If there’s two causes for which I’ve been a steadfast champion throughout my decades of advocacy as a community leader, it’s my stalwart commitment to fighting for a low-carbon communities and my commitment to getting big money out of politics. I believe that big money is corrupting our politics in the same manner in which carbon is polluting our atmosphere – our democracy depends on elections having to be won instead of bought, and our rising oceans demand nothing short of radical transformation of our land use and transportation decisions to manage the decline of fossil fuel infrastructure, not more of the status quo.
It’s been evident for months that my opponent in the November election does not share these commitments to either accountable elections and saving the planet.
But this week, my campaign learned that my opponent has taken donations from staunch Rose Quarter Freeway Expansion supporters, including a $1000 contribution from the president of a business chosen to win contracts for the project as well a contribution from a member of the Oregon Transportation Commission.
As of today, my opponent has reported at least 24 donors who have given her at least $1000 – including $9000 from the Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors.
I am running a grassroots campaign because I believe that everyday Portlanders, not corporate interests with deep pockets, should be deciding who will stick up for climate justice at our regional government.
I assume you probably don’t have $9000 sitting around to donate to my campaign – and if you did, I couldn’t take it, because I’ve voluntarily capped my campaign contributions at $500. I’m not a career politician – I’m just a grassroots wonk who knows that solving our overlapping housing, transportation, covid-19 and climate crises will require brave leadership and policy acumen unencumbered by the messy politics of attempting to govern while answering to those who gave large corporate campaign contributions.
Here’s the bad news. My opponent *is* a career politician, she *is* taking $9000 donations from corporate interests, and I’m about 25 donations short of my goal for the month of July.
I’ve had 85 donations this month, with 80% of them being for $100 or less. But my campaign manager insists that I get 25 more donations before the end of the weekend; until we have massive campaign finance reform (which I hope to work on at Metro!), I simply have to ask you to dig deep, if you’re able, to invest in getting an unapologetic climate champion elected to the Metro Council.
Will you please join my grassroots campaign and donate today?
