CaliforniaCityNews.org

If There Was Ever A Case To Be Made For Campaign Finance Reform...This Is It

Our regular readers know that we here at CCN are ardent opponents of campaign finance laws that limit a candidate's ability to raise and spend money. Besides the obvious infringements on political free speech, the laws of unintended consequences that result from these silly restrictions are no laughing matter.

Candidates are forced to scramble for money instead of votes and, more perniciously, independent expenditure committees take the candidates out of campaigns as they spend limitless amounts of money for or against candidates who are restricted from doing the same.

As you can see we feel strongly about it, especially after having run dozens of campaigns.

However, we have finally found the exception to the rule: Student government campaigns. Now prized as resume builders for going to college, many aspiring politicos are pulling all the stops to get elected - spending hundreds of dollars to get just one more vote than the opponent.

Sounds like term limits are right around the corner. Story in the Orange County Register.

How “Doing What You Say” Can Bring the Voter Support You Need

The following is guest editorial by Catherine Lew, a Campaign Consultant and President and CEO of the Lew Edwards Group.

There is no question that attempting a municipal revenue measure in California is tough. The passage of these types of measures, whether they require a simple majority of all voters, or two-thirds requirement, are among the most difficult in the country to win.

To make matters more challenging, the political climate in California continues to be dynamic and fluid. You may be wondering whether your City can even be successful, in an era of a state fiscal crisis, rising gas prices, and food rationing.

Despite this challenging environment, cities can be successful at the ballot box. Analysis of recent successful municipal revenue measures has shown that voters understand that NO help is coming from Sacramento, and want to protect and maintain their local services. 

However, voters also want to ensure that:

1. any new local funds generated cannot be taken away by the State;
2. the City itself has done everything it can to “trim-the-fat” and is operating in a fiscally responsible manner; and
3. after a measure is passed, the public continues to be informed about how funds are being spent.

Opting to pursue a local Revenue Measure is one method of assuring voters that the resulting revenue will not be taken by the State.

Electronic Filing Bill Passes Senate

Senate Bill 1204 (Denham) passed the Senate by a 38 to 0 earlier this week, setting the stage for state and local agencies to offer the option of electronically filing "Statements of Economic Interest" (Form 700) for elected and appointed officials and candidates for public office.  The bill is sponsored by the Orange County Board of Supervisors and now moves to the Assembly Rules Committee for further review. 

Read more about SB 1204 in the California Chronicle.

A Mayoral F-Bomb Drops In San Diego

It appears all sense of decorum has disappeared as the San Diego Mayoral campaign heats up into a fever pitch. The San Diego Union Tribune Weblog reports on a less than cordial exchange where the F-bomb was dropped instead of the traditional handshake at a candidates debate.

To see how this is playing in the blogosphere click here for a review by the redcounty blog.

Should Your City Pursue a 2/3rds or Simple Majority Requirement Measure?

The Answer May Surprise You!

CaliforniaCityNews is pleased to present the following article by Catherine Lew, President and CEO of the Lew Edwards Group.

If your City is considering placing a revenue measure on the ballot, one of your first decisions is whether to pursue a Special or General Purpose Tax measure. This decision is unique to every City and depends on your needs, community priorities, and what your voters will ultimately support.

Special Purpose Measures are used to fund specific, clearly defined projects and services to meet community needs. Typically, Special Purpose measures create a designated fund and/or defined line item separate from the General Fund to establish direct funding for the outlined needs/services. All the items are consistent with a focused expenditure purpose. For example, a City may wish to pursue a Special Purpose measure to fund Public Safety, Library Services, or Street Maintenance. Under this mechanism, all revenue is spent solely on projects/issues related to the “special purpose” defined by the measure. In some cases categories can be combined if there is a clear and logical link between the needs and services.

General Purpose Measures can be used to fund any scope of projects and services that are part of a City’s General Fund expenditures. Because the money becomes part of the City’s General Fund, these measures provide greater flexibility in the number of issues that can be addressed; and the issues are not required to be categorically linked.  Cities with across-the-board needs may be better suited for a General Purpose measure.

Before deciding which mechanism is the most appropriate for your City, take a look at the some pros and cons of both.

PPIC Poll Released Today Shows Strong Support For Proposition 99 - Strong Opposition To Proposition 98

The widely respected Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) released a survey today of voter opinions on anumber of political issues facing California. Among the questions asked were on the two measures that will appear on the June ballot - propositions 98 and 99.

Some startling findings to say the least...Proposition 98 finds itself in the unenviable position of having only 37% voter support - 41% voting no with 22% undecided. Dismal numbers at best. Proposition 99 finds itself with majority support at 53% yes and 27% no - the remaining are undecided.

Voters Clearly See Proposition 99 as real eminent domain reform, Prop 98 as ruse fronting to eliminate rent control

Thirty-eight percent of likely voters say that the government’s power of eminent domain is in need of major changes, and another 33 percent say minor changes are needed. Large majorities of likely voters across parties and demographic groups think that at least minor changes are needed, with Republicans and those living in the Other Southern California and Central Valley regions more likely to say major changes are needed. Of those who believe eminent domain is in need of change, major or minor, support is higher for Proposition 99 (60% yes, 26% no) than for Proposition 98 (41% yes, 40% no).

Road to the White House Runs Through Cities

The National League of Cities has launched its American Cities 08 campaign, an effort to elevate the voice of cities in this year's presidential contest.  Citing that 7 in 10 Americans live in cities, the NLC's stated goal is to "to ensure Presidential candidates from both parties talk about the impact their policies have on cities and towns." 

Visit the website here.  There's some good reading and talking points on "what cities want" and news clips on cities facing federal issues.  Worth a visit.

Convicted Killer in Run-Off for Council Seat

We're not sure if his ballot designation was "Convicted Murderer," or "Heroin Dealer (Ret.)" or maybe just "Felon," but a gentleman who is all of those things has made it into a run-off for an open city council seat in Cleveland.  We've heard of electing a dead man, but a killer?  Better still, it seems this candidate was chosen over two other candidates with criminal records, and one who had filed bankruptcy.

Read the (other) sordid details here.

Pasadena Endorses Statewide Redistricting

Pasadena became the first city in the state to endorse a legislative redistricting proposal in the works for this November's election.  The "California Voters FIRST Act" is an initiative currently gathering signatures (it needs 700,000 by mid April), and is sponsored by California Common Cause.  The League of Women Voters and Governor Schwarzenegger are also early and vocal supporters.

Quoted in the Pasadena News, Councilmember Steve Haderlein said of his support for the measure: "The state districts have been created to be highly partisan, and what that creates is safe districts. So, you get tremendously partisan candidates. When you're dealing with tremendously partisan candidates ... compromise is out of the question. That brings gridlock to our state government."  Couldn't have said it better ourselves. 

California State Assembly Chooses Karen Bass As New Assembly Speaker

Wednesday, February 27th

It's Bass

Assemblywoman Karen Bass captured the speakership Wednesday night to replace Speaker Fabian Nunez following a round of closed-door meetings in the Capitol.

Bass, a Los Angeles Democrat and the Assembly's majority leader, received a majority of support in the Democratic caucus to win the job. Nunez engineered the deal that put her over the top. Several legislators, including some who had hoped to be speaker themselves, announced as they left the meeting that  Bass had won.

"She's got it," said Assemblyman Hector de la Torre, D-Southgate, after the final meeting.The action is expected to be formally ratified on March 11 at a Democratic caucus meeting.

Karen Bass will be the first African-American woman to serve in the post.

For more details, the following press stories: The Sacramento Bee ,Capitol Weekly, Greg Lucas weblog.