Bad News for Big Money in California

[im10ashus]

Angelides Backs Public Financing of Campaigns

SACRAMENTO — Defying some of his strongest supporters in the race for governor, state Treasurer Phil Angelides on Thursday threw his support behind a November initiative that would use taxpayer money to fund campaigns and would markedly restrict political donations to candidates.

The decision to endorse Proposition 89 puts Angelides at odds with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, his Republican opponent. Schwarzenegger had made sweeping away the influence of special interests a central platform of the 2003 recall as he blistered then-Gov. Gray Davis for his fundraising. Since then, Schwarzenegger has broken fundraising records himself and has shown little interest in changing campaign finance laws.

Big corporate donors and major unions — such as the California Teachers Assn., one of Angelides' biggest backers — oppose the campaign finance overhaul. But the initiative is being sponsored by another important union, the California Nurses Assn., which has been one of Schwarzenegger's strongest critics.

Campaign finance has a tortured history in California, where voters have either turned down efforts to limit the influence of donors or seen them tossed out by the courts. Despite donation limits approved by voters in 2000, unprecedented amounts have been spent; this year alone, an estimated $300 million could go to a host of races and initiatives.

more...

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-angelides4aug04,1,1613223.story?coll=la-headlines-california

[LeftCoast]

1. This is good. This really differntiates Angelides from Schwarzenegger.

Phil, more moves like this, please!

[The Deacon]

4. It Is Also

"Objectively" good - the Democratic Party should be for public financing of campaigns & against the corruption that special interest & lobbyist money creates.

[LeftCoast]

5. I agree. I wonder what the polling numbers are on this particular issue?

I suspect it's more popular here in No. California than in So. Cal.

[im10ashus]

6. Do a lot of people there even know what Prop. 89 is?

I know I saw a billboard for it when last I was in CA.

[LeftCoast]

7. I haven't seen anything about prop 89 in the news or in terms of

advertising. Not sure when they'll start. The November election isn't really that far off.

[imouttahere]

2. Why not, Phil?

Even if it is political opportunism, any edge he can get...

[Cleita]

3. Yes, yes, yes!

Adios Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kevin McCarthy. See if you can get elected without all the big corporate money behind you?