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# Stepping toward campaign reform
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/stepping-toward-campaign-reform-editor/
- Published: 2007-02-27T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T00:09:25.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By Julia Moosbrugger Santa Monica*

The amount of money spent on elections, generally, has become totally insane. Laws can and should govern this amount down to a much more sensible level. Especially since this kind of money could be used for a more beneficial purpose in the community. ■I suggest that each candidate running in an election in Santa Monica be limited to spending up to a specific amount of money and no higher for his or her campaign. This would give good, capable citizens who would normally be muscled out of elections by heavily moneyed opposition, a fair chance in elections. Santa Monica would only benefit greatly from this. (I would love to see this happen in all California elections and all elections across the U.S.A.) ■That all opponents of candidates and/or issues similarly be limited to a combined and total amount that can be spent for in a campaign against each candidate and/or issue. I believe this would cause people to choose their campaigns in far more effective ways. ■That a governing system for monitoring the above expenditures be set up to make all candidates and opposition parties accountable for expenditures. ■That a better faster means than law courts be set up to process, expose and press consequences on people who publicly tell untruths for or against candidates and/or issues in elections. Officially sanctioned public exposure of untruths? Fines? Barred from running for public office for a number of years? I believe this would cause people to word their distaste for people and issues in far better (less offensive) ways.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 27, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/022707.pdf?ref=smdp.com)