As public campaign financing begins, so will its foes

Municipal hopefuls have until March 30 to qualify for public funds, and opponents move ahead on a repeal

Thursday, September 01, 2005

ANNA GRIFFIN

The Oregonian

The city of Portland begins its innovative and possibly ill-fated experiment with using taxpayer money to pay for municipal campaigns today, even as opponents organize to kill the program.

Candidates for city commissioner and auditor can start filing the necessary paperwork to begin collecting the required signatures and seed money.

To qualify for public financing, candidates must collect $5 each from 1,000 Portland residents by March 30.

The City Council voted 4-1 this spring, with Commissioner Randy Leonard opposed, to become the first major city in the country to offer comprehensive public financing. The idea is to lessen the influence that money and those who can afford to donate lots of it play in city affairs. The council also wants to encourage younger people, women and ethnic minorities to run.

"This will bring in a different kind of candidate: people who are connected to their neighborhoods and committed to going out and talking to people," said Carol Cushman, president of the Portland League of Women Voters. "It's really a very small amount of money to pay for something that has the potential to do so much."

Not everyone agrees. A coalition led by business groups and business owners is working to repeal public financing. Coalition members must collect 26,691 signatures by Jan. 17 to put the initiative on the May ballot. They can't start collecting signatures until the repeal's ballot title becomes official, something that could happen Friday.

Opponents of the funding plan say the city has other financial needs for the $1 million or so that public financing could cost this election. And they say Portland voters, not the council, should decide whether tax dollars go to political candidates. Right now, public financing will come up for a vote in 2010.

So far, three potential candidates have announced plans to try for public financing: Amanda Fritz, a neighborhood activist and registered nurse; Michael Casper, a bartender; and Bruce Broussard, a community activist and journalist. All aim to challenge Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who voted for public financing but has said he will not accept the money himself.

Candidates who qualify can receive $150,000 in the primary. If their opponent spends more than that, all publicly financed candidates will split another $150,000.

In the general election, candidates are eligible for $200,000, and they can receive as much as $400,000 in matching funds. But if the repeal succeeds, the city will not offer public financing in the fall, even to candidates who got the money in the primary and survived to the November election.

Anna Griffin: 503-294-5988; annagriffin@news.oregonian.com