| Date |
Tuesday October 24th 2006 This event has concluded. |
| Where | Commonwealth Club of California - 595 Market Street - San Francisco, CA | | Map Link | Maps | | Time | 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM | | Cost | Free (Complimentary Lunch with Reservation) | | RSVP TO | RSVP | | Buy Tickets/RSVP | TICKETS | | Organization Home | www.voicesofreform.org | | Event Page Link | Event Page |
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| Event Description |
The record-breaking sums of political contributions made to State Legislators in the final days of the 2005-2006 legislative session (more than $3.5 million in August alone) once again raised serious questions of legislative independence in an environment awash in special interest money, just two months before statewide elections that are largely financed by these same special interests. This is just the latest example of how our current campaign finance system may be corrupting the legislative process and hence the quality of public policy in the state. But is there an alternative?
Supporters of Proposition 89 say there is. They seek to reduce barriers to running for political office and restrict the potential of special interests to influence elected officials through public financing and contribution limits. Opponents claim that the tax on corporations to pay for Prop 89 is partisan and that the measure's provisions will actually restrict participation.
Experts representing both sides of Proposition 89, which proposes to institute a voluntary public financing system for Legislative, Board of Equalization, and statewide constitutional offices, and further restrict political campaign contribution limits, will explain their positions in detail, and provide insights that won't be available in the ballot pamphlet. Prop 89 is one of 13 ballot measures on which Californians will be asked to vote this November 7th.
PANELISTS:
Susan Lerner, Executive Director, California Clean Money Campaign
Tony Quinn, Former Commissioner, California Fair Political Practices Commission
MODERATOR:
Robert M. Stern, President, Center of Governmental Studies
| | About |
Voices of Reform (Commonwealth Club of California)
"Voices of Reform" is a special project of The Commonwealth Club of California, and is made possible by generous grants from the James Irvine Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation.
The Project reflects The Commonwealth Club's longstanding interest in California governance. In 1911, Progressive reformers affiliated with The Club amended the California State Constitution to provide a way for citizens to enact legislation directly and recall elected officials. They perceived that corporate interests were inappropriately determining the outcome of both legislative and judicial decisions, and believed that the citizens' interests were not being served by the normal constitutional structure of state government.
Almost 100 years later, in 2003, California held a gubernatorial recall election. Citizens exercised the 1911 provision for the first time to recall the state's chief executive. Although much of the debate in the media and among the public around the recall focused on the individuals involved, it was clear that structural problems with governance in California were also among the causes of dissatisfaction.
The event of the 2003 recall presented an opportune moment to initiate a statewide discussion on the need for structural governance reform. Californians were disgruntled with the status quo, and political and policy analysts sought to identify what had brought California to the situation where a majority of voters wanted to recall the governor. To nurture the nascent conversation on governance reform, The Commonwealth Club - in cooperation with many other public-sector organizations in California - launched Voices of Reform.
Voices of Reform seeks to foster probing discussions of key governance reform issues, make these discussions available to a broad range of people throughout the state, and encourage opinion leaders in this state to actively pursue promising reforms.
VoR organizes speaker forums and panel discussions throughout California, and a selection of VoR programs are broadcast on TV and radio, statewide. Transcripts and other material generated through these discussions are published in the Club's magazine, The Commonwealth, and in newspapers around the state.
On November 15, 2005, several members of the Voices of Reform Steering Committee sent letters to Governor Schwarzenegger and the state legislative leadership committing to assist their efforts to seek policy solutions related to structural governance issues. Voices of Reform is now in the process of convening over 150 political and community leaders from across the state and political spectrum, with the goal of identifying critical governance reforms that, if implemented, would significantly improve the transparency, equity, and efficiency of state government.
The Commonwealth Club is in a unique position to facilitate VoR activities, as a trusted, non-partisan convener, with a strong history in good governance. The Commonwealth Club's core competency is in providing neutral forums for dialogue (public and private), and amplifying informed discussion through the media. We are lead by a broad board of 44 president and CEO level leaders of corporations, foundations, media organizations, non-profits, and universities. The Club is recognized internationally as a premier venue for civic dialogue and meaningful discussion of civic affairs with over 18,000 members, and our programs are broadcast weekly on over 150 stations nationwide.
Issues VoR addresses include:
Legislative Redistricting
Legislative Term Limits
Campaign Financing
The State Budget Process
The State Initiative Process
Voter Access & Participation
Civic Engagement
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