Here’s the last chance for the candidates in Portland’s incredibly publicly financed race to make their pitch. Candidates across the city races have done a remarkable job putting up with our weekly questions, and have turned in great answers. But this group of five publicly financed candidates is extra special—they’ve all answered every single question, and they’ve all turned in every single one on time. Not only that, but they’ve gone the extra mile—their answers are thoughtful, detailed, and have been known to include links to resources, and even to videos. Frankly, we’d be lucky to have any one of them on the city council. Heck, maybe we should do a quick ballot measure, expanding the council from five to nine members! (And props to Mike Fahey, the sixth candidate in the race, for popping in one last time.) The entire archive of their responses can be found here.

The final question is simple, and the candidates give great summaries of who they are and what they offer:

Why should voters pick you?

John Branam
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: john4pdx.org
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $44,593.88 currently in the bank

Ahhhh, the last question. To Amy and the Mercury, thanks for giving us the forum to express our thoughts on so many issues. And to those of you who have read some or all of our responses, thanks for taking the time. This election offers Portlanders a unique opportunity to reshape our council and thus the decision is a particularly important one. Without question I have enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to run for Portland’s City Council, and I continue to look forward to the opportunity to serve our city.

Voters should pick me because I’ll work around the clock to Strengthen our Schools; Protect our Environment; Make our city More Livable; Supporting Small Businesses and Creating Jobs; and will do so by bringing a Collaborative Leadership style to City Hall.

Strengthening Our Schools: As a former teacher and the current Director of Development for Portland Public Schools, I’ve worked diligently, and collaboratively, to raise millions of dollars for our kids. I believe strong schools, infused with the arts and music, are the core of our neighborhoods and are essential for businesses to locate and stay here. Ensuring our kids have the opportunities to learn and grow and to have the skills they need to be competitive in the global economy is an obligation we all share. As such, it is essential that our City Council take a leadership role in offering strategic support for our schools while working to create a Portland Education Plan that is crafted with input from our parents, teachers, Principals, Superintendents, University Presidents, businesses leaders and City Commissioners.

Check out the rest of Branam’s wrap-up, along with those of his competitors, after the jump!

Protecting our Environment: I believe we must redouble our efforts to reduce our city's carbon footprint. We must accelerate our investments in bike, walk and mass transit options. To both preserve our environment and to stimulate our economy we must use less energy and use better sources. For buildings, our challenge is making investments in advanced energy efficiency, clean energy technologies, and clean, district-scale infrastructure. Each of these efforts alone is an investment, which would produce a financial return. Progress has been slow, in part because building owners have not shown a willingness to make these investments.

As a City Commissioner I will take a leadership role in order to make these investments attractive to the right investors through policy direction and by creating a more attractive scale for investment. If we know we need to make these investments across the city over the next 20 years, we can create the framework today and chart our own future. This role is something only cities have the ability to do, and the good news is that doing so will bring substantial investments in exactly the kinds of activities that we want. Further, this proactive approach will be much more effective for us than waiting for mandates to be handed down from federal and state government.

Portland has been a leading city in the U.S. when it comes to addressing the challenges surrounding our transportation systems. We have been working with other levels of government to reduce dependence on the car, and we have only begun this effort. In addition, we can accelerate the pace by which vehicles convert to clean energy technologies by fostering better integration of vehicles into our energy infrastructure. For example, hybrid vehicles already are shifting to electricity (see pluginpartners.org). If we know that vehicles, especially those that could serve our neighborhoods, are going to plug into our buildings and power grid, what if we created a program to make this happen faster? Again, these investments are going to have to be made, so we could benefit by understanding this and making our city the most attractive place in the country for these investments.

Portland must turn this challenge into an economic development strategy for the next 20 years. We import $1.6 billion dollars worth of energy per year, which means we get almost no economic benefit beyond what consuming energy allows us to do. If we capture the economic benefits of advanced efficiency and energy producing technologies, our economy will grow and we will create new jobs. The influx of solar and wind companies into Portland and Oregon is evidence of what the future could hold for us.

Already, many of our Portland businesses are rapidly growing as a result of programs and policies that have focused around sustainability. In fact, many of these emerging companies have begun to organize around the issue, such as those that participate in PDXLounge. Businesses around the world know that Portland is a place for leadership. I would encourage these efforts by providing the leadership and needed capacity.

It is pivotal for Portland to continue to lead the nation in our response to global warming for the natural environment we all cherish and our economic vitality. Future leadership at City Hall must make this a priority, regardless of portfolio assignments. I am committed to doing just that.

Making Portland More Livable: I will work hard to ensure Portland is a city in which all people, regardless of race or income, can live. It's a problem, I believe, when some Portlanders pay $600 per square foot to buy a condo while thousands still struggle to afford $600 per month in rent.

We must increase and protect affordable housing in Portland. To do so I will: 1) hold PDC to its required 30% budgetary commitment to public housing; 2) work with my fellow Commissioners to grow our general fund support for workforce development supports such as BHCD’s Economic Opportunities program; 3) work collaboratively with the many results-oriented non-profits that provide housing, social services support and economic opportunities assistance through the BHCD/ City’s grants; 4) encourage the legislature to pass a real estate transfer tax that will be a state-wide set-aside for affordable housing; and 5) support home ownership and assistance programs that, in particular, work to close the home ownership gap.

I will work hard to preserve our strong and vibrant neighborhoods where all Portlanders can bike, walk and take mass transit to accomplish their daily needs.

Supporting Small Businesses and Creating Jobs: Although Portland has taken important steps towards being more supportive of our businesses, we still have much work to do. Most importantly, we must continue to invest in supporting small and medium-sized businesses.

As Commissioner I will support providing training and assistance dollars for businesses that fall outside Urban Renewal Areas, but that would benefit from additional technical support. Further, I will support increasing our investment in the Association of Portland’s Neighborhood Business Associations as it works to support each of our 35 business districts.

Portland must also prioritize additional investments in workforce development. I will encourage us to be strategic in helping ensure workers are well trained to take advantage of opportunities as they arise and particularly during tough times. I will also support Worksystems, Inc., a nonprofit connecting job seekers with employers by funding career placement and training services. Further, I will increase support for the Bureau of Housing and Community Development, via its Economic Opportunities program, as they work to support those among us who most struggle during economic downturns. Finally, I will work collaboratively with other key non-profits, our schools and community colleges, as these relationships will become increasingly important in combating the slowdown.

Providing Collaborative Leadership: Our city needs Commissioners who can bring Portlanders together. We need leaders who know how to work with existing community and governmental leaders to move Portland forward. We also need a leader whose life experiences are different from, but complimentary to, our existing council. I believe I’m that person. I grew up in Corvallis and am the son of a janitor. I have a law degree from the University of Oregon, served in the Peace Corps in South Africa, and worked both for the United Nations in Kenya and the AFL-CIO Civil Rights Department in Washington DC. I provided significant leadership as the Program Director for an educational non-profit. Here in Portland I have been a neighborhood chair, an active volunteer with many non-profits and, in addition to my work for Portland Public Schools, am a member of numerous non-profit advisory boards.

In sum, I believe Portlanders should vote for me because I have the leadership skills, the vision, the passion and the energy to move our city forward. And as you make your final decision regarding who to vote for I’d invite you to visit my website at www.john4pdx.org. Thank you, in advance, for your vote for Portland’s City Council position number one.

Charles Lewis
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: charleslewis.com
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $77,347.49 currently in the bank

Over the past several months I have laid out my vision for our City. My progressive platform includes a common sense back to basics approach with a focus on increasing access to affordable housing, sound infrastructure and thriving civic engagement. I believe it's time City Hall stopped funding "pet projects" like the Tram and million dollar condos in the South Waterfront and focused on everyday people and everyday problems. As a Voter-Owned Candidate, I have the independence to act in the best interests of Portland, not developers and other special interests.

We've heard similar rhetoric from a number of candidates. What distinguishes me from my opponents is a demonstrated commitment to both fiscal and social responsibility. A decade ago I founded Ethos Music Center in response to budget cuts that decimated arts education programs in our Public Schools. I went without salary for a year and a half and slept on a friend's couch while the organization got off the ground. What started as a small, volunteer driven nonprofit now serves over 2,200 children in our community every year. My work with Ethos highlights my ability to identify problems and bring people together to find solutions.

As our Country and City slide deeper into recession, we need leadership with a keen sense of fiscal responsibility. Last year, Ethos had 78 employees and a budget approaching $1 million. As Executive Director, I am responsible for managing that budget and making payroll for our employees. I am the only candidate in this race who has ever managed an organization the size of a city bureau. In addition to my work with Ethos, I have also owned a successful small business, The Portland Duck Tours, and have a Master's in Public Policy with a concentration in Business and Government from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. I know what it will take to build a stable base of strong, local businesses that will weather any economic storm.

Troubled economic times aren't around the corner, they are already here. My background as the Executive Director of a nationally recognized nonprofit, small business owner and community advocate give me a unique understanding of the problems Portland will face in the coming years and the management experience to find innovative solutions. I would be honored to have your support. Mail those ballots in before May 20th!

Charles Lewis
Candidate, Portland City Council Seat #1
P.S. Even Storm Large has commented on my ability to bring people together!

Chris Smith
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: citizensmith.us
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $18,241.77 currently in the bank

I offer not just a commitment to basic services, but a strategy on how Portland will prosper in a rapidly changing world, by:

- Continuing to lead North American cities in sustainability, reducing our vulnerability to rising energy prices and showing other cities how to head off global warming.
- Developing a prosperous economy selling our expertise in sustainability (and related goods and services like Streetcar vehicles) to other cities in the U.S. and around the world; and by encouraging clean industries like software development.
- Emphasizing housing production for working class families, not just high-end market housing and subsidized affordable housing.
- Ensuring that we continue to be the best city possible by leveraging the involvement of caring, committed citizens, keeping our decision processes open to the citizen involvement that has made Portland the wonderful city that I fell in love with 20 years ago.

I appreciate the effort that Amy and the Mercury have put into organizing this ongoing series of questions and humbly ask my fellow citizens for their vote when ballots begin arriving this weekend.

Thank you!

Chris Smith
Candidate for Portland City Commissioner Position # 1

Mike Fahey
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: friendsofmikefahey.com
Financial status: $16,215.00 in contributions to date, $7,841.24 currently in the bank

I am a native Portlander with a deep belief in contributing to this community that has provided me with so many opportunities. I believe I am the only candidate for City Council Position No. 1 who has won elective office within the City's boundaries--two terms as State Representative from District 17. In addition, I have run two campaigns covering all of the Portland area--1992 for Mayor and 1998 for State Labor Commissioner. I am the only candidate whose work experience covers small business ownership, labor union jobs, and elective office. In my more than 40 years of service to our community I have been active with many youth sports programs, student work experience programs, and the Delaunay Mental Health Board. Twenty-five years ago I started the Carpenters Food Bank and continue to participate in this operation, which has provided over 1 million meals to families in need, seniors, and persons who are unemployed, homeless, and disabled. In 1998 I received the Multnomah County Gladys McCoy Citizen Involvement Award.

Mike Fahey

Amanda Fritz
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: amandafritzforcitycouncil.com
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $30,990.54 currently in the bank

Dear Mercury Readers,

With this last Mercury Blogtown question, and the ballots being mailed tomorrow, I feel like this is the last in a series of dates, and I have to find the right words so you will want to hang out with me more. I do not know if you are going to call me, because I spoke my mind, didn't always tell you what you wanted to hear, and made you pay your fair share. Please know that the issues facing our city are important to me, and no matter who you vote for on May 20th, Portland relies on your ongoing participation.

Thank you, Amy and the rest of the Mercury staff, for providing these opportunities for readers to ask questions directly to candidates. You pushed us to work on defining our positions on a broad range of topics. I congratulate Jeff for winning the Mercury's endorsement, and Charles for getting the Tribune's. There are six good candidates for Position 1, leaving no doubt that Public Campaign Financing has changed politics in Portland to the benefit of citizens.

I ask for your vote because:

1. We need a new Commissioner with a record of getting things done in Portland, and who knows that laudable ideology sometimes makes everyday life harder for regular Portlanders. My attention to practical details is something our city desperately needs, to ensure that money is spent wisely to benefit all 95 neighborhoods. I will work to fund more services citywide, using the City's $3 billion budget carefully.

2. I will focus on providing more good paying jobs and safe, affordable housing so you can continue to live, work, and play in Portland. I have worked a swing shift job in our community for 22 years. I have specific plans to support our local economy through the recession - please see this post on my campaign web site, www.AmandaFritzforCityCouncil.com.

3. You will not find a more passionate champion for Portland's pre-K through higher education system, for students, families, and educators, than Amanda Fritz. This September, all three of my children (graduates of Portland Public Schools) will be in college. Excellence in education, tuition challenges, and equity in opportunities matter to me. I will find ways to support children, college students, and educators through City decisions. Good schools = Good jobs.

4. I am not embarking on a career as a politician, rather I want to help improve systems inside and outside City Hall. As a grassroots volunteer in Portland for 22 years, I know what has been tried and failed, and what needs to be done, to empower citizens and provide more cost-effective services in neighborhoods. Citizens should have impact, not just input.

5. As a Registered Nurse working in Portland, for 22 years I have helped some of the most vulnerable people in our society recover from acute mental illnesses. I walked the picket line for 56 days in the OHSU nurses' strike, winning living wages for nurses while stopping hospitals from laying off staff and endangering patients' lives. Some of my attention to implementation actions is because nurses know that details matter, and so do long-term, visible outcomes. Nurses work hard, we get things done, we care about people, we act collaboratively as well as independently. I will bring those skills to the City Council.

Thank you for participating in this important decision. I ask for your vote, believing you will not regret making that call.

Jeff Bissonnette
Position sought: Commissioner #1
Website: portlandersforjeff.com
Financial status: $150,000 in public funding, $112,563.56 currently in the bank

Thanks for the opportunity to participate in the "Questions of the Week" over the last several weeks.

I'm running for the Portland City Council because I believe that Portland can be a city that works better for all of us. I'm focused on issues related to better employment, a better environment, better education and better accountability. I am a community organizer and I've spent the last 10 years as a consumer advocate, working for the Citizens' Utility Board of Oregon, mostly in the legislature passing pro-consumer legislation and developing clean energy policies.

I'm running because I'm concerned that we, as Portlanders, cannot point to the two, three or four industries that we can say that will drive our economy for the next decade or two. I want to be involved in strategically targeting potential industries that can support our economy and I want to use by background working with clean energy industries to have that be one of the strategic areas we develop as an economic anchor.

I also believe that the City Council needs to get outside City Hall and reconnect with neighborhoods and communities throughout the city. As a St. Johns resident, I have a sense of the feeling of many neighborhoods and residents, especially in the outer neighborhoods, of not being considered full partners in the life of the city and determining city directions. I want to bring my community organizer background to the council to bring marginalized communities into the discussion and the consumer advocate mindset to the council to make sure that all residents get value from their investment in the city.

I have the experience to be a strong member of the city council from day one. I know that we can do a better job listening to neighborhoods and businesses throughout the city because I've spent the last 20 years as a community organizer, listening to and being accountable to broad constituencies.

I know that we can bring diverse groups together to solve problems because for the past 10 years I've been leading a broad coalition of consumer groups, environmental organizations, human service agencies, faith groups, business entities and labor groups to develop innovative solutions to complex energy policy issues.

I know that we can be successful in promoting agressive, pro-people agendas through the City Council decision-making process because I've been doing that in the legislature since 1999, no matter if the legislature is under Republican or Democratic control.

That is a key point. At the end of the day, the City Council is a political body and a successful City Commissioner needs to identify needs, work with residents and broad stakeholders to develop solutions, create an agenda around the solutions and move that agenda through the council decision-making process. And that needs to happen again and again.

I believe that I have the best mix of experience, outlook and ability to work with the required political and administrative systems to be a successful City Commissioner representing the entire city. For more information about my qualifications and issue positions, please visit my website at www.portlandersforjeff.com .

Thanks for the opportunity to outline issues over the last several weeks and I look forward to the opportunity at least to May 20 and hopefully beyond.

I respectfully ask each Portlander for their vote.