Resources

Dear Senator Allen: On behalf of the City of Oakland, I am writing in strong support of Senate Bill 1107 (Allen) The Political Reform Act of 1974, which would restore much needed control to local governments and the state to enact new options for election campaign funding.

Dear Senator Allen, On behalf of California Common Cause and our members, I am writing with a letter of support for Senate Bill 1107, which would restore control to local governments and the state to enact new options for election campaign funding.

The need for restructuring our campaign finance system has never been so dire. One reform with particular promise is the use of public funds to amplify the voice of everyday citizens in political campaigns. Public Financing helps to reduce corruption, hold politicians accountable and create a government of, by, and for the people.

Californians’ approval rating for their legislature has fallen to a historically low nine percent. Why then, don’t voters unelect them? Part of the reason may be that powerful interests who benefit from the current system have perfected techniques of directing huge sums of campaign funds toward candidates whose election will benefit them. As a result, candidates who aren’t favored by the donor class don’t raise much money and don’t win elections. When donors matter more than voters, low voter approval ratings don’t translate into electoral upheavals. This stark reality no doubt keeps many qualified candidates from even running in the first place.