Yes to Measures H and L

Editorial

Measures H and L will be part of the ballot next Tuesday, and will have an important effect for Angelinos. The first one opens the political process to more candidates, and at the same time restricts the conflict of money for certain municipal contract bidders. The second one reinforces the public libraries' system during these difficult times. Both deserve to be approved.

Measure H widens the campaign public financing, lifting the $12 million cap in contributions under the current program. In practice, this means that there will be a larger number of political candidates who will be able to run for elections, against other candidates who have more financial support. Voters win when there are more political options during elections.

The second part of Measure H will prohibit companies who are bidding for City Contracts of more than $100,000 to make donations and fundraising for elected officials or candidates running for city elections. This aspect of the measure is not strict enough, because it has loopholes that contract bidders and politicians can most likely take advantage of during elections. However, we believe that this is better than nothing, and the portion about public financing for candidates is good for the electoral process.

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