That phrase drew a laugh at our Thanksgiving feast yesterday, but I mean it. It wasn't at the top of my list, of course - food, shelter, kids happy and doing well in school, my amazing husband, the recent visit of my parents, and other such blessings came first. But as my volunteers and I continue to collect $5 donations to reach 1000 and qualify for Public Campaign Financing, I realize even more what a difference it makes to our political process.

Collecting 1000 $5 contributions while following all the gathering and reporting rules, and getting the forms filled out 100% correctly, is hard. Anyone who thinks otherwise has never tried to do it. And as time goes by, in all our waking hours and sometimes while asleep, candidates' brains can't help but return to the questions: "Who might give me $5 for this campaign, and how do I get them to do it?"

Succeeding in filing the 1000 donations is huge. Qualifying means having money to outreach to citizens who aren't paying as much attention as you are, reading this blog. Qualifying means being able to hire experienced campaign workers and consultants. Qualifying means being recognized as a candidate with community support, organizing skills, and diligence - the purpose of the 1000 donations standard.

Qualifying means I will be able to stop asking people for money. And that's why I am particularly thankful for Public Campaign Financing, yesterday, today and tomorrow. I keep realizing anew that if I had to keep soliciting campaign contributions for the next year, through the November 2008 election, I would not be the same person at the end of the process. Especially if I had to ask people I don't even know for $50, $500, or $5000 or more, each time. Currently, my train of thought in considering the question, "Who might give me $5 for this campaign, and how do I get them to do it?", runs along lists of people I've volunteered with, in neighborhoods all over Portland. People I know, people who trust me, people who have the same values and want a voice for them on City Council. Some of those folks I hesitate to ask for even $5, knowing their struggles from paycheck to paycheck.

If I were running using traditional fundraising, the question would be different. Knowing how long it takes to raise money in small chunks, and how little time there is to do everything needed in a campaign, the question would become, "Who might give me a lot of money for this campaign, and how do I get them to do it?" My list of people to ask would be different, based on affluence, and the "how do I get them to do it?" part would be radically changed, too. Now, "how do I get them to do it?" is a matter of how to make sure the form is filled out correctly, and when do I ask in relation to Other Stuff in life like work schedules, payday, holidays and suchlike. I'm told by elected officials who've run under Fundraising as Usual, that conversations with prospective Big Money donors are more like interviews, often including overt as well as unstated demands for policy direction and votes once elected. I would not be in this race, if I had to do that.

I'm running because I want someone on the City Council who is accountable to all citizens, rather than to affluent donors or powerful special interests. In this campaign, as last time, I haven't accepted any $100 seed money donations, even though such contributions are allowed under the program. I'm building my campaign entirely on $5s collected by community volunteers. I'm running because over decades of participating in City processes, I've seen some citizens in Portland are More Equal than others (using George Orwell's Animal Farm phrase), and I want to change that.

If you do, too, and you're a registered Portland voter who hasn't contributed $5 to my campaign yet, please e-mail me with your address and phone number, and I'll arrange for a friendly neighborhood volunteer to contact you and get the form filled out. Please do it today. I really want to stop asking people for money, leaving more time and energy for conversations about how to make Portland an even better place to live, work, study, and play.

While writing this post, a knock at my front door turned out to be a neighbor with two more donations. That brings the total to 708 - so close, and yet so far.