Portland Mayor Fires Commission Over Police Lay-Offs

Portland Mayor Sam Adams has fired the eight members of a citizen’s Budget Advisory Commission that criticized the mayor’s proposed 2010-11 budget.

The mayor’s budget proposal called for the lay-off of 25 police officers. In May, Police Chief Rosie Sizer called a press-conference to challenge the lay-off of police officers. Two days later she was fired.

The new chief, Mike Reese, will assemble a new advisory board, “with significant accounting and budgeting or relevant business experience.” The ousted board consisted of a Harvard educated lawyer, a vice-president at Wells Fargo Bank, one of Portland’s top 25 business women and an Amherst College grad.

One former board member told the Oregonian, “(We’re) honestly confused, upset, angry and insulted.”

To read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/09/portland_mayor_sam_adams_disba.html