I decided to run for the Portland City Council on Monday, October 1. Three days later, the morning after Sam Adams declared his intent to seek election as Mayor thus vacating the Commissioner # 1 seat, I filed papers allowing me to start collecting $5 donations from registered Portland voters to qualify for Public Campaign Finance Fund financing.

Hint: If you're considering running for election, leave a little more time between the decision and the action.

I've collected the 100 signatures needed to file by petition to be on the ballot, in ten days. And thanks to my amazing volunteers, we're closing in on 200 donations of $5 from registered Portland voters, in two weeks.

And we've only just begun.

If you've been waiting for instructions on how, when, and where to donate $5 to my campaign, thank you for your patience. Please stop by and see me at one of the following Meet, Greet, Give-and-get-receipt events THIS WEEK:

Note that the proprietors of these fine establishments don't necessarily endorse my campaign - they're civic-minded people committed to providing comfortable places for social interaction in Portland, who've graciously given permission for me to invite citizens to visit with me at these times. And I chose them for serving great coffee and yummy treats, too.

Check back here in the next day or so, as I hope to add times/locations in NE, North, and East Portland shortly, for this coming Saturday and Sunday afternoon/evening.

Some folks have asked me to mail forms. My volunteers and I are collecting my donations face-to-face, for several reasons:

* I believe Public Campaign Financing is about citizens' active participation making more difference than writing a check.
* We're having fun knocking on our neighbors' doors and chatting about issues as well as collecting donations.
* I want my donors to be thanked in person.
* I'm aiming for 100% accuracy in filling out the forms.
* It doesn't make sense to me for the sender of a mailed contribution to sign both as donor and recipient of the $5 contribution, even though it's allowed with the new triplicate form under the revised rules. I want my donors to have a receipt signed by someone I've authorized to collect on my behalf.
* Portlanders should have absolutely no room for doubt that anyone qualifying for Public Campaign Financing this cycle did indeed receive 1000 donations of $5, freely given and properly documented. By collecting in person with trusted authorized solicitors, I will know for sure that each donation is valid.

I held my campaign to higher than the minimum standards last time. Even though the bar for all has already been raised substantially, I intend to do so again this cycle.

Please help by coming to one of these events to give me your donation for this amazing exercise of participatory democracy in Portland.