Portland’s Big Give

[April 16th, 2008]

Politicians are always spending other people’s money. In the 2004 primary, Commissioner Sam Adams raised $384,000 from private donors.

This year is the biggest test so far of Portland’s public financing system—five of six candidates vying to replace Adams each got $150,000 from the city to spend through the May 20 primary.

What are they buying with your money? Oh, the usual—staff, cell phones, lawn signs, stamps, advertising, brochures and other political paraphernalia. But a close look at their expenses reveals some personality quirks and strategic differences. For example:

Nurse and activist Amanda Fritz has learned the value of conventional politicking. Fritz will spend more than $39,000 on ads—produced by Tim Findlay, an independent producer who also works for the consulting firm of political chess-master Mark Wiener—set to air this month on Comcast Cable. The ad buy isn’t yet listed on her spending reports, but WW got a record of it from Comcast.

Fritz is also the only candidate in the race to commission a poll, dropping $12,000 for a survey by Goodwin Simon Victoria Research. Fritz says the poll will help focus her message—a lesson learned from her failed 2006 Council bid.

John Branam, Portland Public Schools’ development director, is spending like a teenage clotheshorse with Daddy’s credit card. Branam has already spent $80,000—double any of his opponents. About a third has gone toward the $25,000 salary of campaign manager Phil Busse, a former Portland Mercury editor (“Trail Mix,” WW, March 19, 2008)— an expenditure that the city auditor’s office is investigating.

Branam is paying a premium for other services, too. His website cost more than $8,000. Did Branam shoot his wad before voters were awake? “My strategy has been, ‘Let’s get my name out there,’” Branam says. “Wherever we’re going, people say, ‘Oh hey, I got a door hanger. Or, ‘I saw your ad in Willamette Week.’” (Indeed, Branam has spent $1,500 to advertise with WW. Charles Lewis spent $450. Reporters don’t get commissions.)

Charles Lewis, founder of Portland Duck Tours and the Ethos Music Center, is either a cheapskate or creatively thrifty—or possibly both. Lewis spent $600 on gravel to fill potholes—with TV cameras on hand, of course. “We computed it out, and it was like $30,000 worth of earned media,” Lewis says.

He’s also the only candidate besides Fritz in this race to spring for a TV spot, spending $714 for a three-day run of a self-produced ad. Lewis spent $5,800 on camera and computer equipment, to keep design work in-house. He says he’ll donate the gear to a school or a nonprofit—“not Ethos”—after the campaign.

Chris Smith, a transportation wonk and Xerox Web techie, and Jeff Bissonnette, a utilities activist, invested in direct mail and drop-off brochures. There are few surprises in their reports.

Ironically, the race’s only privately financed candidate—also the most experienced pol—is running on the cheap. Former state Rep. Mike Fahey expects to spend $25,000, tops. So far he’s raised $15,200—mostly from his own pockets, with a $7,000 contribution from labor lawyer Roger Worthington. He’s spent under $9,000. Mainly brochures. Fahey’s staff? Unpaid. His campaign HQ? His house. His view of public financing? A waste of money that “would fill a lot of potholes.”