Last week we half-kiddingly suggested that Portland City Council candidate Charles Lewis should spend some of his "clean money" -- taxpayer-supplied campaign funds -- to fix potholes as a publicity stunt public awareness event. Lo and behold, we were right on the money, and not just in a comic sense. From Lewis's camp, we got a press release this morning that reads in part:
On Friday, February 8th, 2008, Charles Lewis became the second person certified for Portland’s publicly financed campaigns. When Lewis receives money from the City on Wednesday, his first purchase will be a dump truck full of gravel to fill potholes on a public street in Southeast Portland.
"City Council needs to get back to the basics of running a civilized society," said Lewis. "That means rebuilding our infrastructure, creating new jobs, and making sure everyone can afford to live in Portland."
Lewis and supporters will fix the massive potholes located on SE Main Street between 89th and 88th Avenues. The event is an outcrop of a conversation Lewis struck up with a voter living on the unimproved street. While out speaking to voters in Southeast Portland, Lewis met Glen Miller who lives on the dirt road. The two shared their concerns about the state of Portland’s roads and infrastructure and soon the "Pothole Protest" was on.
Lewis is also going to start a pothole reporting feature on his campaign website, which should make for a fun read. By the time he gets done with this campaign, the wizards of comedy at City Hall may regret they ever pushed "voter-owed elections." Go get 'em, Chuck.
Comments (14)
Ummm, but I thought we were supposed to be against public financing for campaigns? And now you go and run a story that does a good job showing that public financing enables candidates to challenge the local power elite.
WHo cares? He is fixing potholes and not charging your water bill for it. I think VoE is an incidental issue to fixing said potholes.
Who knows? We have bike riding celebrations, maybe we'll have something that makes a diff like pothole days. Unless Sam tries to shut this down on some techincality.
It's great to have another alternative to Adams. I like what I'm hearing about Lewis more so than Sho...altho Sho is still preferrable to Adams (so far anyways). If we just could get a fiscally fit alternative to Leonard, this could make for a good May primary in PDX proper.
I thought we were supposed to be against public financing for campaigns? And now you go and run a story that does a good job showing that public financing enables candidates to challenge the local power elite.
No, it doesn't. It gives them public money that should be spent on other things. The fact that decent candidates take tax money for their campaigns doesn't validate its expenditure. And for every dollar Lewis gets, some hack like Streetcar Smith gets one, too. No thanks.
It is about time someone running for office downtown paid attention to the East side of town. Hopefully it's not a stunt like Randy's vote-for-this-East-side-guy campaign, especially considering his major agenda items, duct tape and spray paint.
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Last week we half-kiddingly suggested that Portland City Council candidate Charles Lewis should spend some of his "clean money" -- taxpayer-supplied campaign funds -- to fix potholes as a 
Comments (14)
Ummm, but I thought we were supposed to be against public financing for campaigns? And now you go and run a story that does a good job showing that public financing enables candidates to challenge the local power elite.
Posted by George Seldes | February 11, 2008 6:26 AM
WHo cares? He is fixing potholes and not charging your water bill for it. I think VoE is an incidental issue to fixing said potholes.
Who knows? We have bike riding celebrations, maybe we'll have something that makes a diff like pothole days. Unless Sam tries to shut this down on some techincality.
Posted by Steve | February 11, 2008 9:24 AM
It's great to have another alternative to Adams. I like what I'm hearing about Lewis more so than Sho...altho Sho is still preferrable to Adams (so far anyways). If we just could get a fiscally fit alternative to Leonard, this could make for a good May primary in PDX proper.
Posted by Bob Clark | February 11, 2008 9:37 AM
Were the pothole campaign Lewis' first capital venture into public service, my ****-detector would register well past "stunt."
Read the guy's bio. His words may just speak a bit more loudly because of his actions, present and past.
I and several friends are happy to support Charles Lewis in his attempt to wage a clean money campaign.
(Fixing a few streets is a hellabonus!)
Posted by East Bank Thom | February 11, 2008 10:45 AM
It looks like the mayors race is between Lewis and Sho. Who's Sham?
Posted by lw | February 11, 2008 11:13 AM
I thought Lewis was running for a City Council position not for mayor.
Posted by Mike | February 11, 2008 12:36 PM
I thought we were supposed to be against public financing for campaigns? And now you go and run a story that does a good job showing that public financing enables candidates to challenge the local power elite.
No, it doesn't. It gives them public money that should be spent on other things. The fact that decent candidates take tax money for their campaigns doesn't validate its expenditure. And for every dollar Lewis gets, some hack like Streetcar Smith gets one, too. No thanks.
Posted by Jack Bog | February 11, 2008 2:16 PM
Oh, Boyles -- here we go again!
Posted by Dean | February 11, 2008 2:29 PM
This is not like Boyles. He's filling potholes, not his pie-hole.
Posted by Jack Bog | February 11, 2008 2:51 PM
I have to agree with Jack.
Our local elected officials are very adept at siphoning public tax dollars for their social engineering projects and developer subsidies.
Why not take some social engineering funds and spend it on road repair.
Turnabout is fair play.
I'll vote for Fritz or Lewis, but I'm not sure which.
Posted by Mister Tee | February 11, 2008 4:54 PM
My bet is the city will stop him on some legal issue.
Posted by dman | February 11, 2008 5:15 PM
If the city of Portland tries to stop him, like Darth Vader tried to strike down Obi-won ,Lewis will rise but even more powerful. Use the force Chuck!
Posted by airwolf | February 11, 2008 7:11 PM
It is about time someone running for office downtown paid attention to the East side of town. Hopefully it's not a stunt like Randy's vote-for-this-East-side-guy campaign, especially considering his major agenda items, duct tape and spray paint.
Posted by kevin | February 12, 2008 8:56 AM
It's too bad Lewis and Fritz are running for the same seat...
Posted by Mike | February 12, 2008 6:03 PM