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Bill Graves documents public meetings violation by OUS Board

12/3/2011: From his narrative of the “Rise and Fall of Richard Lariviere”, in the Oregonian:

On Nov. 17, the board met to decide whether to allow state universities to have independent boards, a cornerstone reform that Lariviere advocated.

“This was the defining issue, the cause of so much acrimony,” Donegan said. “Richard simply didn’t show up.’

By then, Donegan had started to poll board members on whether they wanted to renew Lariviere’s contract, a decision they had to make by the end of the year.

Donegan and board member Ally Ford arrived at Lariviere’s Eugene office at 9 a.m. sharp on Nov. 24 with the axe. His contract would not be renewed. No one on the board supported him. 

Rumor is that OUS board member Jill Eiland was a key player in this hatchet job, and that there’s an email trail documenting that the decision was made before the 11/28 executive and public meetings and Paul Kelly’s bathroom break – as if there’s any doubt on that.

Director Ron Bersin has not yet responded to the public meetings ethics complaint filed by UO faculty members last Monday. His email is [email protected] and the GEC phone number is 503-378-510. I should have more info to post about this Monday. The next meeting of the Oregon Government Ethics Commission is January 12, 9AM, location TBA. The GEC Comission members are:

KENNETH LEWIS [email protected]
Portland, OR
Occupation: Foundation Board Member
Appointed by House Democrats

CHARLES BEGGS
Salem, OR
Occupation: Retired
Appointed by Governor

MARY F. KREMER
Portland, OR
Appointed by Senate Republicans

KENNY MONTOYA
Salem, OR
Appointed by Occupation: City Attorney

LARRY CAMPBELL (Chair) [email protected]
Eugene, OR
Occupation: Retired
Appointed by House Republicans

JOANN WALLER [email protected]
Portland, OR
Occupation: Retired
Appointed by Governor

IAN WHITLOCK (Vice-Chair) [email protected]
Portland, OR
Occupation: Attorney
Appointed by Senate Democrats

A good resource for Oregon law on this ethics inquiry is at http://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/244.260 Key points:

The Preliminary Review Phase begins on the date the complaint is filed or the date the commission decides to proceed on its own motion and ends on the date the commission determines there is cause to undertake an investigation, dismisses the complaint or rescinds its own motion. The Preliminary Review Phase may not exceed 135 days unless: …

At the conclusion of the Preliminary Review Phase, the commission shall conduct its deliberations in executive session. All case related materials and proceedings shall be open to the public after the commission makes a finding of cause to undertake an investigation, dismisses a complaint or rescinds a motion. Prior to the end of the Preliminary Review Phase, the executive director of the commission shall prepare a statement of the facts determined during the phase, including appropriate legal citations and relevant authorities. Before presentation to the commission, the executive director’s statement shall be reviewed by legal counsel to the commission.

If the Oregon Government Ethics Commission finds that an appointed public official has violated any provision of this chapter or any rule adopted under this chapter, the finding is prima facie evidence of unfitness where removal is authorized for cause either by law or pursuant to section 6, Article VII (Amended) of the Oregon Constitution.

6 Comments

  1. Anonymous 12/04/2011

    I wonder if Lariviere lives in a fantasy world. Over the past year, he told people constantly, including me twice, that he had the Governor’s support. Judging from Kitzhaber’s letter, he can’t stand Lariviere. Did anyone think the state was going to go along with his $800 million bonding plan? Plus, the account of the New Partnership on the U of O website assumes a 9% return on investment. Has Lariviere heard of the problems with PERS guaranteeing an 8% return?
    Bold ideas, indeed.

  2. bojack 12/04/2011

    Having complained to the Ethics Commission in the past, all I can say is, good luck with that.

  3. UO Matters 12/04/2011

    Thanks Jack – this is the most optimistic statement I’ve ever heard you make about state government.

    This week I dealt with the GEC on the phone, and went down to the DMV to renew my license. No comparison, the DMV folks earn every dime.

  4. Anonymous 12/05/2011

    If only about half of what Bill Graves wrote about RL in the Sunday Oregonian is true, RL deserved to be shown the door….

    Perhaps RL gave up on trying to convert UO to
    “Stanford North,” due to entrenched OUS resistance to change. And decided to exit in a very public way by shaking things up, forcing OUS to fire him? Sort of like suicide by cop.

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