Latest ads in the Portland races
Kari Chisholm
With just over a week ago, there's a flurry of new ads up. Eileen Brady and Jefferson Smith are keeping it positive, while Amanda Fritz and Mary Nolan have the knives out for each other.
In her latest ad, Eileen Brady makes it clear to Portland voters what her values are. She's a progressive, and will work to fund schools, protect the environment, and stand up for women's rights and marriage equality.
With his third ad, Jefferson Smith offers a 30-second cut of his announcement speech in which he says "Portland can be a city that works for everyone" and "be an example for the world". The cheering crowd is probably a helpful contrast with his earlier two ads.
If Charlie Hales has a new ad up, it's not on YouTube. Having had to pull two ads that falsely claimed credit for school funding work in 2003 that was actually done by Randy Leonard, Hales appears to be relying on his pothole ad from a month ago.
Meanwhile, over in the City Council race, Mary Nolan takes Amanda Fritz to task - and uses the PolitiFact "false" icon to do it - before pivoting to an endorsement message:
Amanda Fritz doesn't name her opponent, but takes aim at campaign fundraising. Strangely, her ad wonders aloud "what else could you do with all that money?" Which is, of course, exactly wrong. Campaign donations are private funds - not taxpayer dollars. And it seems counter to Fritz's support of clean-money campaign financing, since it's that now-defunct program that would divert funds from city services to funding campaigns. (Something I support, by the way.) The ad just doesn't make any logical sense.
Discuss.
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4:33 p.m.
May 7, '12
I find it interesting that all the other things that could be funded that Amanda Fritz mentions in her ads are things Mary Nolan fought for in the State House. Mary Nolan has fought to protect public school funding and has volunteered her time on school bond campaigns across the city. She also led the way to create scholarships for part time students, which is hugely beneficial to community college students.
(Full disclosure, I work on Mary Nolan's campaign.)
4:34 p.m.
May 7, '12
Rep. Nolan has an impressive record of accomplishment over the past 30 years; she's a true progressive who gets things done.
I've watched her through my time in Portland and have grown to admire her greatly.
She will be a solid addition to the new city council, providing strong leadership.
Disclaimer: I co-chair Bike Walk Vote, a group that has also been impressed and endorsed her.
9:01 p.m.
May 7, '12
Full disclosure: My firm built Eileen Brady's campaign website. I speak only for myself.
6:34 p.m.
May 8, '12
As it becomes more apparent the City Council race will go to November, I worry about Fritz's campaign finance stance, and if she will be able to sustain it. She has already donated a substantial amount of money to her campaign, and can not possibly hope to repay it in $50 increments from the public. This causes me to worry that, if re-elected, she will be forced to take large donations once back in office- and, as her ad says, what else could you do with all that money?
(Full disclosure: I work with Mary Nolan on her campaign)
9:23 p.m.
May 8, '12
I have been pleased with Mary Nolan's work in Salem. I have been pleased with Amanda Fritz's work in City Hall (and have worked on all three of her campaigns).
What I find disturbing is that Mary Nolan decided to run for City Council against the Council's only female member when there was an empty seat; Nolan has run a significantly negative campaign while stressing things that are not in the purview of the City; Nolan claimed that every member of the unions whose leaderships have endorsed her are her supporters, which is obviously untrue.
Why is she leaving Salem? Why is she claiming that the 9-1-1 system is Amanda's fault when the problems with the system predate Amanda coming into office. Why does she claim that Amanda's successful attempt to save money by avoiding the unnecessary filtering system is irrelevant when the full success of bucking EPA has been achieved.
Why did she misrepresent the budget issues in the Equality office--saying that it was money wasted when the budget returns to the general fund, plus, and that it is wrong to allow the director of the office to create his own plan, Nolan seemed to think it was preferable to keep Dante James from being involved in creating the office he was hired to run.
The campaign that Nolan has run looks desperate not the work of a person I want on the Council.
I am disappointed in the character flaws her campaign has shown.
8:58 a.m.
May 9, '12
Why anyone would leave Salem and being part of a highly partisan 90 member body, for a job that doesn't involve an hour-long commute and where you are one of five votes in a nonpartisan system?
Really? Do you really think that's a hard question to answer?
Nolan has served six terms in the legislature. I think 12 years of yeoman's work in Salem has demonstrated her ability to be one of our City's most effective leaders.