Los Angeles Residents Say Yes to Proposition 15, the California Fair Elections Act
State Senators Loni Hancock and Fran Pavley and Assemblymembers Julia Brownley and Michael Feuer join state and local leaders to support Proposition 15, California Fair Elections Act on June Ballot
Los Angeles - On the heels of the recent U.S. Supreme Court
ruling that allows unlimited corporate expenditures in
elections, State Senators Loni Hancock
(D-Oakland) and Fran Pavley (D-Agora
Hills), Assemblymembers Julia Brownley
(D-Santa Monica) and Mike Feuer (D-Los
Angeles), Los Angeles City Councilmembers Paul
Koretz, Paul Krekorian and
Bill Rosendahl, Congressional Candidate
Marcy Winograd, and the Los Angeles
community came together today to educate the Los Angeles
community about Proposition 15, the California Fair
Elections Act, a ballot proposition which would get elected
officials out of the fundraising game and focused on
solving California's problems.
Joining the California state and local Los Angeles leaders
in a forum at the Leo Baeck Temple were California Common
Cause Executive Director Kathay Feng and
California Nurses Association co-president Geri
Jenkins, RN.
Since 2000, over $1 billion has been raised by California
politicians, buying special interests unprecedented access
but shutting out the rest of us. That's why polls show
nearly three out of four voters want to change the way
elections in California are financed.
"We can all agree that the influence of special interest
money means ordinary Americans don't have a voice in the
debate," said Senator Loni Hancock. "By passing Proposition
15, we can begin to break the connection between political
donations and public policy."
For example, fair elections can help solve California's
health care problems. "The California Fair Elections Act
will help our state implement real reform of the health
care system," said Geri Jenkins, co-President of the
California Nurses Association. "Nurses know that
eliminating the campaign contributions from the deep-pocket
special interests - the HMO's, drug companies and the
insurance industry - that overwhelm our elections will free
our elected representatives to work for the best interest
of Californians and guarantee health care to all
Californians."
Authored by Senator Loni Hancock (D-Oakland) and signed by
Governor Schwarzenegger, the California Fair Elections Act
would establish a voluntary pilot project for California's
Secretary of State races in 2014 and 2018. Candidates would
qualify for public financing if they agree to strict
spending prohibitions and raise a large number of $5
contributions from Californians. The pilot program would be
funded primarily by fees on lobbyists, lobbying firms, and
lobbyist employers, with no taxpayer dollars going to
candidates.
A version of the California Fair Elections Act is already
in place in seven states and two cities. Nearly 400
candidates were elected using only fair elections funding
in their 2008 campaigns, and the programs enjoy popular
support across party lines. National surveys show that two
out of three voters support public financing.
When these financial barriers are eliminated, as they have
been in Arizona and Maine, more women and people of color
are allowed to run for office. In Arizona, Former Governor
Janet Nepolitano was elected under the fair elections
system and the number of Latino and Native American
candidates running for office nearly tripled in the first
year that the system went fully into effect, from 13 in
2000 to 37 in 2002.
Voters are ready for elections that money can't buy. In an
October 2009 survey, likely June 2010 voters supported the
California Fair Elections Act by a nearly 3-1 margin.
Support held strong across all political parties and
geographic regions of California with support of 65% among
Latinos, 65% among Democrats, 65% among independents, and
59% among Republicans.
"Under a fair elections system, elected officials truly
represent voters, not campaign donors," said Trent
Lange, chairman of the California Fair Elections
Campaign. "Public financing has freed elected officials
across the country to pass bi-partisan, groundbreaking
legislation that is only possible when our leaders do not
fear retribution from powerful special interests."
# # #
www.YesOnProp15.org
(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.)
