Let's bring back equal access to politicians Monday, November 08, 2004

Last week's local election officially moves us back into the status quo. Come the new year, Portland will have five white guys running the city -- again.

Granted, Sam Adams will become the first openly gay guy on the Portland City Council. But even Adams acknowledges he doesn't dress that well, he's not that skilled at decorating and at age 41, his hair is as gray as most of the others.

We need more variety in style and appearance. We need diversity of thought and ethnicity. We need more youthful and creative minds contributing to the vision of this city. But these kind of potential leaders tend not to run for office because of one thing: money.

Mayor-elect Tom Potter was an exception to that rule. He didn't have to raise a lot of dough because, as a former police chief, he already had name recognition and a nearly effortless ride on an anti-Jim Francesconi tidal wave. In most any other election, though, the candidate with the most money wins.

"Raising money is probably, I would say, 80 percent of the job, at least, in trying to get elected," says Multnomah County Commissioner Maria Rojo de Steffey. In 2003, she considered running for Portland City Council but changed her mind five weeks after announcing her intention to be a serious candidate.

"I wasn't willing to give up my life, which I would have had to do, to raise money and do what it took to win City Hall," she explains. "I've got a family that I'm more interested in."

Until the system changes, we're going to continue to elect only candidates who know which rocks to turn over to find money. Or who, like Potter, live off a pension and don't have to be distracted with a full-time job.

We'll also continue to reward big donors who get to set the agenda on how the city moves forward. Money doesn't buy votes, says City Commissioner Erik Sten. But it does buy access. And access translates to influence.

"I believe that I've been able to stay true to my point of view and values," says Sten, who has himself raised big bucks from special-interest groups. "But it's a poor system."

So, now that elections are over, it's time that voters educated themselves on a campaign that will level the playing field. The Clean Money System would give young people, folks of color, women and good old anybodies a better chance of getting elected to City Hall.

The clincher is that taxpayers will have to spend $1.3 million a year to publicly finance everyone's campaigns. The investment into better government, though, is cheap -- less than $2.50 per Portland resident per year.

Portland would be the first city to adopt this style of campaign finance reform. There are still details to work out and public hearings to schedule. But Sten and City Auditor Gary Blackmer believe they have enough votes to win council approval sometime next year. The city would then have to find the money to put the new system in place before the 2006 primary election.

"This is something that I see that could actually change the face of City Hall," says consultant Jamaal Folsom, who is helping organize community support for the Clean Money System. Folsom is a former staff aide for Sten.

"Having spent some time on the inside, I've seen the unfortunate balancing act that commissioners have to do," Folsom says. "It's a reality that big contributors have a much easier time getting past the gatekeepers."

Potter's election, alone, is proof that most Portlanders agree the system needs fixing. So if you want to educate yourself on campaign finance reform, call the Money in Politics Research Action Project at 503-283-1922 or check out www.oregonfollowthemoney.org.

In addition, check out this week's public meetings. One, at 7 p.m. Thursday, is at Hannah Bea's Poundcake diner, 3969 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The City Club of Portland's Friday forum is at 12:15 p.m. at the Governor Hotel, 611 S.W. 10th Ave.

The push for systematic change has begun. Come join in on the discussion.

S. Renee Mitchell: 503-221-8142; rmitch@news.oregonian.com; www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/renee_mitchell