Francesconi Goes Slimy

Just heard, on KPOJ 620, an attact ad against Tom Potter.

The thrust of the ad was that, back when he was Police Chief Potter, he mishandled a incident where a policeman shot a citizen, even accounting how many shots hit/missed, and that as Chief, he 'protected' an officer over it.

I'd like him to site actual facts. Use of police force is a serious controversy in Portland, and it's caused more hurt feelings, families without loved ones, and mistrust of the Law than I think we need to have. I, myself, am a believer and fan of the Police, and I want these issues dealt with so that every citizen has confidence and trust in the Police Bureau.

Portraying vaguely-presented tragedies in smear ads like this may or may not help Francesconi get elected mayor, but it pretty much harms every other facet of the problem. I draw two personal conclusions from that ad: Francesconi just wants to win, and he's afraid that Tom Potter is good enough to beat him.

He doesn't want to address the issue, he just wants to plant doubts in the citizens' minds about his opponent. This is not the "poor-man's" candidate he wanted to position himself as, after Potter's true poor-man's campaign nearly wiped his backside. This is the same cynical attitude which produced his slick, rich-man's campaign...which fizzled.

I'm not voting Francesconi for mayor, and should Potter win, I'm voting against Francesconi when and if he runs for re-election as Commissioner. He's been a let-down as that, anyway.

Yes, I fired off an email at his office. I think he should be ashamed.