Priority 6: Initiating a community-based process to assess the benefits of publicly financed city election campaigns.

Assemblywoman Judy Chu (Los Angeles but raised in Santa Clara) calls publicly financed election campaigns the most promising idea of the year.  AB 583, the California Clean Money Act, which calls for publicly funded statewide elections, has passed the Assembly and is awaiting Senate approval.  The California Nurses Association has earned a place in the November 2006 election for their Clean Money Initiative, which mirrors AB583 and also restricts lobbyists and state contractors from donating to political candidates.  Arizona, Maine, Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Mexico, North Carolina, Portland (Oregon), San Diego, Los Angeles have all passed versions of Clean Money reform.  Arizona, Maine, and Portland have been especially successful.
  
My interest in publicly funded election campaigns is not the result of any campaign ugliness I have discovered in Santa Clara.  It is, partially, a reaction to what the California Nurses Association calls the “public disgust with the debasement of our political system by a culture of corporate corruption and lobbying scandals.”

More than that, publicly funded election campaigns in Santa Clara could be a natural and powerful extension of the wonderful Code of Ethics and Values that has guided Santa Clara Election Campaigns since 2000.  It would be a great way to ensure that the pool of candidates would not have to be wealthy or connected, and could spend their campaign hours dealing with issues and information rather than raising money.  It would also be a great way to ensure that successful candidates would take office free from any undue influence that can result when campaign money changes hands.

There are, of course, costs involved, costs that would have to be borne by the city, state, or agency that puts this reform in place.  There are also mechanics to work out, though most of the agencies listed above use virtually the same organization framework.  Please note that my interest in this priority is in “initiating a community-based process to assess …”  As a Councilmember, I will begin the dialogue and, hopefully, extend the discussion across the City to see if publicly funded election campaigns fit our needs.  I believe the concept has merit and is well worth our consideration.  See www.caclean.org and www.calnurses.org for more information.