Expand campaign funding

By David Schmidt, Letter to Editor

Regarding "For everyday citizens to save democracy, it'll cost money. Here's where it can come from" (Open Forum, SFChronicle.com, July 9): Joe Mathews writes about saving democracy with Democratic Action Funds, but Assembly Member Alex Lee of San Jose has a better idea in AB270.

Lee's bill allows all cities, counties, and the state to create public campaign financing systems where candidates can get matching funds for small-dollar contributions. This empowers voters and reduces the influence of big-money contributors.

In Los Angeles, recently elected Mayor Karen Bass received $2.2 million in public campaign funding, and it helped her defeat billionaire Rick Caruso. Charter cities such as San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, and Long Beach have similar public campaign funding systems, but state law doesn't allow it for most cities, all counties, and state offices.

Let's pass AB270 so all cities and counties can make elected officials more responsive to the voters rather than to big-money contributors.

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