December 2005

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Agrees with letter in November issue

Editor,

Portland is fortunate to have leadership in our City Council that realizes elections must be owned by the citizens.  The voters understand that the current campaign system favors candidates who have access to money.  Portland's Voter-Owned Elections offers us an opportunity to change the influence money plays in politics in Portland.  As a former state legislator from Illinois, I watched how money could influence a legislator’s vote. While Portland is a not a city plagued by corruption, it is hard for candidates not to be influenced by the people who give them money. Around the country, other jurisdictions are adopting campaign finance reform. Portland needs to keep ours in place. Proponents of the repeal argue it is not worth public dollars, but what price do we pay for our democracy when elections are influenced by money. I want to urge Portland voters to refuse to sign petitions to put the repeal of Voter Owned Elections on our ballot.

Anne Willer

S.E. Evergreen, Woodstock

via e-mail