Clean Money Author Speaks Out on Prop 89
By Assemblymember Loni Hancock
Editor -- As a leader of the legislative effort to bring
"clean money'' elections to California, I was deeply
disappointed by The Chronicle's opposition to Proposition
89. While opposing the initiative, the editorial indicated
support for my legislation, Assembly Bill 583. Ironically,
the core provisions in Proposition 89 are nearly identical
to those in AB583, which died in the state Senate earlier
this year. I introduced the clean money legislation because
I believe the only way to return California's government to
the people is to have legislators accountable only to the
people they represent.
The Chronicle editorial objected to the section of
Proposition 89 that reduces direct corporate contributions
to initiatives -- a provision that was not in AB583. This
section limits corporate contributions to initiatives to
$10,000 directly from corporate coffers. However,
corporations could do exactly what unions do now -- set up
a political action committee. According to the National
Conference of State Legislatures, right now 22 states
prohibit corporations from contributing to candidates from
their corporate treasuries. Most of these states allow
corporations to sponsor and solicit funds for a political
action committee, but not contribute corporate funds to the
PAC, require contributions from officers or employees, or
increase officers' or employees' salaries so they may
contribute to the PAC.
In upholding these laws, the U.S. Supreme Court has
acknowledged that state laws grant corporations special
advantages saying, ''These state-created advantages such as
limited liability, perpetual life and favorable treatment
of the accumulation and distribution of assets, not only
allow corporations to play a dominant role in the nation's
economy, but also permit them to use resources amassed in
the economic marketplace to obtain an unfair advantage in
the political marketplace."
The list of opponents to Proposition 89 reads like a who's
who list of the politically influential. The insurance
industry, HMOs, oil companies, utility companies and
banking corporations have already spent over $2 million
opposing Proposition 89. The groups that support
Proposition 89 range from the Sierra Club and AARP
(American Association of Retired Persons) to the California
League of Women Voters -- probably the most passionate
advocates for "a level playing field" for ideas and equal
access to legislators for all people. These organizations
simply don't have the ability to "pay to play" at the
corporate level. Their voices are in danger of being
drowned out by corporate influence.
I urge your support for Proposition 89.
Assemblywoman LONI HANCOCK
Berkeley
See the article on San Francisco Chronicle website