Posted on 08/03/2006 11:05:38 AM PDT by calcowgirl
OAKLAND, Calif. - In a break with some of his party's most influential supporters, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides said he will endorse the campaign finance-reform initiative on the November ballot.
The initiative, sponsored by the California Nurses Association, would limit campaign contributions and authorize public financing for state candidates. Angelides said he wants to reduce the influence of HMOs, oil companies and tobacco companies in Sacramento.
"When I was a college student, I got involved in politics at a time when what mattered most was your energy and your enthusiasm, not the size of your bank account," he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "We have a governor and a state government that's doing the bidding of those powerful interests."
The move sets him apart from Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has said he opposes the type of public financing that would be implemented under Proposition 89.
In an interview at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco earlier this month, Schwarzenegger said he opposes public financing of elections and any tax increases. Proposition 89 would raise corporate taxes by 0.2 percent to help pay for the program.
"I have seen public financing in Europe, and it doesn't work, either," the governor said. "So I think that we still, even though our system is not perfect ... it is still better when you compare the two systems."
Matt David, a spokesman for Schwarzenegger's re-election campaign, called Angelides' endorsement of the initiative hypocritical. He pointed to Angelides' Democratic primary fight this spring against state Controller Steve Westly, when Angelides received millions of dollars in support from a Sacramento land developer.
Angelo Tsakopoulos, a longtime Angelides patron, formed an independent committee with his daughter that spent $8.7 million to boost the state treasurer's candidacy.
Angelides, who also made millions as a developer, is scheduled to make his official announcement during a Thursday morning news conference at the nurses association's headquarters in Oakland.
A coalition of business and labor groups, including the California Teachers Association and the California Chamber of Commerce, announced this week they are teaming up to fight the initiative. Both groups are major contributors to political campaigns in California, typically to opposing causes and candidates.
"There are many pressing priorities in our state, but spending tax money on negative campaigns by politicians simply is not one of them," Chamber President Allen Zaremberg said in a statement. "Mr. Angelides would have received millions of dollars in taxpayer funds in his campaign for governor had Proposition 89 been the law."
Angelides said he was not worried that his endorsement would anger the state's largest teachers union because he said teachers know "I'll do the right thing for our schools and our school kids" if he beats Schwarzenegger in November.
The proposition, modeled after laws in Arizona, Connecticut and Maine, would sharply reduce campaign contribution limits for state races and offer public financing to candidates who choose to forgo trying to raise hefty campaign accounts.
Supporters say it would limit the political influence of wealthy special interest groups.
Nurses union spokesman Chuck Idelson said the initiative "is intended to dramatically reform a broken electoral and political system in California."
The measure would allow most donors to give no more than $1,000 per election to candidates for governor and $500 per election to legislative candidates. The current limits are $22,300 for governor, $5,600 for other statewide offices and $3,300 for legislative candidates.
Political parties and so-called small donor committees could give more.
The initiative is supported by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which has criticized both Republicans and Democrats for taking special interest money.
"The real question is will Gov. Schwarzenegger join him?" said Jamie Court, president of the Santa Monica-based foundation. "This is exactly what Arnold Schwarzenegger said he wanted to do - to clean up corruption and end the backroom deals."
The ballot measure would impose aggregate limits that would curb how much a single donor could give to a group of candidates. It also would provide public financing to candidates who demonstrated significant public support and rejected private donations except to raise a limited amount of campaign startup money.
To qualify, a candidate would have to collect a certain amount of signatures and $5 contributions, which would go into a public financing fund.
The government reform group Common Cause and the League of Women Voters have endorsed the measure.
Since he is a democrat, HE only has his own (er, the voters) interests at heart.
-----
Without ANY doubt. These carpetbagging criminals are all alike -- and remember what the last "CAMPAIGN REFORM" brought to us -- suppression of First Amendment Rights. It was called McCain-Feingold.
(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)
I think he's weighed in on most all of them except Eminent Domain.
Schwarzenegger Positions on the Propositions
Prop 1A Transportation Funding Protection YES Prop 1B Highway/Traffic/Air/Port Bond ($19.9 billion) YES Prop 1C Housing/Emergency Shelter Bond ($2.8 billion) YES Prop 1D Kindergarten-Univ School Bond ($10.4 billion) YES Prop 1E Disaster/Flood Protection Bond ($4.1 billion) YES Prop 83 Jessica's Law, sex offender punishment YES Prop 84 Water Quality/Park Bond ($5.4 billion) YES Prop 85 Parental Notification Yes?* Prop 86 Cigarette Tax No?** Prop 87 Alternative energy, Oil Tax NO Prop 88 Parcel Tax No?** Prop 89 Taxpayer Funding of Campaigns NO Prop 90 Eminent Domain ???*Governor's spokesperson Katie Levinson said: "The governor's position on parental notification has not changed [since prop 73]," she added: "The people spoke clearly last fall" in defeating the measure.
**Said he is opposed to new taxes, but has not specifically stated opposition to these proposals.
How about a thumb print on the ballot for some real reform?
PROOF????????????
There you go making unsubstantiated assertions and try to pass them off as facts.
Give us source for your assertions.
The only proposition that I read that Arnold officially endorsed was Jessica's law.
There even were articles complaining that he didn't endorse nor campaigned for the school bond.
PROOF????????????
There you go making unsubstantiated assertions and try to pass them off as facts.
Give us source for your assertions.
The only proposition that I read that Arnold officially endorsed was Jessica's law.
There even were articles complaining that he didn't endorse nor campaigned for the school bond.
What "unsubstantiated assertion"? They have all been reported on, FO. Maybe you should try checking the facts before attacking others.
You will note, there are question marks and footnotes next to those where the administration has sent less than clear messages.
San Diego Union Tribune, July 9, 2006
Schwarzenegger is making passage of the public-works bond package – Propositions 1B, 1C, 1D and 1E – a centerpiece of his campaign for re-election. He's also backing Proposition 1A, which is designed to prevent the Legislature from further diversions of gasoline sales-tax revenue away from transportation.
San Francisco Chronicle, July 28, 2006
Julie Soderlund, press secretary for the governor's campaign, said Schwarzenegger supports all of the infrastructure bonds. "The governor is looking forward to campaigning up and down the state with members of both parties to pass this historic plan to rebuild California and move the state forward," she said.
San Jose Mercury News, Jul 22, 2006
Governor backs Prop. 84, for parks and water moneyMonterey County Herald Jul 31, 2006The chances of passage for the largest parks and water bond in California history received a significant boost Friday with the endorsement of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The measure, Proposition 84, will appear on the Nov. 7 statewide ballot.
The proposal would raise $5.4 billion through the sale of general obligation bonds...
Though he says he favors abortion rights, Schwarzenegger became perhaps the most visible endorser of the Proposition 73 parental notification measure. He told The Bee in an interview last year: ''I have a daughter. I wouldn't want to have someone take my daughter for an abortion or something and not tell me. I would kill him if they do that." But the governor has since taken no public position on Proposition 85 and his re-election team indicates little interest in campaigning for the initiative or making it an issue in the governor's race.San Diego Union Tribune, July 9, 2006While Schwarzenegger campaign spokeswoman Katie Levinson said this week, "The governor's position on parental notification has not changed," she added: "The people spoke clearly last fall" in defeating the measure.
Proposition 87, taxing oil production to promote cleaner fuels... Proposition 86 cigarette tax... Proposition 88 parcel tax and Proposition 89, the public campaign financing initiative ... Schwarzenegger has said he opposes all new taxes. That suggests he opposes the four initiatives, though he hasn't expressly said so in regard to three of them. He has announced his opposition to Proposition 87, but with a caveat as he campaigns as a devoted environmentalist.San Diego Union-Tribune, July 30, 2006“The governor is opposed to new taxes. Personally, he opposes the initiative, but he strongly supports the goals of the initiative – increased investment in renewable and alternative energy sources,” said Katie Levinson, communication director for Schwarzenegger's re-election campaign.
Schwarzenegger opposes Proposition 89. ... Katie Levinson, director of communication for the Schwarzenegger re-election campaign, said the Republican governor opposes all tax increases and believes Proposition 89 might be constitutionally flawed.San Jose Mercury News, August 3, 2006
The California Chamber of Commerce, one of Schwarzenegger's biggest supporters, and the California Teachers Association, which backs Angelides, this week announced they were teaming up to oppose Proposition 89.The only proposition that I read that Arnold officially endorsed was Jessica's law.Schwarzenegger campaign spokesman Matt David said the governor fundamentally opposes the proposed tax increase. In an interview at the Commonwealth Club earlier this month, Schwarzenegger said he opposes public financing for elections.
"I have seen public financing in Europe, and it doesn't work," the governor said. "Even though our system is not perfect ... it is still better when you compare the two systems."
Then I assume you will not be asking for "proof" of that. You really need to keep up with the others!
There even were articles complaining that he didn't endorse nor campaigned for the school bond.
Ummm... No. There were articles that said he wasn't going to author a position on the ballot pamphlet.
Since I dug up all of Arnie's positions on the initiatives, and Fair Opinion has demanded that I provide "PROOF" of my "unsubstantiated assertions" (see subsequent posts), I might as well share the results of the endeavor.
Why even bother to respond to that dung pile, since he lives in the human sewer of Los Angeles he probably gets all his info from that thing they call a news paper the L.A Slime.
Lets see what the head cheerleader for Arnie's Amen Corner has to say.
If anything...
LOL. I live in that human sewer of LA (county), too.
I do spend a lot of time in your neighborhood though--it helps cleanse the mind. :-)
If it wasn't for all the people that voted out of sheer fear in the Recall Arnie would never have been Governor.
As usual... You'll get absolutely NO argument from me, oh great correct one!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.