June 09, 2004

(Updated) Francesconi Outlines New Campaign In Conference Call

Says Campaign Will Be About Grassroots And Specifics, Not Money

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

This afternoon, Jim Francesconi discussed what Holly Armstrong, his new campaign manager, calls his "re-tooled, re-energized campaign." In the wake of trailing opponent Tom Potter in the May 18 primary election, Francesconi dismissed campaign manager Phil Donovan and spokesman Ed Grosswiler and vowed to take a more grassroots, community-oriented approach to the general election.

Calling in a few minutes before 2:00 PM, we listened to the expectedly-agonizing "on hold" music until the conference call began. While waiting for the candidate to begin with this opening remarks, the various reporters on the line talked amongst themselves -- one remarking, however, that there was no fun in that with Armstrong listening in. Vacations were discussed, and a habit or two of reporters not present for the call. Nothing like listening to reporters gossip.

Once the conference call began, Francesconi described this as a "fresh start" and himself as "personally re-enrgized," and said that given the speculation on what his campaign would do next, he wanted a chance to brief reporters himself.

He explained the old news first: That Phil Donovan and Ed Grosswiler -- who he called "good friends" -- were no longer with the campaign. In their place for the general election campaign are: Holly Armstrong, who has been communications director for Congressman David Wu and more recently worked on an Iowa congressional campaign and for the John Kerry campaign in Iowa, South Carolina, and Georgia; and political consultant Liz Kaufman, who previously worked on the City's parks levy and the campaign for Measure 26-48.

"Now that the field has narrowed and there's twenty-one fewer candidates, we're going to be able to focus on the issues and challenges facing Portland," Francesconi said. "We do face challenges here in this City, significant challenges, and it is critical that we get the City back on track."

Franesconi said that he loks forward to having a debate on "how we're going to specifically meet those challenges," offering jobs, parks, school quality, and neighborhood livability as some examples.

"Portlanders are looking for a deserve that debate," he said. "I'm looking forward to the debate and the discussion, and the campaign."

Note: This being one of the aspects of reporting with which we have not yet grown comfortable, we simply listened when the conference call was opened up to questions. This means, obviously, that none of the questions asked or issues raised in what you'll see below were asked by us.

Asked what he intended to do differently in the general election campaign, Francesconi said: "I started as a community activist and I've remained that. But we have to have much more of a grassroots effort and much more of a field operation campaign. And having more fun as well."

In addition, he said that he needs to "do a better job of communicating to the citizens who I am and what I believe." And he again called for "specificity," in a likely signal of a campaign strategry to take advantage of criticisms of his opponent's primary campaign for being long on generalities.

Francesconi was also asked to address the notion of blame for how his primary campaign went down, and whether Donovan and Grosswiler had failed.

"Phil and Ed are terrific people who did a very good job," Francesconi said. "The campaign is me, I'm not holding anyone responsible but me." He called the upcoming campaign an "opportunity that others only dream about," and repeated his call for a more grassroots campaign.

Which led to a question about just how grassroots he intends to be, and what was missing in this context from the primary campaign.

"We had a whole lot of people that offered to help on this campaign that we didn't utilize," Francesconi said. "There's so much talent out there in our neighborhoods."

In light of the insistence on specifics, he was asked to offer some on a number of issues, including the aerial tram to OHSU, amongst others.

(For what it's worth, this was a question that had to be repeated because this particular reporter's connection was somewhat garbled -- prompting Francesconi to quip, "You sound like me.")

"I did have a lot of specifics already," Francesconi said, "but I think it's the larger, the bigger things that we have to collectively focus on to move the City forward." He went on to describe the need for before- and after-school programs across the City, again citing the SUN program (although this time more properly referring to himself as a "co-creator"), and talked of "closing the achievement gap."

Francesconi called the tram "something I've always supported," and tied it to the need to maintain and the benefits of having research-based universities "in the heart of our City." And, he said, that "wouldn't happen without the tram." He added, about his position: "It's one of the things I better need to explain to our citizens."

Asked about police relations with minorities, Chief Foxworth, and what things he would propose, Francesconi spent a little time talking about an item that was before the City Council earlier today, regarding arbitration of unfair labor practices and the Portland Police Bureau (a matter we're not up to speed on). He referred to an exchange he had with Robert King (head of the Portland Police Association, and someone readers here know we're not particularly fond of) in which King reportedly said that officers were more willing to work with Chief Foxworth than had been the case under former Chief Mark Kroeker.

Francesconi said that it was important to "diversify the police force," something he said has been talked about for forty years, and yet Portland now had ten fewer officers of color than we've had in the past.

"I like Chief Foxworth a tremendous amount," Francesconi said. "If I were Mayor right now, Foxworth would be Chief." But he cautioned that it's not his place to make personnel decisions until and unless he's actually elected Mayor. During the primary campaign, there was some contention over this issue, since Potter stated early on that we would retain Foxworth, while Francesconi had hedged.

But on Foxworth being Chief under Francesconi as Mayor: "If that happens, the Chief has got to deliver a plan with specifics about how we're going to diversify the Bureau. The Fire Bureau has done it, but the Police Bureau has not." And on the matter of training, Francesconi complained that he had still not been presented with deadlines for various aspects of police training, including the matter of removing civilians from their vehicles "without violence" -- a phrase Francesconi quickly corrected to be "without relying on weapons."

Francesconi was also asked to talk about why he thought Potter had done so well in the primary campaign.

"He has a right to run his campaign the way he did," Francesconi said. "But that's then and this is now. Now we have to have a discussion about how we're going to move the future of this City." He repeated the need for specifics.

"Tom and I agree that the City needs to change," he said. "Now the question is how, and what, and how are we going to accomplish it." He said the candidates' respective experiences contribute to this, and called what they've done in the past an "indicator."

Asked about the biggest differences between himself and Potter, Francesconi said there were differences of experience. "I've done old-fashioned community organizing, run a business, and been engaged on the most pressing issues facing our community. I know what it takes to get us where we need to be."

Given the differences in campaign finances during the primary campaign, Francesconi was asked how his fundraising will be different during the general election campaign. "Campaigns are not about money," he said. "They're about people."

He continued: "That's what this campaign is about and is going to be about. It is important to share with voters what we're going to do, and with specificity, and it does take a variety of resources to do that." He conceded that he won't be raising the kind of money in the general election campaign thta he did in the primary election campaign. "I can't tell you what the budget is because I honestly don't know," he said. "I want to take a different approach, and I also want to have some fun."

On the matter of fundraising and the grassroots, Francesconi was asked about Potter's challenge to meet his own $100 per person contribution limit, and whether Francesconi's refusal to do so, combined with the exorbitant amount he spent in the primary campaign, turns off voters.

"Again, this isn't about money," Francesconi said. "If it was about money, then we'd be talking about PACs and soft-money PACs and things that have never appeared before in Portland." This, it hsould be clear, was a sidelong way to claim the discussion isn't about money while also at the same time slamming the GoPotterGo! PAC which appeared in the closing weeks of the primary campaign.

Finally, he was asked what he meant when he said he wants the general election campaign to be more fun. "As soon as I get my appropriate license, I'm going to be riding a Vepsa around town." He says that his wife bought him a Vespa for Christmas but he hasn't yet had the chance to ride it. "I like when you bring different kinds of people together," he said. "Things happen that you don't expect {and] that's what we're going to do in this campaign."

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