Ellen Grachek of the Toledo City Council tells the Toledo Blade that the cost of running for a city council seat can keep otherwise qualified candidates from running. She for one is sick of the fundraising race, and the quid pro quo it implies, so she's not running again. Her fellow councilman Joe McNamara (D) acknowledged the special access big donors get: "When you deal with these numbers, and large checks that get written, there's issues of influence. I don't care who you are. If somebody writes you a check for $20,000 and they call you, you take the call." Some on the council favor reforms to level the playing field including public financing - they can take their cue from Portland, Oregon and Albuquerque, New Mexico who recently won a full public financing system for their municipal elections. The problem of money shouldn't keep qualified people from seeking office.