California Fair Elections Campaign Comments on Budget Agreement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 16, 2009

CONTACT: Mike Roth, 916.813.1554

LOS ANGELES, CA - The California Fair Elections Campaign released the following statement from President Trent Lange today after the Governor and Legislative leaders announced a budget agreement:

"The budget agreement announced today represents more of the same broken politics in Sacramento - it leaves California's roads and schools in even worse condition, results in even fewer Californians with health care, and devastates local services - and it doesn't come close to solving the state's long-term budget problems. Our money-driven campaign system means elected officials have to spend too much time raising money, and too little time working to solve the monumental challenges that matter to us.

"Fortunately, voters will have the chance to shake up business as usual by passing the California Fair Elections Act on the June 2010 ballot. We can finally begin to fundamentally reform the election process by getting elected officials out of the fundraising game so they can devote their time to solving California's problems. The California Fair Elections Act represents the change voters want, and the reform California so badly needs."

The California Fair Elections Act passed through the Legislature and was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2008 and will appear on the June 2010 ballot. The initiative would create a pilot project providing voluntary public financing for candidates running for Secretary of State in 2014 and 2018 who qualify and agree to strict spending limits, with no taxpayer dollars going to candidates.

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