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Carla Axtman
This is fantastic.
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connect with blueoregon
Dec 15, '09
Cannon hasn't had to take money from lobbyists because he's received 10's of thousands of dollars from family members during his four years in office.
Lobbyist money gets a bad rap, but it includes groups like OLCV, OEA, SEIU...etc. I'd rather have a state rep owe his place in the legislature to lobbyists...than 6 or 7 family members.
Dec 15, '09
I would rather have someone who has taken contributions from individuals the candidate knows than from out of state money, or caucus money, or any lobbyist. OEA doesn't always "speak for the little guy" unless you think their support of Billy Dalto [R-Salem] was "support for the little guy". They are just as capable of playing political games as anyone else--look at their support for Gene Derfler and Neil Bryant.
I can remember the time before campaigns got expensive and centralized, when state rep. candidates hired locals as campaign managers and collected local donations at neighborhood coffees and low cost fundraisers. But then, they also put walking the district above dialing for dollars, had "mailing parties" to send out mailers instead of hiring a mailing company, that sort of thing.
In 2006, my Republican state rep. at one point had collected more from out of state than a first time challenger was able to raise period.
Did that mean only someone with professional fundraising skills should have run because that is the kind of legislator we want?
Or do we want more legislators like Ben Cannon who support open public process and intelligent solutions to problems?
Time to have that debate--Thanks Ben for starting the discussion with 1000 Twenties.
12:08 p.m.
Dec 15, '09
Thanks, Carla, for the post. And thanks also to the 170 folks who have already donated!
Video production credit goes to Travis Huntington and his crew at Almanac Pictures for finding a creative and interesting way to animate the concept.
As to family contributions, I just looked over my records and did the math. I have raised approximately $100,000 from 600 different individual donors since I first became a candidate in 2006. Just over $14,000 of that is from family, including $2,700 that Liz and I donated ourselves. The largest contribution from another family member was $2,500. Most of the 14 members who have donated gave $100 or $200. So yes, I have received support from family, constituting about 14% of the total funds that I have raised.
I am hugely grateful to my family for their support, particularly when all of this began and before I was widely considered a viable candidate. My sister, an artist and musician in Portland, designed my very first walk piece, practically overnight. Since the very start, my dad has been my campaign treasurer and done all my C&Es. Several of my cousins banded together to donate a few thousand dollars at an early stage. I think I would join nearly every other legislator in saying that this job would not be possible without the significant and selfless support that we receive from our families!
Dec 15, '09
Definitely good stuff. Kind of the same idea that Sean Tevis in Kansas used -- large number of donors/small dollars, interesting way to present the fundraising pitch, effective use of the internet... Good luck!
Dec 15, '09
Family money - are you suggesting that Cannon is politically beholden to his family? Like because they got him elected they're going to bark orders at him and set his political agenda? Puh-lease. You're treating a candidate's family just like they're another lobby.
Candidates already get elected largely because of the love and support of their family members anyway, so this wouldn't really change anything.
If all candidates were elected sans big lobby money - whether or not they have family money - politics would be a hell of a lot cleaner.
And besides, as the man said, his family counted for only 14% of his donations.
Sweet video, Ben.
10:01 a.m.
Dec 16, '09
Ben, you are one of the people I will miss the most as I leave Oregon. You have provide a rock-solid connection between your constituents and the government in your time in the legislature. Your town hall meetings are always genuine and informative discussions, and I've never once seen you shy away from an issue that was too difficult or politically toxic.
The way you've approached your job has helped me to learn about complex issues and complex processes in state government. You and your excellent staff have made it possible for me to engage with legislative processes and testify at hearings.
I doubt I'll find a representative in San Francisco who wants my $20 and my input the way you do. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Dec 16, '09
I would like to see monopoly money $20s with the principle articulated on the back, that one could use to canvas wherever and whenever.
If we have a future, this is it!