Push for Clean Money Resolution at CDP Convention

Written by: Thomas Brown on Feb 23, 2007 3:15 PM EST

While we probably all agree the burdensome and corrupting demands of campaign fundraising  undermine our democracy in a big way, many elected officials, including some of otherwise progressive California legislators, have failed to get on the clean money bandwagon. I have come to believe that clean money legislation is the most important reform for the long range health of our democracy. 

Passing a clean money resolution this year will help to maintain momentum.  It will also provide some cover for those elected officials who may espouse the virtues of clean money, but object to any real reform for fear it would diminish their own chances of being re-elected.

Under current California Democratic Party rules, any 25 delegates can adopt a resolution and send it to the Resolutions Committee.  With the help of Susan Lerner, Executive Director of the California Clean Money Campiagn,  I've drafted a resolution for consideration by local delegates in AD 13 and Region 4 (San Francisco Bay Area.)   You can read the draft resolution in the Extended Entry below.

Tom Brown
San Francisco



 

Draft Clean Money resolution for consideration CDP delegates

Whereas:  Candidates for public office in California are unduly burdened by the incessant rigors of fundraising, thus undermining the democratic process and  discouraging the participation of ordinary citizens in their government. 
 
Whereas:   The 2006 Platform of the California Democratic Party states that California Democrats will “support and implement clean money legislation;” and
 
Whereas:   Public confidence in the impartiality of all elected officials would benefit from a voluntary system of full public funding of election campaigns and adoption of such a system would allow the average citizen lacking great wealth to participate more effectively in the political arena.
 
Therefore Be It Resolved:  That the California Democratic Party reaffirms its support for the concept of public financing, calling upon the State Legislature to make establishment of a workable Clean Money system one of its highest priorities; and
 
Be It Further Resolved:   That the California Democratic Party shall prevail upon the State Legislature to enact clean money legislation which  a) benefits from the model legislation provided by other states, including Arizona, Connecticut and New Mexico that could be adopted for California’s unique electoral circumstances; b) sets the scope of the Clean Money system established thereby to address concerns about practicality and cost;  and  c) includes a provision for evaluating its success, with the intent of fine-tuning and expanding the scope of public financing in California if proven feasible.
 
 

 

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