October 03, 2003

(Updated) A Couple Of Tidbits From The Mayoral Race

Note: This post has been updated. Any and all updates appear at the end of the original post.

More with which I've not been keeping up as other responsibilities have gotten in the way (this is why I need a wealthy benefactor to throw money at me). Today's Oregonian reports on the official kick-off to Commissioner Francesconi's mayoral campaign:

After running for mayor since last year, Francesconi formally kicked off his campaign this week. Among those seen schmoozing Tuesday night in the crowd of 150: Leonard, former city Commissioner Mike Lindberg; Multnomah County Commissioner Lonnie Roberts; Portland School Board Co-chairman Lolenzo Poe; County Sheriff Bernie Giusto; City Council candidate Nick Fish, police union head Robert King; and firefighters union head Tom Chamberlain.

And the Tribune offers a bit as well:

Francesconi, 51, of Northeast Portland, said he would work to improve the economy and find new jobs. He didn't mention Mayor Vera Katz by name but criticized the direction of the city under her administration.

"We cannot claim to be the most livable city in America when we have lost 30,000 jobs," he said, speaking outside his Northeast Portland campaign headquarters. "We cannot be one of the best cities in America when families with children are leaving because they're concerned about the future of their schools. And we cannot be the city that works when City Hall has no plan to meet these challenges."

Although he doesn't yet appear to be listed on the official list of candidates who have filed for the race.

Both papers (at the links already provided) also report on a decision by officially-filed candidate Tom Potter. Here's The Oregonian:

Mayoral candidate Tom Potter won't be taking contributions larger than $25 apiece. Political insiders looking for an alternative to Francesconi tell the former Portland police chief he's crazy to limit donations when Francesconi has more than $300,000 in the bank. Potter is putting $10,000 of his own money into the race but is convinced his message can spread minus big money. "One answer is that I'm naive, and not having a large amount of money will doom my campaign," Potter says. "Outside of that, citizens say it's refreshing."

And this from the Tribune:

But he decided on the $25 contribution limit after talking with political strategists and voters. Strategists told him it was a bad idea, but voters loved it, he said.

"It was amazing the difference between the two groups," he said. "My experience in the last few months reconfirms my belief that often, campaigns are more about raising money than raising issues. I'd rather spend that time talking to people in the community."

The Tribune also has one of those comments who snark or lack thereof is not entirely clear:

"We respect Tom's decision," said Phil Donovan, spokesman for the Francesconi campaign. "How he runs his campaign is his call. Our campaign is looking forward to having a conversation about the issues."

Also in today's Tribune is an op-ed by James West, former candidate for the Portland School Board:

With Portland's mayoral race getting under way, we are seeing history repeat itself. Once again, the designation of campaign front-runner thus far has been based on how much money the candidate has raised, rather than on merit and performance record.

What are we to expect if we elect (or really, promote) a commissioner who has served under the mayor, or even the mayor's former chief of staff? Can we expect those people to turn away from the policies that have stifled business in the Portland area?

For what it's worth, you can still read his campaign statement from the school board race. I don't particularly have anything to say about his op-ed piece, but I thought I'd pass it along.

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