West Linn Mayor's Redding U Diploma

[Angela Flood]

I note that most of these posts are several years old but I am looking for assistance.
The City of West Linn has a Mayor who posted in the elections pamphlet Degreed in English. A inquiry / complaint was filed with elections and Mr. Contreras was asked to validate her response. He has stated, after several months, and upon request of the Elections Division, he was asked to validate her degree. She was not mirandized, apparently, prior to naming the institution. So, now she is under criminal investigation. Please note, the organization was not listed on the Oregon site until he made the decision.
I would like to get in touch with people who have also benefited (not) from Mr. Contreras' vast knowledge in his quest to support his vision of what is appropriate conduct.

Thank you.
Angela Flood
angela.flood@gmail.com

[Dickie Billericay]

The City of West Linn has a Mayor who posted in the elections pamphlet Degreed in English.

Official calls West Linn mayor's college degree 'fake'

By Dana Tims, The Oregonian
March 17, 2010, 8:15AM


West Linn Mayor Patti Galle

A month after West Linn city councilors censured her for unprofessional conduct, a state official contends West Linn Mayor Patti Galle may have broken Oregon law by presenting a nonaccredited "degree mill" certificate as a legitimate college degree.

The Oregon attorney general's office is investigating, but Alan Contreras, administrator of the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization, which is charged with monitoring candidates' postsecondary accreditations, said there is no wiggle room in assessing Galle's purported English degree from Redding University.

"It is a total fake," Contreras said "It's a civil violation for which she can be fined."

Galle did not return phone calls seeking comment. Her attorney, Jeffrey Seymour, said Tuesday he was not familiar with the law cited by Contreras and that he and Galle believe she will be found innocent of any wrongdoing.

The controversy, the latest for West Linn's first-term mayor, involves Voters' Pamphlet material Galle submitted before the 2008 general election. Among other accomplishments, Galle listed "degreed in English with emphasis on teaching."

Under Oregon law, it's a class B misdemeanor for someone to assert in an official document such as the Voters' Pamphlet that they have received a postsecondary degree unless it comes from an accredited institution.

$395 degree

Redding University appears to exist primarily as a Web site, advertising diplomas in 48 fields awarded for four years of work/life experience related to a major.

"Please do not get the impression that by simply applying, you will qualify for a Ph.D. in a field that you have no knowledge of or experience in," according to the Web site. "On the other hand, if you have a substantial amount of life or work experience, you might qualify for every degree available."

A bachelor's degree costs $395, with master's and doctorates going for $425 and $475, respectively. Frames and shipping are extra.

This isn't the first time an Oregon elected official has run into trouble over Voters' Pamphlet statements, which by law must be truthful and accurate.

Former Oregon Rep. Wes Cooley was convicted in 1997 of claiming that he had served in Korea. In fact, he never left the United States. He was sentenced to two years' probation, ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and perform 100 hours of community service. And in 1984, voters swiftly recalled then-Rep. Pat Gillis after he stated, incorrectly, that he had earned a master's degree.

In Galle's case, her attorney maintains that the mayor's Voters' Pamphlet statements were truthful.

Redding University may not be accredited in the same way that Oregon State University and the University of Oregon are," Seymour said, "but she has a college degree in English. That's what she said in the Voters' Pamphlet and it's true."

He added that Galle is not required to have a degree of any kind to hold the office of West Linn mayor.

"She could have an eighth-grade education and it wouldn't make any difference at all," Seymour said. "We believe that, in the end, this will work out in her favor."

The secretary of state's office first began reviewing the matter after receiving an inquiry. The office's elections division, after meeting with Galle and Seymour, referred the matter to the state Department of Justice.

Tony Green, an attorney general's spokesman, declined to elaborate on the investigation or say when it might be concluded.

String of accusations

The incident is just the latest roiling of West Linn City Hall, where the embattled mayor has rarely been seen in months.

The Feb. 8 censure resolution, passed by a 3-0 vote, claimed, among other things, that Galle has violated the confidentiality of executive sessions, exhibited unprofessional behavior, created a hostile work environment and filed false allegations about city officials to the Oregon attorney general's office.

Galle, in turn, ended up asking the state attorney general to look into allegations of what she called corruption in West Linn. After reviewing Galle's allegations, the attorney general's office rejected her claims.

It seems pretty clear that your mayor is a complete idiot.  Is that a disqualification from holding public office?  Apparently not.

Redding University is a pay to play life experience deal, which is easily ascertainable by anyone taking ten seconds to google it.   It has no credibility as an educational institution, but educational institutions have no special right to use the term "degree."  So lawyer Seymour is right, it's not a lie, or at least not a complete lie.  You can call your dog license a "degree" too and if people are too stupid to check your story you get the same mileage.

How did she get elected?  She apparently guessed (correctly) that people in West Linn are too stupid or lazy to check up on her, and that by the time they did she would already be elected.  

Doesn't anyone bother to check out candidates claimed qualifications (e.g., degrees, birth certificates) before the election?  Oh yeah, I forgot, that's how Obummer got elected too.  If it's important enough to check after the election why isn't it important enough to check before the election?

Does Contreras enforce the "law" of Oregon in an arbitrary and capricious manner?  Definitely.  The mayor should change her fake major from English to Gay Studies, then she'll be a "victim of bias" and can keep her job and sue for damages.  

Is the Oregon "law" unconstitutional on its face?  Most likely.  Is the mayor going to spend the next three or four years screwing around in court and paying lawyers for the privilege of flying a Redding University "degree"?  Probably not.

Do you folks in West Linn, Oregon really need a fat pervert like Gay Al supervising your lives?  Nanny-state socialists think you are too stupid to take care of yourselves and need help from Big Brother to manage your affairs.  You all need to make a little better effort at proving them wrong.

[Angela Flood]

The City of West Linn has a Mayor who posted in the elections pamphlet Degreed in English.

Official calls West Linn mayor's college degree 'fake'

By Dana Tims, The Oregonian
March 17, 2010, 8:15AM


West Linn Mayor Patti Galle

A month after West Linn city councilors censured her for unprofessional conduct, a state official contends West Linn Mayor Patti Galle may have broken Oregon law by presenting a nonaccredited "degree mill" certificate as a legitimate college degree.

The Oregon attorney general's office is investigating, but Alan Contreras, administrator of the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization, which is charged with monitoring candidates' postsecondary accreditations, said there is no wiggle room in assessing Galle's purported English degree from Redding University.

"It is a total fake," Contreras said "It's a civil violation for which she can be fined."

Galle did not return phone calls seeking comment. Her attorney, Jeffrey Seymour, said Tuesday he was not familiar with the law cited by Contreras and that he and Galle believe she will be found innocent of any wrongdoing.

The controversy, the latest for West Linn's first-term mayor, involves Voters' Pamphlet material Galle submitted before the 2008 general election. Among other accomplishments, Galle listed "degreed in English with emphasis on teaching."

Under Oregon law, it's a class B misdemeanor for someone to assert in an official document such as the Voters' Pamphlet that they have received a postsecondary degree unless it comes from an accredited institution.

$395 degree

Redding University appears to exist primarily as a Web site, advertising diplomas in 48 fields awarded for four years of work/life experience related to a major.

"Please do not get the impression that by simply applying, you will qualify for a Ph.D. in a field that you have no knowledge of or experience in," according to the Web site. "On the other hand, if you have a substantial amount of life or work experience, you might qualify for every degree available."

A bachelor's degree costs $395, with master's and doctorates going for $425 and $475, respectively. Frames and shipping are extra.

This isn't the first time an Oregon elected official has run into trouble over Voters' Pamphlet statements, which by law must be truthful and accurate.

Former Oregon Rep. Wes Cooley was convicted in 1997 of claiming that he had served in Korea. In fact, he never left the United States. He was sentenced to two years' probation, ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and perform 100 hours of community service. And in 1984, voters swiftly recalled then-Rep. Pat Gillis after he stated, incorrectly, that he had earned a master's degree.

In Galle's case, her attorney maintains that the mayor's Voters' Pamphlet statements were truthful.

Redding University may not be accredited in the same way that Oregon State University and the University of Oregon are," Seymour said, "but she has a college degree in English. That's what she said in the Voters' Pamphlet and it's true."

He added that Galle is not required to have a degree of any kind to hold the office of West Linn mayor.

"She could have an eighth-grade education and it wouldn't make any difference at all," Seymour said. "We believe that, in the end, this will work out in her favor."

The secretary of state's office first began reviewing the matter after receiving an inquiry. The office's elections division, after meeting with Galle and Seymour, referred the matter to the state Department of Justice.

Tony Green, an attorney general's spokesman, declined to elaborate on the investigation or say when it might be concluded.

String of accusations

The incident is just the latest roiling of West Linn City Hall, where the embattled mayor has rarely been seen in months.

The Feb. 8 censure resolution, passed by a 3-0 vote, claimed, among other things, that Galle has violated the confidentiality of executive sessions, exhibited unprofessional behavior, created a hostile work environment and filed false allegations about city officials to the Oregon attorney general's office.

Galle, in turn, ended up asking the state attorney general to look into allegations of what she called corruption in West Linn. After reviewing Galle's allegations, the attorney general's office rejected her claims.

It seems pretty clear that your mayor is a complete idiot.  Is that a disqualification from holding public office?  Apparently not.

Redding University is a pay to play life experience deal, which is easily ascertainable by anyone taking ten seconds to google it.   It has no credibility as an educational institution, but educational institutions have no special right to use the term "degree."  So lawyer Seymour is right, it's not a lie, or at least not a complete lie.  You can call your dog license a "degree" too and if people are too stupid to check your story you get the same mileage.

How did she get elected?  She apparently guessed (correctly) that people in West Linn are too stupid or lazy to check up on her, and that by the time they did she would already be elected.  

Doesn't anyone bother to check out candidates claimed qualifications (e.g., degrees, birth certificates) before the election?  Oh yeah, I forgot, that's how Obummer got elected too.  If it's important enough to check after the election why isn't it important enough to check before the election?

Does Contreras enforce the "law" of Oregon in an arbitrary and capricious manner?  Definitely.  The mayor should change her fake major from English to Gay Studies, then she'll be a "victim of bias" and can keep her job and sue for damages.  

Is the Oregon "law" unconstitutional on its face?  Most likely.  Is the mayor going to spend the next three or four years screwing around in court and paying lawyers for the privilege of flying a Redding University "degree"?  Probably not.

Do you folks in West Linn, Oregon really need a fat pervert like Gay Al supervising your lives?  Nanny-state socialists think you are too stupid to take care of yourselves and need help from Big Brother to manage your affairs.  You all need to make a little better effort at proving them wrong.

I'm not here to argue the point of the relevance of the degree or the brightness of anyone involved. Does she deserve to spend her time having search warrants issued on her? Or being arrested? Because that's where this has gone.

I know that the school was not listed, reported to me by Mr. Contreras, until a few months ago. The election was 1-1/2 years ago. So, I just want to talk to someone who has had experience with this particular issue.

[Albert Hidel]

So, I just want to talk to someone who has had experience with this particular issue.

Donald A. Erickson, PhD was an expert witness in the Melinda Benton case, where Contreras was adjudicated as an anti-Christian bigot and civil rights violater.  He might be able to help, or at least aim you in the right direction.  Link: http://www.expertwitness-on-education.com/benton.html

Also note that Benton was represented by the Atlanta firm of Bird & Loechl.  Link: http://www.birdlawfirm.com/  

[Winston Smith]

The Oregon statute is unconstitutional.  The accreditation system itself is a farce and scam perpetrated by the higher ed billionaire cartel. And Gay Al is an adjudicated anti-Christian bigot and civil rights violator.  He typically only enforces his bogus laws against people he doesn't like, e.g., Republicans, heterosexuals, Christians, etc.    

Contreras almost always loses in court (has he ever won?) because he is an incompetent idiot and a bigot and a pervert who doesn't understand how normal people think and act.  

Assuming you don't get a judge who is also a pervert, on the take or on the board of directors of the University of Oregon you shouldn't have to worry.

But that being said, I share Mr. Billericay's distaste for pols and their dime store degrees.  Personally I like it when pols go to jail, but I'd prefer it to be for their actual crimes and not just for touting some non-government-approved piece of paper.

[Dickie Billericay]

Not to beat a dead stick with a horse, but the mayor of West Linn is still creating humor and chaos. The FBI ate my San Jose State degree!    Oh please, lady, keep fighting these charges, it seems to bring out your creativity.

Court records indicate West Linn Mayor Patti Galle lied on election form

By Yuxing Zheng, The Oregonian
April 14, 2010, 9:00PM

WEST LINN -- West Linn Mayor Patti Galle purchased a college degree online two months ago and backdated the diploma to support claims that she was "degreed in English" when she ran for office in 2008, court records show.

The Oregon Department of Justice, which is conducting a criminal investigation of Galle's pre-election claims, disclosed preliminary findings to a Clackamas County judge last month in requesting a search warrant. The affidavit and related documents were released this week at the request of The Oregonian.

Making false statements on an official election document is a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $125,000 fine.

On April 1, investigators searched Galle's home and city office, seizing two laptop computers, a cell phone, diploma and financial records. Galle subsequently cleaned out her city office but has not resigned.

Although Galle's diploma from Redding University was dated 1973, investigators said the operation is a "diploma mill" established in 2003. Court records show investigators also seized a computer receipt showing Galle bought the diploma Feb. 12.

Galle and her attorney, Jeffrey Seymour, declined to discuss her education credentials.

"I have not been able to and cannot comment now on this case as it is ongoing," Galle wrote in an e-mail Wednesday. "I am confident when all the facts are in and all parties have had an opportunity to speak, it will resolve itself satisfactorily."

The criminal investigation is the latest in a series of disruptions involving West Linn officials. On Feb. 8, city councilors censured the mayor, accusing her of unprofessional behavior and asking her to make changes or resign. Galle previously had asked the state attorney general and the FBI to investigate what she called corruption in the West Linn government. The attorney general found no basis for Galle's allegations.

The Oregon secretary of State originally launched the investigation of Galle's education credentials after receiving a citizen complaint in January 2009.

In filing to run for mayor in 2008, Galle claimed that she was "degreed in English with an emphasis on teaching."

Last July, Galle told an investigator that she had received a bachelor of arts degree from San Jose State University. The university found no record of her, but Galle offered an explanation.

"Galle told (the investigator) that FBI had investigated her during the 1970s because she was a member of the Animal Liberation Front," according to the affidavit the state Department of Justice filed in Clackamas County Circuit Court. "She stated that the FBI may have lost her records."

The militant animal rights group was founded in 1976 in England.

Investigators confirmed that Galle, then known by her maiden name of Patricia Bologna, did take courses at San Jose City College in the 1970s but did not receive a degree.

Representatives of Redding University told investigators that Galle had applied for a degree Feb. 5, according to court documents. The university awards degrees in 48 fields based on life/work experience.

A week later, Galle paid Redding University for an Associate of Arts Degree, which Redding's Web site lists as costing $375. Also available are bachelor's degrees for $395, master's degrees for $425 and doctorates for $475. For an additional $45, customers can select a GPA for their transcripts.

On Feb. 19, Galle's attorney sent investigators an electronic copy of Galle's Redding University diploma. Investigators later seized the original from a bottom drawer in Galle's master bedroom.

State investigators also subpoenaed Galle's academic records at Marylhurst University, where she recently enrolled.

Galle wrote in one e-mail to Marylhurst that "I am looking forward to enrolling in the Prior Learning Assessment Program as I have not finished the course work necessary for my degree," according to the affidavit. On her application, under a section asking about the highest degree/certificate earned after high school, Galle marked the box "some college courses" instead of other ones for Associate, Bachelor's, or Master's degrees.

Tony Green, spokesman for the Department of Justice, declined to comment on the ongoing criminal investigation.

This isn't the first time an Oregon elected official has run into trouble over statements in official election documents, which by law must be truthful and accurate.

Former Oregon Rep. Wes Cooley was convicted in 1997 of claiming that he had served in Korea. In fact, he never left the United States. He was sentenced to two years' probation, ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and perform 100 hours of community service. And in 1984, voters swiftly recalled then-Rep. Pat Gillis after he stated, incorrectly, that he had earned a master's degree.

If Galle is convicted, the West Linn City Council could remove her from office.

"If the mayor or any councilor were convicted of a crime that's punishable by loss of liberty, they are no longer, apparently, qualified to hold office, and the council could declare a vacancy in that position," City Manager Chris Jordan said.

A special election could then be held to fill the vacancy.

[Armando Ramos]

The FBI ate my San Jose State degree!    Oh please, lady, keep fighting these charges, it seems to bring out your creativity.

Sorry to disappoint, but unfortunately the issue here isn't unaccredited degrees, it's lying about having a degree.  

She filed the form claiming she was "degreed in English" on August 14, 2008.  She applied for her Redding special on February 5, 2010 and paid for it February 12, 2010.  

Unless some other degree turns up it looks like she lied about being degreed in 2008.   Game over.  You never reach the issue of whether the unaccredited degree is really a degree, or whether Oregon has the right to prohibit use of an unaccredited degree.  Too bad, because those are the fun issues.  

But really, this woman sounds like a complete nut.  I'm surprised she's not teaching physics somewhere.

[Dickie Billericay]

Sorry to disappoint, but unfortunately the issue here isn't unaccredited degrees, it's lying about having a degree.  

True.  And the fact that she made the Redding deal after she was questioned in 2009 shows that she knew she didn't have a degree.  If you already have an SJSU bachelor's degree why suddenly buy an associate's degree, and a cheesy one at that?  

Plus she backdated it to 1973 instead of the current date, which shows she knew that dates were at issue.  Clearly she knew the statement on the app was a lie, and that her statements to the investigator were lies as well.  

As has been mentioned in connection with others, this is the type of conduct you see from sociopaths.  Not just lying, and badly at that, but expecting people to believe the lies, presumably because you are so clever and they are not.  

I find her claimed connection to the Animal Liberation Front significant in that respect.  Another leftist bunch of luddites and retards, similar to the global warming fraud crowd.  And for that matter, similar to the "diploma mill hunter" scumbags too.  These are people who lie and disrespect all bounds of privacy and private property.  They are zealots who offer only Machiavellian justifications for their anti-social behavior.   Just the sort who feels right at home in high public office these days.

[ham]

Galle told (the investigator) that FBI had investigated her during the 1970s because she was a member of the Animal Liberation Front,"

Hmm...
The group N3 would have proven a much better choice...she'd be a senator by now...

[Dennis Ruhl]

It sure is lucky they have no violent crime or theft in Oregon.  Otherwise they wouldn't have time to spend on this silly stuff.