Under the heading of "oh, snap," one of the biggest insults one Sacramento insider can dish out to another Sacramento insider is "she has an agenda." I know, because I have one.
Apparently, the top goal of many people in public service in California is not to have any firmly held beliefs. Free of these pesky constraints, one can, with impunity, hire on to represent the pharmaceutical industry, HMOs or known polluters, secure in the knowledge that everyone deserves a good lobbyist.
Since I'm law-ya, you'd think I'd know better than to have an agenda. A good law-ya never lets his beliefs get in the way of his client's interests.
What is my agenda, you may ask? Well, my political agenda is this, to create a stable and functional democracy such that the legislature is capable of representing the people's interests, which I interpret as including clean air, clean water, quality universal health care, good schools, protection of civil and consumer rights, affordable housing and jobs that pay a living wage. I have come to believe that one of the key ways to accomplish this goal is to enact a system of public financing of elections here, similar to what is already working in Maine, Arizona and Connecticut.
I generally work for people who agree with me so that I do not experience cognitive dissonance.
In last year's special election, the press excoriated the California Nurses Association (one of my former employers) for "having an agenda" in advancing the cause of public financing. The initiative they pushed was seen as a stalking horse for, horror of horrors, (whisper it, why dontcha) universal health care. Insiders used their "agenda" to sink the initiative.
Having said this, I do think that what many of the insiders are reacting to when they tag others for having an agenda is self-righteousness. From both a strategic and karmic point of view, self-righteousness is to be avoided (ask me how I know).
Moreover, in attempting to advance my agenda, I am now careful to avoid using tactics or strategies which themselves threaten to unravel the very utopia I seek. For example, since I want a peaceful world, I need to avoid talking about "fighting" for people's rights, or creating an "army" of activists. I must also avoid the term "jihad."
Mindful of these self-imposed constraints, all in all, I remain comfortable with my agenda and the beliefs which inform it. I urge you to get one too. I understand they are available used on Amazon.
Showing posts with label clean money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clean money. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Clean Money to Assembly Floor
SACRAMENTO - Last Thursday, an amended version of the Clean Money and Fair Elections Act of 2007 (AB 583) was voted out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee by a vote of 12 to 5. The bill now moves on for a vote of the full Assembly, most likely on Wednesday. If enacted, the amended version of AB 583 (Hancock, D-East Bay) would create voluntary, fully-funded public financing for the 2010 Governor's race, one open Assembly seat, and one open Senate seat.
In its amended form, AB 583 will serve as a pilot program and allow California voters and candidates to see how a Clean Money system would actually work in California. "We applaud Appropriations Chair Mark Leno and Assemblymember Hancock for adopting this creative answer to the question of whether a system which works so well in Arizona and Maine can be properly scaled for California. We know that it can, and we are excited about the possibility of testing the system on the offices which the public feels are primary magnets for outsized campaign contributions. AB 583 will help restore faith in California's government," said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of the California Clean Money Campaign.
Clean Money systems have been adopted across the country; Arizona and Maine started public-financing state elections 7 years ago, Connecticut's legislature passed a Clean Money bill last year, North Carolina provides public financing for judicial races, and New Mexico just instituted a similar system for its judicial elections. New Mexico also established a pilot Clean Money program for elections for its Public Regulations Commission, while New Jersey has a pilot program for public financing of three legislative districts.
Speaking after the Committee vote, Assemblymember Hancock said, "AB 583 is an effective way for the public to test how well the full public funding of campaigns system runs. AB 583 will go a long way to restoring faith in our campaign financing system."
In its amended form, AB 583 will serve as a pilot program and allow California voters and candidates to see how a Clean Money system would actually work in California. "We applaud Appropriations Chair Mark Leno and Assemblymember Hancock for adopting this creative answer to the question of whether a system which works so well in Arizona and Maine can be properly scaled for California. We know that it can, and we are excited about the possibility of testing the system on the offices which the public feels are primary magnets for outsized campaign contributions. AB 583 will help restore faith in California's government," said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of the California Clean Money Campaign.
Clean Money systems have been adopted across the country; Arizona and Maine started public-financing state elections 7 years ago, Connecticut's legislature passed a Clean Money bill last year, North Carolina provides public financing for judicial races, and New Mexico just instituted a similar system for its judicial elections. New Mexico also established a pilot Clean Money program for elections for its Public Regulations Commission, while New Jersey has a pilot program for public financing of three legislative districts.
Speaking after the Committee vote, Assemblymember Hancock said, "AB 583 is an effective way for the public to test how well the full public funding of campaigns system runs. AB 583 will go a long way to restoring faith in our campaign financing system."
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)