Many people may not be aware that State Representative Ben Cannon is the only member of the Oregon Legislature who does not accept contributions from corporations or special interest PACs.
As Ben explained to the FoPo Neighborhood Association recently, by refusing to allow the usual deep pockets to control his campaign funding, he is free to cast his votes based on what’s best for Oregon, and especially for our too-often-ignored communities here on the Portland east side.
Taking this path takes courage and hard work, but Ben says it’s worth it. Over the last five years, more than 500 of our neighbors have responded with small donations of whatever they can afford to support Ben’s work.
Part of Ben’s work has been the uphill struggle to convince more of his peers in the Legislature that the voters will support them if they too reject special interest money. Toward this end, Ben has started The 1000 Twenties Project. The goal is to get 1000 regular voters to contribute $20 each to help Ben and other candidates fight back against the influence of money in politics.
As Ben describes it, The 1000 Twenties Project is intended to “help change the relationship between people, power and policy.” If successful, Ben and The 1000 Twenties Project will represent a big step toward ensuring that regular Oregonians have a stronger voice in our government.
To help get there, Ben is hosting an event at Bar Carlo on Tuesday, June 8, from 5:30 to 7. Folks who would like to support Ben’s work are encouraged to attend and make a $20 contribution. For those who can’t make it Tuesday, donations are accepted via The 1000 Twenties Project website.
