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Assembly Bill 583, the California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act
Linked to groups: California for Democracy
Dear MemberTAKE ACTION NOW - (See info at the bottom of this announcement).
Assembly Bill 583, the California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act, by Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley), asks the voters to create a voluntary system of public financing for legislative candidates and candidates for statewide office in California. All candidates, regardless of party affiliation, including independents, who can demonstrate a broad base of support would be eligible for public funds provided they agree not to accept private campaign contributions.
Clean Money levels the playing field. The high cost of conducting campaigns crowds out candidates who are not independently wealthy or who are unable and/or unwilling to raise money from wealthy individuals and powerful special interests. In California, campaign expenditures have reached staggering proportions and continue to grow. In the Recall Election of 2003, candidates spent over $130 million. In the special election last fall, over $250 million was spent by labor unions and powerful business interests to promote their political agendas. Governor Schwarzenegger has said that the California Republican Party needs to raise $120 million for the November 2006 election. The high cost of running campaigns disenfranchises people from marginalized communities. Candidates should win elections on the basis of their ideas -- not on their ability to raise money from vested interests.
Clean Money increases public accountability. Whoever pays the piper calls the tune. Under the current system of private contributions, elected officials become accountable to their financial supporters who drive the political agenda. By divorcing our elected officials from powerful special interests, they become accountable to the people. Instead of raising money, elected officials and candidates for public office would spend more time getting to know voters.
Clean Money is working well in other states. Arizona, Maine and Connecticut have all passed versions of Clean Money. While many candidates for public office first resisted, voters and candidates alike have come to see the value of "running clean." Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, the nation's first Clean Money governor, explained the benefits of Clean Money: "I could spend my time talking to voters, not with contributors. We were able to S campaign in a fundamentally different way. " Because she ran clean, "lobbyists were not swarming around me" in the hopes of courting political favor once taking office. (Los Angeles Times, March 20, 2006). Since switching to clean money, voter turnout has increased, state legislatures have become more diverse, and both the Maine and Arizona have passed voter-friendly legislation in the areas of health care and prescription drugs. Assembly Bill 583 is supported by the League of Women Voters, California, California Common Cause, The Greelining Institute and The Green Party of California.
TAKE ACTION NOW: Resistance to changing the status quo in Sacramento is mounting. AB 583 will be heard in the Senate Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee on Wednesday, April 19th, 2006. So far, only one member of the Committee, Senator Deborah Bowen, has committed to voting for AB 583. Three votes are needed to pass the bill out of committee. Therefore, please contact (letters, faxes, phone calls and e-mails) members of the Senate Elections Committee and Senate leadership and urge them to support AB 583. Addresses and phone numbers are included below. Print this list and phone and email these seven offices in a few minutes.
Senator Deborah Bowen, Chair Phone: (916) 651-4028
Senator Jim Battin Phone: (916) 651-4037
Senator Kevin Murray Phone: (916) 651-4026
Senator Charles Poochigian Phone: (916) 651-4014
Senator Gloria Romero Phone: (916) 651-4024
Senate leadership:
Senate President pro Tem Don Perata Phone: (916) 651-4009
Senate Minority Leader Dick Ackerman Phone: (916) 651-4033
Best regards,
Kevin Lynn
Coordinator
Pasadena Chapter, Democracy for America
lynnke@earthlink.net
626.825.1331
www.dfalink.com/pasadena
Support for Debra Bowen needed now
Neck-to-Neck: Help Put Debra Bowen Over the Top
Nathan Gonzales is the Political Director of Latinos for America. Democracy for America welcomes LFA columnists on Tuesdays.
The office of Secretary of State is one of the most critical in any state. Looking back at the Florida debacle in 2000 and the Ohio controversy of 2004, we find secretaries of state who embraced practices that were questionable at best. What resulted in both of these instances was rampant disenfranchisement, and the election and reelection of an administration that has committed what are among the most destructive foreign policy decisions of any American administration.
The way our votes are counted matters
In California, the incumbent secretary of state is doing nothing with the many problems that have been documented with unregulated, unverifiable electronic voting machines.
If you are a registered Democrat who has been watching California, you know that under the current secretary of state (a Republican appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger) thousands of newly-registered L.A. voters (mostly Hispanic) have been purged from the rolls (just like they did with African-Americans in Florida), making their votes in this primary election an impossibility. In conservative Orange County, hundreds of Democrats have been changed to ?Republican,' and the County Registrar has thus far refused pleas to correct the problem.
Given the recall election that put Arnold Schwarzenegger in power, and his subsequent efforts to redistrict the state (5 years ahead of the census!) we cannot overestimate the power of neo-con dollars in California. With 55 electoral votes in California, nothing can be taken for granted.
Let's Help Debra Bowen!
Debra Bowen is a DFA-List candidate. I've heard her speak and met her, and she is absolutely devoted to making sure that in our elections, every vote is counted, that the results can be verified, and that voters are not disenfranchised. She is incredibly knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the voting process. At the recent State Dem. convention, an astounding 81% of the delegates endorsed her! This race is not about ideology, it's about getting the person most qualified for the job.
As a State Senator, Bowen has made it a priority to reform the California initiative process and ensure a transparent voting process in the state.
As of yesterday, a Los Angeles Times poll showed Senator Bowen catching her leading opponent, Assemblywoman Deborah Ortiz, so that the two are now running neck and neck with 21% each and 58% undecided. Last month Ortiz led Bowen by nine points?22% to 13%?with 65% undecided, so the momentum is clearly in Bowen's favor.
California needs your help!
The problem is, most voters don't know about this race and haven't decided yet, so it's actually neck-and-neck!
If you have time that you could devote to making phone calls before next Tuesday's election, please join our targeted phone-banking operation by emailing: nathan@latinosforamerica.com. (Even a couple of hours this week would be of tremendous help!)
If you know of any donors who could contribute to Bowen's campaign during these last critical days, please send them this link. Their lifeline could make a big difference in coming on strong in the eleventh hour.
Or simply visit our grassroots volunteer-produced site at http://electbowen.org to learn more about Debra Bowen and what you can do for voting integrity. How goes California, so goes the nation, and we can't afford not to win this race.
Let's take our country back!
¡Juntos Sí Podemos!?Together We Can!
?Nathan Gonzales
Latinos for America
Neck-to-Neck: Help Put Debra Bowen Over the Top
Nathan Gonzales is the Political Director of Latinos for America. Democracy for America welcomes LFA columnists on Tuesdays.
The office of Secretary of State is one of the most critical in any state. Looking back at the Florida debacle in 2000 and the Ohio controversy of 2004, we find secretaries of state who embraced practices that were questionable at best. What resulted in both of these instances was rampant disenfranchisement, and the election and reelection of an administration that has committed what are among the most destructive foreign policy decisions of any American administration.
The way our votes are counted matters
In California, the incumbent secretary of state is doing nothing with the many problems that have been documented with unregulated, unverifiable electronic voting machines.
If you are a registered Democrat who has been watching California, you know that under the current secretary of state (a Republican appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger) thousands of newly-registered L.A. voters (mostly Hispanic) have been purged from the rolls (just like they did with African-Americans in Florida), making their votes in this primary election an impossibility. In conservative Orange County, hundreds of Democrats have been changed to ?Republican,' and the County Registrar has thus far refused pleas to correct the problem.
Given the recall election that put Arnold Schwarzenegger in power, and his subsequent efforts to redistrict the state (5 years ahead of the census!) we cannot overestimate the power of neo-con dollars in California. With 55 electoral votes in California, nothing can be taken for granted.
Let's Help Debra Bowen!
Debra Bowen is a DFA-List candidate. I've heard her speak and met her, and she is absolutely devoted to making sure that in our elections, every vote is counted, that the results can be verified, and that voters are not disenfranchised. She is incredibly knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the voting process. At the recent State Dem. convention, an astounding 81% of the delegates endorsed her! This race is not about ideology, it's about getting the person most qualified for the job.
As a State Senator, Bowen has made it a priority to reform the California initiative process and ensure a transparent voting process in the state.
As of yesterday, a Los Angeles Times poll showed Senator Bowen catching her leading opponent, Assemblywoman Deborah Ortiz, so that the two are now running neck and neck with 21% each and 58% undecided. Last month Ortiz led Bowen by nine points?22% to 13%?with 65% undecided, so the momentum is clearly in Bowen's favor.
California needs your help!
The problem is, most voters don't know about this race and haven't decided yet, so it's actually neck-and-neck!
If you have time that you could devote to making phone calls before next Tuesday's election, please join our targeted phone-banking operation by emailing: nathan@latinosforamerica.com. (Even a couple of hours this week would be of tremendous help!)
If you know of any donors who could contribute to Bowen's campaign during these last critical days, please send them this link. Their lifeline could make a big difference in coming on strong in the eleventh hour.
Or simply visit our grassroots volunteer-produced site at http://electbowen.org to learn more about Debra Bowen and what you can do for voting integrity. How goes California, so goes the nation, and we can't afford not to win this race.
Let's take our country back!
¡Juntos Sí Podemos!?Together We Can!
?Nathan Gonzales
Latinos for America
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By Vicki Cosgrove on Apr 17, 2006 10:29 PM EDTSenator Bowen contacted me tho so we could get a few facts straight. First, her first name is DEBRA, not Deborah. This might not be such a big deal any other time, but since her primary opponent is named Deborah, we want to make sure that everyone knows that our choice for Secretary of State of California is Senator DEBRA BOWEN.
She's also asking that people send her email rather than phone her offices. She has a small staff and she's campaigning hard so any emails, especially of support, will be warmly welcomed at debra@debrabowen.com. (notice the spelling?)
Thanks so much to everyone for all you do. In the words of the great Debra Bowen, Peace and Democracy for All!!
Vicki