I am not a big fan of ballot initiatives, but California has one that we should all support. The California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act of 2006 (.pdf) would, if passed, give a lot of momentum to election reform nationwide. Features of the Act:
— Public funding for candidates who agree not to take private money for their campaigns. To qualify for the funds, candidates must meet certain eligibility requirements including collecting a set number of $5 contributions. Initial grants and matching funds allow “clean” candidates to compete equally with privately funded candidates.
— Contribution limits that apply across the board to corporations, unions, and individuals: no more than $500 per election cycle to individual legislative candidates, $1,000 for statewide offices, and $1,000 to so-called independent expenditure committees.
— Aggregate total limits of $15,000 per year per donor to all candidates and committees that seek to influence the election of candidates.
— A ban on contributions to candidates by lobbyists and state contractors.
— Limits on contributions to ballot measures. Corporate treasuries will only be able to spend $10,000. Additional contributions from both unions and corporations on initiatives must be made through political action committees.
— Extensive public disclosure requirements.
— Strong enforcement provisions, including removing those who cheat the system from office.
— Funding will not come from individual taxpayers or the state’s general fund. It will come through an increase in the corporate tax of 20 cents for every $100 of profit or 0.2%. This would restore the corporate tax rate to a figure lower than it was from 1980 to 1996.
If you want to see truly progressive politics, this is the way to get it done. Bloggers can help offset the corporate media message, but only this type of election reform can offset the power of corporations and lobbyists to dominate our nation’s capital and our statehouses.
Don’t expect too many Dems to openly support the Act though. They got elected in the current system, and they have already proven to themselves that they can win in that system.
