The Progressive Lawrence Campaign is taking Lawrence to political heaven or political hell, depending upon your point of view.

What everybody agrees, though, is that the “smart-growth” political action committee has been effective in supporting its candidates for Lawrence City Commission. And that effectiveness could change the face of Lawrence politics.

“Assuming they have some success, there’s no question the next election will be party-driven,” said Lee Gerhard, a City Commission candidate not supported by Progressive Lawrence. “There will be outside influences, outside money, and I think that’s regrettable.”

Commissioner Mike Rundle, who has Progressive Lawrence’s support in his bid for re-election, sees only benefits for smart-growth advocates.

“We’re certainly campaigning harder and smarter,” he said. “We’re kind of driving the agenda, for a change.”

Since the three Progressive Lawrence candidates took the top three slots — by a substantial margin — in the Feb. 25 primary elections, rumors have swirled that the business and development community that supports the remaining candidates would form its own PAC in response.

‘Not a priority’

So far, nothing. An official with the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office said last week no new committees had filed formation papers with the office.

And leaders of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, seen by many observers as the most likely organization to form a PAC, said they had no intention of doing so.

“It’s definitely not a priority of mine,” said Larry McElwain, who becomes chairman of the chamber’s board next month. “I think PACs can be divisive. I’m more inclined to want to bring people together who maybe have different viewpoints and try to find common ground as opposed to lining up on one side or another and fighting it out.”

Lawrence has seen political action committees before. In 1987, the Old West Lawrence neighborhood created a PAC to back Rundle in his first campaign for the commission.

Holly Krebs and Richard Heckler, members of the Progressive Lawrence Campaign, install campaign signs in a supporter's yard in the 1300 block of Tennessee Street. The Progressive Lawrence Campaign supports City Commission candidates Mike Rundle, Dennis Boog Highberger and David Schauner based on their ideas regarding city growth.

“They seemed quite successful,” Gary Toebben, then the chamber’s CEO, said last week by phone from his home in Kentucky. “So the chamber formed a PAC in response. It wasn’t very successful, so we didn’t do it anymore.”

When Bill Sepic replaced Toebben in 2000, he tried reviving the PAC idea, but it went nowhere. Jean Milstead, interim CEO for the chamber, said new candidates for the job were being told the idea was still a nonstarter.

Growth issues

“Many of them have said they’ve been there and done that,” Milstead said. “And it created wider chasms in the community, because when it’s all said and done, the chamber still needs to work with the elected officials.”

Progressive Lawrence was formed in July 2002, however, to counter what its founders see as the pervasive influence of a “growth machine” of builders, real estate agents and developers.

Melinda Henderson, the group’s coordinator and co-founder, said contentious growth issues often had two sides: well-paid, well-organized professionals whose job was to promote often-controversial developments versus neighborhood residents who would be affected, but who often came to the process late, after plans were made public and they realized the stakes.

¢ Progressive Lawrence Campaign contribution list¢ KU Students for a Progressive Lawrence contribution list

“There’s this cadre of people who are paid to be there,” said Jason Fizell, a founder of Progressive Lawrence. “They deserve to be there, but they don’t deserve a (disproportionate) voice.”

According to campaign finance records, Progressive Lawrence has raised more than $9,400. More than 120 donations have been for more than $50 — all of them from Lawrence residents and businesses.

The PAC then contributed $500, the maximum allowed, to each of the candidates it supports: Rundle, Dennis “Boog” Highberger and David Schauner. It also has spent money on postage and photocopies to get its message out.

Divisive?

But Karl Brooks, Progressive Lawrence’s chairman, said the organization’s strength was in its grassroots network of 500 supporters, many of whom have gone to work distributing yard signs and making “get-out-the-vote” calls on behalf of the three campaigns. The volunteers are not paid by the PAC.

“PLC has mostly tried to direct volunteer services to the candidates,” he said. “We can extend the reach of the candidates’ own campaigns and pack a little more punch where appropriate.”

It worked. Progressive Lawrence candidates carried most of the city’s precincts, including those in western Lawrence where “neighborhood” candidates have had a tough time finding traction in past elections.

Critics charge Progressive Lawrence with fostering “divisiveness” in the commission campaign.

“When I got into this, there were six people running not so much against each other, but for what they believed in,” Gerhard said. “Moving this into the partisan political realm is unfortunate.”

Brooks disagreed.

“Anything we can do to educate the community, energize citizens, is all to the good,” he said. “I don’t think anything like highlighting issues is divisive.”