hear and it was vandalism. Their corruption is now flowing over into a legal recall process. What is that?
Parting thought: “Citizens who understand the importance of government accountability must keep these issues alive. Failure to investigate wrongdoing in high places and tolerating misconduct or criminality can have only the most corroding impact on our democracy and the rule of law that sustains us.” – Elizabeth Holtzman
SHOULDN’T SURPRISE ANYONE,THESE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE CALL THE PEOPLE AT TOWN HALL MEETINGS BROWN SHIRTS(NAZIS).JFK WOULDN’T BELIEVE WHAT’S HAPPENED TO HIS PARTY
Very strange story. Doesn’t seem characteristic of Lee’s manner at all.
Vicious crackpots who love their mayor, who is a vicious crackpot himself.
Vicious crackpots who play together, stay together.
Would someone please rent a helicopter and throw 100K petitions into Portland streets so we can get this over with TODAY?
Lee is no one’s minion. Foremost we (you and me and WW) have no idea what happened here. Let’s wait to get some facts prior to evoking fascism.
I also know Lee and he is noone’s minion nor a vicious crackpot. I’m eager to get the “rest of the story”.
I highly encourage folks to read this article posted on The Nation’s web page:
The Paulsons’ Edifice Complex
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090817/zirin_boykoff
Great link to the article you mentioned jockitch, so true and the public has repeatedly pointed these things out to them. Yet these same City Commissioners brazenly demonstrate that they could care less what the public thinks and/or about what’s best for our city.
On July 21? it was reported here in WW that City Commissioners agreed to give Paulson $11M (from bond funds that will equate to over $40 million over the life of the loan) for an unproven pet project, in a stadium that already houses baseball and soccer with mediocre at best, turnouts. Come on people is this really what we should be doing? Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic?
Randy Leonard is seen 4 days later? Funny timing! In The O, on or around July 26th, speeding-up the lay-off of 150 City of Portland building and development employees. One manager alluded to that decision marking the most chaos he’s witnessed in the 20 years he’s worked for the city of Portland.
When we are 2nd to Detroit in the nation’s highest unemployment rate, and not to mention in a recession globally, there’s no concern.
And consider that this insensitivity is nothing new. Some of these same “decision-makers” shoved a 2nd income tax down real estate brokers throats for all transactions that close in the city… an industry that at the time had tanked. What was that? Was it good for our city? Where was the concern? Absent. In it’s place was zero regard for realtors and developers who are major contributors to driving our economy.
For every action THERE IS a reaction.
We’re are engaging in risk and doing deals we really have no business doing with developers, buying european toilets, it appears we’re also participating in building a bridge which should really, imo, be subsidized entirely by state of Washington residents. You know the captive audience coming over to Portland to buy things tax free and/or to work. Where were the stong negotiations on behalf of our city? Absent.
It would appear that these city commissioners believe frenetic spending is good governance. Here’s a piece of news… it’s not.
Then Adams can be seen last night across the river at the Greenville Project telling attendees the developers bring money and we need money. No feces! And btw, speaking of needing money, where are we at with the $500,000 Nkrumah is seeking in damages for yet more stupid activity as the result of the “hot mess” at City Hall?
Extremely bad decisions, fueled by incredibly SELF-SERVING egotistical, poorly planned initiatives, frought with risk for our city, pretty much sums up these commissioners impact on Portland, in the few short months the current regime took over.
It’s sad really. And consider that, that sadness does not even begin to touch on what has happened to the concept of justice in our city, or the work environment some city employees close to the heart of the matter are subjected to in a daily basis.
And yes, interested to see what Les has to say for himself.
Thanks for the article.
Journalist tries to destroy recall petition sheet…
The Willamette Week has a great article (please visit) just posted about a Portland journalist for the neighborhood tabloid Hollywood Star News who confronted a Sam Adams Recall petitioner and proceeded to scribble on the petition sheet filled with nam…
Just wait and see the dirty tricks if the Adams camp thinks the petitioners have a chance of getting all the signatures.
If Lee was the person that defaced the petition deliberately it really doesn’t matter ‘what the rest of the story’ is. It’s agaist Oregon law to deface a petition or harass a petitioner or otherwise hinder their signature gathering. If Lee in fact defaced the petition I hope he gets the max penalty.
Too bad, gmarschke, that you could not have been a fly on the wall to see the way this jerk behaved. when he saw my shocked facial expression, he asked me, with a full-on mocking tone and sneering, gleeful facial expression,
“So, whaddya going to do about it, huh?”
“I’m going to call the police.”
“Oh, yeah/ whaddya think THEY are going to do about it?”
Well actually sir, they’re going to do something about your sloppy handwriting, you sick shrew.
Wow, what a lying f-ck. This is simply fascism – trying to deny people the right to vote on an issue they believe in. He had better be prosecuted.
Mr. Voluptuous sez – “This is simply fascism – trying to deny people the right to vote on an issue they believe in. He had better be prosecuted.
Strange how both gmarschke and renaude were so quick to defend Lee Perlman both wserfe adamant he was not a minion, and that he was a straight-up guy. Wonder what happened and how far this intimidation and criminality goes up the food chain.
Certainly sounds as though Lee Perlman crossed the line. Pardon the pun.
And it also sounds like another issue for Mr. Kroger to promptly investigate.
Sadly, this is not the only intimidation that the campaign is receiving from those who do not support the Recall.
Our volunteers have reported that they have been cursed at, given the finger and yelled at. One female volunteer reported to me that she was repeatedly shoved by a man who identify himself as a member of the GLBT community at the PSU farmers market last week. Other shoppers had to physically separate the man from continuing to accost her.
I also have heard from many city employeese that they fear retaliation from Sam and\or Randy if they sign the petition. No to mention how vicious the blogs are.
I attempted to get Adams to reign in those that are using intimidation to support him at this city council meeting, only to have Randy attack me and Adams ignore me ( Fast forward to 25:35 ).
http://www.portlandonline.com/index.cfm?c=49508&a=258048
The intimidation and criminal acts that Perlman and others who appear to be supporting Sam Adams will be prosecuted to the fullest extent the law will allow.
More so, the Recall needs all that fear Adams to join us and volunteer a few hours this month by collecting signatures or working in our office located at 421 N Broadway.
Together we will make our government better,
RecallSamAdams.com
Jasun Wurster
503-799-7919
Isn’t this a crime? Where is the Secretary of State? The police? This is fascism!
Obviously, the recall effort is beginning to
expose the Emperor having no clothes on. See, “The Emperor Wears No Clothes.” Hmm, perhaps this title is more apt than even I realise. Maybe the Mayor being recalled will finally send the pendulum a little bit away from the Fascist, Socialist (fake-Euphoric) Agenda that has seemed to grip our city for the last 8-10 years.
If Adams really gave a ___mn about the people, he would have stepped down. I suppose it’s hard to let go of the man-tle of power once you’ve got a hold of it. I hope that Perlman gets punished. He’s violating others’ free speech. I think that Randy “I’m the biggest on the school-yard” Leonard and Sam Adams have created a culture of fear among the city employees, because no one dare cross them, lest they be be-headed at the guillotine.
I forgot, who was it that said, “Let them eat cake?” Maybe after the recall, the poli(crooks)ticians will stand up and realise that even the coffee-sipping, tattooed crowd of oft-apathetic hispteresque, commie-touting liberals with a deep disdain for all things religious will eventually wake-up and stand-up to the bullies that are in charge. Maybe.
Witness the rise of The Proletariat. See Star Wars for further insight.
Mr.Lee and I go back to my recall, and to my criminally insane group home issue for which I decided to recall Vera Katz.
People in the “great halls” of the city and county have called me “radical”,and a host of other names.
What Lee did, was and is, going to be punished.
If officials in the county/state responsible, for abuses like this, do not make an example of him…then, we know what real government is going to be like in the future.
I may approach this “CONCERNED CITIZEN” in the near future with a sheet to sign, and if his “sloppy writing” is still the same, I MAY spend a night in jail….for my poor “attitude”.
Jack Peek- You mentioned you have known Lee since you were involved in the attempt to recall Katz. Was Lee opposed to her recall, as well? And if so, were the same attempts to intimidate going on back then?
Please advise.
If this is true, then Perlman should be exposed for the douchebag that he may truly be
My thanks again to Beth and Mark…for seeing this as news…if I MISSED, the other media on this please link me, otherwise, maybe WWEEK, needs to show Fred, and what’s left at the “o” THAT WHAT/WHEN/ WHERE/WHY, stuff.
Why are the names blacked out, signatures on a petition are public record I see no reason why they aren’t published here.
I was a witnress there. Mr. Perlman’s actions were that of anger and defiance, and he was well aware of what he was doing and was proud of his vandalism. He was also disrespectful of others and was challenging and threatening in his body language. If I had to judge anyone off of a first impression (and this was my first of him) I would conclude he is probably mentally unstable, destructive and possibly a threat to himself or others, and warrants a professional assessment.
Robert Collins says:
August 7, 2009 at 2:01 PM
Just wait and see the dirty tricks if the Adams camp thinks the petitioners have a chance of getting all the signatures.
Dear Robert: I can attest to your post oh so well.
1. A sham recall filed against my recall of Vera Katz.
2. A bunch of money …70,000 dollars was promised…all of it jumped ship…afraid of repercussions from Vera and city hall,ten cocktail jockeys at Jake’s with a combined fortune of almost a “with a B…Billion dollars, all fired up to do it, and the last minute….turned cowards.
The city has the beginnings to make “CHI-TOWN” look straight….well almost straight!
Perhaps Morningstar(ABOVE) has said it best…
” mentally unstable, destructive and possibly a threat to himself or others, and warrants a professional assessment.”
That would be PDX,as of 8-08-09, and warrants a recall of the mayor, before he hurts more of us.
Just think of the money gone….THE TRAM//PGE PARK//THE WHOLE WATER FRONT MESS…RANDY LEONARD…BIO-DIESEL. 140,000 DOLLAR CRAPPERS—”TREES HAVE FEELINGS” DAN THE MAN.
At this point,the city is broke,we cannot bleed anymore.
SIGN THE RECALL TODAY. JPEEK
econoline says:
August 8, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Why are the names blacked out, signatures on a petition are public record I see no reason why they aren’t published here.
Reply
Dear cheap: WTF, do you need to see the names for…working for SAM,are we?
CityHaul says:
August 8, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Jack Peek- You mentioned you have known Lee since you were involved in the attempt to recall Katz. Was Lee opposed to her recall, as well? And if so, were the same attempts to intimidate going on back then?
Please advise
Yes, he was, is my memory on that…honestly, no one got near any of my people like Lee seemed to do per the account.
My guess, that this get tough effort here is all one person who cut his foot swimming, and see’s 200 shark fins in the water with clip boards and A REALLY pissed off look on their face’s.
Lee was never happy with my long standing attempt to limit the placement of the criminally insane in group homes next to schools….and that would include Sam, and Vera,and Randy, and Amanda…and a host of others.
I met Lee Perlman years ago, on tenant rights organizing in Portland, and am not surprised at this attack against the Sam Adams Recall campaign by Lee now (he is getting older, although some of us who get older also try to be both progressive and against corrupt politics in Portland, per se).
At Portland State, not only, as Jasun has said (above) has there been some attempts at intimidation against pro-recall petitioners, but there has also been, in other areas, attacks against PSU students — the ex-president of the Vietnamese Student Assoc. at PSU was recently attacked off campus (not related to the recall campaign) and Amanda Fritz and others held a protest Friday night at Beumont Middle School to protest that attack.
At Portand State, Progressive Student Union has been helping (and promoting) Transit Riders Union’s petition (1200 signatures so far, including Jasun’s!) against TriMet’s proposed cuts to Fareless Square. WWeek did have p. 11 story on this fight, which terminates next Wed at 9am at the Portland Bldg., Meeting Room C, 2nd Floor, at the next TriMet board meeting.
The TriMet puppet board appears set to vote 6-0 at that meeting to start charging bus riders in Fareless Square — exactly at the same time that NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg is proposing creating free cross town buses in New York City, to save money and promote more rapid public transit. NYC transit, like TriMet, also faces financial cutbacks due to Obama’s economic stimulus focusing on Wall Street ahead of operating funds for mass transit in the country’s cities, and money that benefits workers ahead of Wall Street. So much for Obama’s ‘green presidency’ and/ or lessening US dependence on foreign oil, the wars for oil access and profit in the mideast, etc.
Transit Riders Union has contacted Kulongoski, Amanda Fritz and Sam Adams office (he is “in charge” of transportation issues for the city, allegedly): Kulongoski and Adams have been silent. We even gave Adams office copies of our first 500 petition signatures against cutting Fareless Square.
Amanda, on the other hand, did email us that she phoned Fred Hansen, TriMet’s $250,000 a year Gen. Mgr., but that Hansen was firm that the board (appointed by the governor, not elected by the people) will vote to cut Fareless Square next Wednesday.
**********************
It makes you think, maybe there should be a way to petition AGAINST the recall. More people who sign AGAINST the recall, then no recall election.
If we are honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that the recall has become a way for minor but semi well-organized entities to hijack the political system – that’s how CA got Arnold even though the Republicans never polled above 41% in a general election against Gray Davis.
Sorry typos and posted to jackpeek instead of Philip.
Philip H – You most certainly should be heard if your position is NOT to recall Adams. When organizations like WW and citizens like the President of the Police Union Scott Westerman, Former Police Chief Tom Potter, Former Senator Avel Gordy and Joe Weston have pointed-out the importance of Sam and his supporters getting behind putting the vote before the peeps, city management and its supporters are missing a critical point. Encouraging a recall will provide city management with a 2nd chance….this time to win honestly and fairly, and it will also provide the entire city with an opportunity to put this “hot mess” behind us.
Imo, the current city management should sign and encourage EVERYONE of its supporters to do so as well, so that others like you can shout from the highest place in the formerly “Fareless Square” that the “minor but semi well-organized entities trying to hijack the political system” were wrong, the people spoke and the outcome resulted in no change in city management.
Why shouldn’t our current city management and its supporters want to demonstrate to the taxpayers that this was “much to do about nothing?” and in the end, when it went to a vote, the results showed that there were only a few who wanted a change? Wouldn’t that be liberating?
Liken it to being in love…if you love someone, set them free. If they come back to you, then you know it was meant to be. That’s been my experience anyway.
I’m just sayin’.
Cupid =–>
Philip H says:
August 8, 2009 at 8:50 pm
It makes you think, maybe there should be a way to petition AGAINST the recall. More people who sign AGAINST the recall, then no recall election.
If we are honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that the recall has become a way for minor but semi well-organized entities to hijack the political system – that’s how CA got Arnold even though the Republicans never polled above 41% in a general election against Gray Davis.
Hey Phil:
Phil… are you so blind, to the legal(so far)right to petition our electeds for wrong things they have done?
Waiting for another election cycle, only entrenches the idiot mayor we have now, even more.
Grey Davis had in coming….so does SAM.
Have a heart Jack. The concept of “wrong” is obviously different for some. smile;-}
I am sure if you asked Goldschmidt and/or his friends (off the cuff, or after one drink too many), many who are still employed in local government and/or traveling in those same legal politico circles, individuals who either knew about what he and others did and some still do, they would indignantly advise you that EVERYTHING that brought us where we are today, was/is a non-issue. You can’t project morals where none exist. It is, what it is.
“Ethics” and “doing the right thing” somehow morph into an entirely new realm when the standards applied to you, I and the citizens of our state on a daily basis, are applied to “them” and/or one of their friends actions.
The fact of the matter is, is that that there is a blatant double-standard occurring here, with the vast number of our local elected officials electing to hide -out and wait for the storm to blow over, with ardent supporters poised to attack and /or to find fault with victims and whistle-blowers. If they can’t find anything controversial, they’ll make-it-up.
I imagine there are many people looking to retire at Shady Acres via the proceeds from the frenetic and ridiculous spending we know about and being shoved through our city’s management. What about the deals being discussed/proposed behind closed doors?
Stupid is as stupid does; European toilets (head to city hall…the peeps hear you receive exceptional treatment in the restrooms there!), new stadiums where perfectly fine stadiums reside, callously laying-off city building and development employees in a huge recession with our city having the nation’s 2nd highest unemployment rate, law suits involving pi$$ed-off former city and county employees who refused to be a party to this conduct, and as a result like Ball, Dozono, Breedlove and others were smeared in the press, the building of a new bridge that benefits residents of another state, a captive audience, many who drive across that bridge on a daily basis to shop tax-free in our state and/or to work…the list goes on and on.
Heartless towards our city and it’s citizens.
Just LQQk at EVERYTHING that went on behind the scenes in this matter…what else don’t we know that’s been enabled by our local government offices. That’s a very important question to ask ourselves.
If you and I don’t care, who will? Maybe next time it will be you, your spouse, your child…think about it.
Adams remaining in office is the source of much tension and division in many corners of Portland. His remaining in office is drawing people with otherwise productive pursuits and good reputations into unnecessary and charged conflict with each other. What an complete perversion of leadership. What a shame.
His refusing to resign is simply inexcusable.
Having Adams in office is a slap in the face every day to honest hard working individuals. The Adams mayorship is un-American and the people of Portland should not have to be subservient to such a villain.
Cupid says:
August 9, 2009 at 8:54 am
Have a heart Jack. The concept of “wrong” is obviously different for some. smile;-}
Dear Cupid: Boy, you sure nailed that one, it is a double standard, and it will in some issues, take someone getting killed to fix the problem.
The group home issue if some know me,has been my deal for to long now….but today, there was a very serious problem found there, and I have notified the key people about this, and if it’s not fixed, you will read about it or see it on the tv.
That issue among others is why I went after Vera katz…I asked her once why her grand children were any better then mine as far as protecting their very lives….she didn’t answer me.
Neither did SAM…..he actually has done less….the being nothing….at least with her, I got a face to face, SAM avoids me, and this issue.
Fight back Portland, NO MORE BS from these people…any of them.
I want to know if Lee will be charged with anything? Anyone hear?
Jack, didn’t you get the memo? This is the new city of Portland where, thanks to current city management, pretty much ANYTHING goes.
Regardless of whether or not Mr. Perlman agrees with the Recall supporters he had no right to do what he did. I’ve been on both sides of the Adams fence in regard to my own opinion on things but I do wholeheartedly believe that Portland deserves a chance to either keep him or get rid of him. If it’s decided that he stays, so be it – Portlanders will have spoken knowing full well who they are keeping in office. If not, then he goes. Too many people are looking at the Recall campaign as a definitive end-all removal of Sam from office, that’s not at all what it is.
Lee Perlman has no right to infringe on my right to an opinion in the political process. If we are to assume that this story is true and that we have all of the facts then what he did is criminal and deserves to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law – REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU THINK OF SAM ADAMS.
RobertWagner
pdxsucks.com
I see your point but you need to remember that there would be no such thing as a recall petition right now if Sam Adams had resigned back in January. This conflict and every subsequent conflict is a direct consequence of that decision to stay in office when popular opinion, the editorial boards and all other political players in the city called for him to do the right thing and resign. He forced the recall option and he may even survive it, but it is foolish to take such a narrow view that all of the ill will Lee’s scribble has uncorked is somehow attributable to Lee alone and Adams gets to stand on the sidelines like he’s not responsible for any of that ill will to begin with. If a team crumbles in strife it’s the leader’s responsibility, both the credit and the blame. Democracy is not just making a collective consumer decision over some menu of options. Adams has made a series of toxic decisions and he is liable for all of the consequences. If, that is, the voters are bright enough to not be distracted by petty stupidities such as this.
Ms Slovic, your header’s description of Mr Perlman as a journalist is far too generous. Perhaps you haven’t had time to read him?
I see that Wuster has filed to see that Perlman goes down for what he did, can’t see why it takes 3 weeks for the county and state to come up with charges…Oh, I guess I can, after all.
Watch out, there seems a stall in the works, wonder who ordered that?
[...] Police this morning arrested Lee Perlman, the reporter for the Hollywood Star News who allegedly defaced a petition to recall Mayor Sam Adams last [...]
LargeMarge says:
August 10, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Jack, didn’t you get the memo? This is the new city of Portland where, thanks to current city management, pretty much ANYTHING goes
Dear Marge..No, I missed that memo, but I did get word, it will get worse before it gets better, if SAM,isn’t knocked on his rear in the recall.
I knew his old “Boss” she taught him well.
Again: “It makes you think, maybe there should be a way to petition AGAINST the recall. More people who sign AGAINST the recall, then no recall election.
If we are honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that the recall has become a way for minor but semi well-organized entities to hijack the political system.”
If we are really concerned about democracy, one-person-one-vote democracy…guess not. Obviously we are not being honest with ourselves here. But then the posters here LIKE being able commandeer the political discourse in a way highly disproportionate to their numbers.
Does anyone here think they should NOT have a disproportionate impact on political discourse?
[...] Perlman, who writes for the Hollywood Star Reporter and other local papers, was arrested last Thursday and charged with third-degree criminal mischief for allegedly scribbling on a recall petition signature-gatherers handed to him Aug. 6. Check out a copy of that petition, with the names redacted, here. [...]