Poll Showing Californians Believe State is Run by a Few Big Interests Illustrates the Need for Fair Elections

By Californians for Fair Elections

LOS ANGELES, CA - The California Fair Elections Campaign released the following statement from President Trent Lange today after the release of the latest Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) survey:

"Results of the latest Public Policy Institute of California survey put a fine point on a big problem for California, revealing that 73% of Californians and 79% of likely voters would say that the state government is "pretty much run by a few big interests looking out for themselves" instead of "for the benefit of all the people.

"Now that we know the scope of the problem, it's time to begin restoring Californians' confidence in our democracy by passing the California Fair Elections Act on the June 2010 ballot. With the California Fair Elections Act, voters can be assured that elected officials are representing the people's interests, not the special interests'."

Authored by Sen. Loni Hancock (D-Oakland) and signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger, AB 583, the California Fair Elections Act, would establish a voluntary pilot project for California's secretary of state races in 2014 and 2018. Candidates will be allowed to qualify for public financing if they agree to strict spending prohibitions and raise a large number of $5 contributions from Californians. If established, this pilot program would be funded primarily by fees on lobbyists, lobbying firms and lobbyist employers, who have some of the lowest fees in the country. The initiative aims to mitigate the influence of big donors and special interests in elections so that voters can start to feel that the government works for their benefit instead of that of big campaign contributors.

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(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)




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