Jesse Cornett has qualified for public financing this afternoon. Here's his press release, shamelessly cut and pasted. This is a candidate's dream:
Jesse Cornett Qualifies as the Only 2010 Voter-Owned Candidate for City Council
PORTLAND — City Council candidate Jesse Cornett officially qualified today for public financing in his race to unseat City Commissioner Dan Saltzman. As the only 2010 candidate to qualify under Portland’s voter-owned elections program (and the final candidate before voters decide whether to keep the program in November), Cornett vowed to bring a new and more energetic vision to Portland in his campaign.
“Portland is a great city and it deserves energetic, proactive leadership every single day,” Cornett said. “City Hall needs to focus on our core priorities to ensure that Portland remains a great city. We need to do more than just talk about creating jobs, we need action. That's how the city can be a partner for Portland's schools and ensure they are as great as our children deserve. Right now, we are lagging behind. We simply can't keep electing the same people and expect anything to be different. It’s time to move Portland forward.”
Cornett promised voters a vigorous campaign reaching every corner of the city and said he would engage Portlanders at opportunity. "Dan Saltzman is the longest-serving member of the City Council, and Portlanders deserve a serious debate about whether he deserves a fourth term."
"This is going to be a grassroots campaign. Voter-owned elections means I'll be talking to voters every day, not holed up in a campaign office dialing for dollars.” If elected, Cornett plans plans to be the most accessible City Commissioner in recent history.
Cornett was a co-founder of the Oregon Bus Project, BlueOregon.com, and has worked for Congressman Earl Blumenauer and Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury. Most recently, he served as the Government Relations Director at Portland State University. Voters can already read about Cornett’s campaign and ideas at jessecornett.com
