The big-money power of lobbyists too often drowns out the
voices of the general public and muffles voices of
legislators fearful of losing campaign contributions,
speakers at a "clean government" movement warned Sunday at
a Palo Alto meeting that was as much a pep rally as an
informational session.
Palo Alto Mayor Peter Drekmeier, who moderated the session
at the Unitarioan-Universalist Church in south Palo Alto,
told the 130 attendees that he has been involved in
environmental causes and said lobbyists fighting
environmental legislation outspent environmental groups by
30 to 1.
The event was billed as a "passion raiser" for the
California Fair Elections Act, an experiment in
campaign-finance reform that will be put to California
voters next June. If approved, it would enable candidates
for secretary of state to qualify for campaign financing if
they collect 7,500 donations of $5 each from Californians.
It act is modeled on systems in place in seven other states
and two cities, some for a decade, according to organizers
of the session.
Assembly members Ira Ruskin of Assembly District 21, Paul
Fong of District 22 and Jim Beall, Jr. of District 24,
former Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, D-Mountan View, and
Supervisor Rich Gordon of San Mateo County all said there
was a strong need for such a system due to the time it
takes now to raise campaign funds -- two or more hours a
day for the state offices, some said.
Trent Lange, chair of Californians for Fair Elections, the
initiator of the act, cited examples of large amounts of
money from special-interest lobbyists that flows to
legislators. Financing for the special fund would be
primarily from increasing the $12.50 annual fee presently
collected from registered lobbyists.
The Palo Alto event was organized by Nancy Neff of the
Californian Clean Money Campaign, who said she initially
asked Drekmeier to help by organizing a modest house party.
But it outgrew the house-scale, she said.
Local supporters of the act include the League of Women
Voters of Palo Alto, the Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter,
the Dean Democratic Coub of Silicon Valley, Multifaith
Voices for Peace and Justice, Peninsula Democratic
Coalition, the local chapter of Women's International
League for Peace and Freedom, the Unitarian Universalist
Church of Palo Alto, the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
of Redwood City Social Action Committee, the Santa Clara
County Green Party, San Mateo County Democracy for America,
and Health Care for All of Santa Clara County.
Attendees contributed $5 toward a "symbolic" 7,500
contributions that candidates would need to receive to
qualify for funding and -- the reason for the "passion
raising" pep rally -- signed up for committees and
volunteer jobs for the spring campaign season.
'Passion raising' event held Sunday to bolster battle against lobbyist dominance of elected officials
