Public Election Funding Urged in L.A.
As long as we all have elections on the brain, here's snips from the Times article today regarding public funding for elections...A quartet of elected officials urged the Los Angeles Ethics Commission on Tuesday to support a move toward greater public financing of campaigns as a way to restore public faith in the integrity of city government.
A majority of the commissioners has voiced support for the idea, but the panel postponed a vote Tuesday after its staff asked for more time to prepare a report on issues raised by the 2005 city election.
The panel heard support for the concept of a "clean money" program from City Council members Wendy Greuel, Eric Garcetti and Bill Rosendahl and City Controller Laura Chick.
Various ideas are being considered, including one calling for full public financing of campaigns and one that would provide an option for candidates to receive public funds in addition to small contributions from individuals.
Posted by Anonymous @ 11/09/2005 11:14:00 AM
16 Comments:
Sounds like a good idea. Except for the fact if a person is already elected in office, they usually are going to have more connections and more "free Press and Independent expenditures"
I think you're overlooking that fact that this has already existed in the last two elections on the Eastside.
AV used his CD14 salary to pay for life while he ran for mayor for most of his two years, admitting to the Times that he spent more than half of his days in year two campaigning.
CD14 field staffers and the mayor assisted CM candidate Jose Huizar in many ways since June, and the mayor showcased him in CD14 events during the election, for multiple functions unrelated to LAUSD (and in areas in which Tokofsky is the local board member).
And, Huizar used LAUSD funds to put his name out there in front of thousands of potential voters (parents, grandpareents, etc.) with banners on school fences -- several at each school. This was he first time a board member ever had made their NAME so prominent, and for obvious reasons... to welcome the new school year (as your own blogreported). ALSO, those unique "welcome to the first day of school" banners hung on the school fences until yesterday (and past), 5-6 weeks AFTER the "first day of school."
Public funds ARE used here for elections... it's just the way the game's played, and no one dares cry foul.
It will never happen. Gruel and Garcetti and others are just putting this out there so that they can say they support clean money while at the same time trying to kill it.
Agreed... the only people who really want "clean money" are the ones not already in power.
I don't know what it would take (probably a freakin miracle), but it would be a great public service if the network T.V. stations gave up prime-time air time to cover local politics, and give candidates an oppoortunity to advertise themselves equally, and for free.
It would amount to having media corporations hand out hundreds of millions of dollars of air-time - which they could fairly argue was an onerous obligation. However, the air waves are a public good that we have let them use. We have a right, as citizens, to ask that our radio spectrum be used to bore us all to death with free election/candidate coverage.
Talk about removing money for politics! If money didn't have to be spent buying commercial time on the radio and T.V., campaigns and politicians would be able to operate in radically different ways.
Not that any of this stuff will ever happen. But we're allowed to dream, right?
It's "Greuel" with two "e"s. And the last time these two teamed up, on business tax reform (another thing people talk a lot about but never do anything about), they delivered. I think Rosendahl is a good addition as well, and I don't think Chick sinks her teeth into much that she doesn't finish. So I think this thing has legs. And thank God, as it is one of the few things that can clean up our dirty elections.
Let it show, how the media did not report the many banner of JH were on LAUSD prime corners, what did this bring to the children's classroom? These banners did not invite the community to participate in the schools? Who listens to our cries of foul, regarding the mayor owning the press!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The little people of CD 14 are not walking away from PACHECO or their community. Jose will have alot of people tracking him even if the media refuses to report it!
This is the single most important issue in Los Angeles (and California) politics.
Forget the incumbents. Clean Money is a long term solution. Yes, the incumbents may win the first couple of years, but after that all of the citizens will get used to the idea of Clean Money and will be "on" to the fact that a millionaire is using his own money or that an IE is being done by labor or whoever.
This levels the playing field for all residents who wish to run for office. It allows candidates to concentrate on issues as opposed to fundraising.
Look to the other two states who have enacted the clean money concept and you'll see issues being worked on and things getting done insteaed of pandering to special interests.
I can't wait. Los Angeles can't afford to wait.
No politician will want it now, (for the very reasons we need it) but they would be relieved once it were in effect.
Bob Hertzberg will be the Chief of Staff to the Governator!
Mayor Frank is this true?
What happened with Chick's audit today of El Pueblo parking?
No. Hertzberg will NOT be the chief of staff for ANY governor. Ever. His days are over. He can't get elected to anything.
3:12 p.m.,
What other states have done a "clean money" thing?
Ulisses Sanchez worked on Huizar's campaign while working for the CD 14 Office.
Conflict of interest?
The election is over. Please deleate any more mentions of who sucks more in CD14.
Translation:
"We won, so please stop checking to see if we cheated"
"Son" of Shoeless Joe Jackson
(P.S. Yes, I know Jackson didn't "win"... but you get the point!"
Just go to
FollowTheMoney.com
You'll see first hand who our "elected" officials really represent! Its not the residents, Cedillo raked in $750,000 in 2002 in a race with no opponent. Over $200K in 2004 in a non election year! Wesson is probably already gearing up for County Supervisor....
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