By Christopher Knauf Santa Monica
Editor: The utter destruction of Proposition 89 (the public campaign financing initiative) is a sad reflection of a public that annually complains about the influence of special interests in Sacramento, and yet refuses to do what’s necessary to greatly reduce that influence. We have First Amendment protections for a certain level of political speech, but Prop. 89 was a golden opportunity for our state to begin leading the nation in reducing perceived corruption and influence. For decades, political reform groups such as Common Cause have touted public campaign financing as the primary way to clean up politics, and I’m saddened to see that we as an electorate continue to avoid this potentially revolutionary option. Perhaps the Democratic Congress will take advantage of a lame duck presidency and consider enacting the meaningful reform that is so needed in today’s cynical political world.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 15, 2006. Read the original PDF.