March 9, 2011 - Last night, Los Angeles residents sent a message to leaders across the state and across the country: It's time to end corporate and big money special interest control of our political system.
By an overwhelming 3-1 margin, 75% of Los Angeles residents voted "YES!" on Measure H, the Los Angeles Clean Money, Fair Elections measure.
The immediate ramification of Measure H is that bidders on large city contracts will no longer be allowed to make campaign contributions to elected officials who decide who wins - some of the most potentially corruptive campaign contributions one could imagine.
But the most important result of Measure H is lifting the maximum balance in the City's public financing campaign trust fund. This will eventually allow L.A. to move to full, Clean Money, Fair Elections public funding of campaigns, so that candidates don't take big money from any special interest donors and are accountable only to the voters. And believe us, when the time is right, we'll be asking you all to help demand that it does!
This victory has statewide and national implications. As Nick Nyhart, President of the national Public Campaign said:
"There should be no doubt about it - this is a victory that will boost the fortunes of money and politics reform far beyond LA."
The hundreds of you across the state who donated and made phone calls to make it happen should be extraordinarily proud, because you helped make it happen!
This has been a long road, showing how important it is to be persistent when it comes to reform: The California Clean Money Campaign and its allies have been working with L.A. City Council on Clean Money for six years, starting in 2005. Council President Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Jose Huizar deserve great praise for co-authoring Measure H as a major step towards Fair Elections for L.A. and for working so hard to get it passed.
Measure H's victory was a fantastic volunteer and coalition-driven victory. California Common Cause worked alongside CCMC to get it passed, along with a powerful coalition including the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles, California Nurses Association, California Church IMPACT, California NOW, California Participation Project, California Partnership, Consumer Federation of California, Change Congress, Coffee Party - Los Angeles, Democracy Matters, Los Angeles Federation of Labor, National Korean American Service & Education Consortium, Public Campaign, Public Citizen, Youth Speak Collective, William C. Velasquez Institute, Anahuak Youth Sports Association, El Centro del Pueblo, Community Union, CBO (Consejo Binacional Organizaciones Comunitarias), Democracy for America and many other local organizations and groups.
We hope you savor this exciting and resounding victory towards taking back our democracy as much as we do. It is a major step towards making sure that elections are won, not bought - the first of many more to come if we all keep working together!
As always, thanks for everything you do to support Clean Money and Fair Elections!
- Trent, Jo, Robin, Wayne, Brad, Tobi, and the rest of the California Clean Money Campaign team.
