New Elections Ordinance Proposed
The Local Solutions PAC just announced in an e-mail that a new group has been formed. The Humboldt Coalition for Community Rights has filed paperwork for a local initiative that would prohibit non- local corporations from contributing to any local campaigns, whether they be for a candidate or an issue. If this makes it to the ballot, it will be interesting to see who the players, pro or con are. Some of the pro folks would be obvoius, such as Democracy Unlimited, the Greens and other Lefties. Wonder if any right oriented groups will join the pro side? I doubt it, if only cause the Right, at least the right wingers I'm familiar with, are so polarized they won't join the lefties simply because they're the Left.
Myself, it almost seems like a non- issue to me personally simply because I don't base my vote on issues based on who has the best TV commercials or campaign mailers. I try and make my decisions based on the issues and principles involved. That's not to say, as I've already admitted, that I can make my decisions sometimes for pretty frivolous reasons.
But, it seems too many people are concerned about the money in campaigns, so this proposal might likely pass, assuming it makes it to the ballot. Making it on the ballot isn't going to be a problem since all they'd have to do to get enough signatures is stand out in front of the Arcata Co Op for a few days.
I think it's a sad commentary on people that we worry about how much money is spent on campaigning. It might be a justifiable concern but what can you do when so many people are swayed by thirty second sound bites on TV, with too many people making their decision on issues based on which side uses the words "children" and "education" the most. That's the way I see it and this proposal won't do anything to change that, it will just limit participation to local companies and corporations which, while sounding appealing, won't do change much and might well have some not so good unintended consequences, like that Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, which should rightfully be called the Incumbent Protection Act.
How will I vote on this proposed initiative? I don't know yet. I'll decide later on whether to vote on way or the other or not at all.
posted by Fred Mangels @ 8:56 AM
6 comments
6 Comments:
I predict the opposite. Progressives will oppose the idea. There are some local politically active conservatives with extremely deep pockets. Not quite so true for progressives.
Hi Fred--
on this topic, if it's passed I see court cases for years as a result. Just an intuition.
But more to MY point: I said I'd come back and let people know about my portal blog, which will be updated daily. It's:
http://dreamingup.blogspot.com
I'll keep posting on North Coast Place and other blogs, but nearly everything will start on the Dreaming Up Daily blog. One stop shopping, sort of.
BK
Hmmm....interesting Anon. Makes me wonder just how powerful Democracy Unlimited and Local Solutions are if they could submit something like this and have the Left go against them.
It would seem to me, though, that a lot of lefties would vote for this simply because it's seen as anti corporate and not look any deeper at the issue than that. I agree, as I mentioned in Jeff's blog this morning, that outside financing works both ways: It can help "your side" as well as the other's.
Keep in mind one thing about this proposal, though: It specifies, I believe, non local "Corporate" funding of campaigns. It doesn't look like it includes non corporate businesses or individuals. Not that that wouldn't end up being done later on down the road (the old slippery slope). But, since it might be seen as just an attack on corporations, I would think the Left would jump right on it.
Thanks BK. I'll check out your new blog.
Since there is no democracy within Democracy Unlimited, the backers of the initiative better find some more credible spokespeople.
(I'm the first Anonymous poster, not the second.)
Fred, progressives have a philosophy of idealism. So it's completely to be expected that they would push a lofty proposal and then realize after the fact that it benefits republicans in our county. (Note I didn't say conservatives. Republicans have been taken over by radicals and no longer deserve the title of 'conservative.')
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