Arnold & Prop 93: Shades of Gray

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Feb 04, 2008 - 02:15 PM

Arnold & Prop 93: Shades of Gray

by Jamie Court

Watching Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis stand together in front of Los Angeles City Hall this morning made me feel like I was watching a re-run of the California recall campaign of 2003. Only this time, both Arnold and Gray were campaigning to stop the special interests and lobbyists from running Sacramento.

Both were stumping for the deceptive California Proposition 93, which claims to limit legislative terms, but actually extends them for 42 incumbents. Including the Speaker of the Assembly Fabian Nunez, who is caught in a corruption scandal, and Senate President Don Perata, whose house was raided by the FBI. Arnold and Gray, the new twins team, want to take Sacramento back from the special interest groups who dumped $17 milllion in the campaign for Prop 93. Their line is the longer politicians are in Sacramento the less corrupt they become. Yeah, like Arnold, who went to the capitol to fight the special interests, then raked in $121 million from them for his campaign fund.

The fundraising for Prop 93 has compromised consumer protection in Sacramento this session. 55% of the $15.7 million raised by Speaker Fabian Núńez came from special interest groups in the health care debate who didn't want real reform. AT&T, which won telecommunications deregulation from the Speaker, coughed up $250,000. And its president emailed employees calling for their "Yes on 93 vote." He wants to fight the special interests too, I guess. Chevron, which derailed reform of its pricing rip-off, gave six figures.

Yes, we need more legislative experience in Sacramento. But not the experience of overseas junkets with CEOs, Pebble Beach policymaking with lobbyists, and global jet-setting on campaign contributors' credit cards.

If Prop 93 passes, the politicians behind it will learn it pays to cozy up to special interests and to forget the people they are supposed to represent.

Below are our 93 reasons to oppose Prop 93 buck the Arnold-Gray campaign for cleaner government.

1. Prop 93 EXTENDS the terms of current members of the California legislature
2. Lobbyists like Prop 93 because they've spent a lot of money buying politicians already in office
3. Termed out politicians created an extra third election in 2008, wasting $80-$90 million, so they can run for office again
4. 42 lawmakers in their final terms would get more time in office
5. A last-minute amendment to 93 made sure Senate leader Don Perata got 4 more years in office
6. Assembly Speaker Fabian Núńez would get 6 more years as Speaker
7. Perata is under investigation by the FBI
8. Non-partisan Center for Governmental Studies predicts legislators will serve an average 4 years longer than they do now if 93 passes
9. 93 would never have reached the ballot if Perata and Núńez werenżt termed out this year
10. Even supporters hold their noses because 93 gives extra time to incumbent politicians
11. Pebble Beach fundraisers
12. Junkets to South America with Chevron
13. Junkets to Japan with AT&T & Verizon
14. Núńez goes from lame-duck to long-time Speaker in the mold of Willie Brown -- whose 14-year tenure as Speaker prompted term limits in the first place
15. Politicians failed to keep promises on redistricting reform
16. Re-instated the yacht tax loophole
17. Passed a midnight bill letting rich developer and big donor Anschutz Entertainment Group gain access to bond money approved for low-income housing
18. $14.9 billion budget deficit
19. Health reform bill was turned into vehicle for Prop 93 fund-raising
20. Speaker using non-profit to fundraise above contribution limits
21. Legislators scheduled 42 fundraisers for three days at end of legislative session
22. No on-time budget in 2007
23. No legislation passed to lower gas prices
24. Rejected bill to regulate health insurers the way we regulate auto insurers
25. Caved to oil industry and killed refinery regulation
26. Speaker-backed bill taxed drivers, not oil companies, for research into alternative fuels
27. Speaker raised millions from special interests for the state Party, then transferred $4 million back to his own campaign
28. Speaker spent $2,562 in campaign funds at Louis Vuitton, in Paris
29. And used campaign money to buy $5,149 worth of French wine
30. Then "sold" wine to Democratic Party to cover it up
31. Politicians' family members working for groups with interests before the legislature
32. Speaker Núńez has given total direct donations of $1.09 million to Yes on 93 campaign
33. Núńez bought the Governator a $2,701 belt buckle, which value exceeds state gift limits
34. Passed legislation to deregulate cable industry, gutting consumer protections
35. Approved bill to reduce disclosure of special interest contributions to pols' pet causes
36. Insurance committee chair appointed for fundraising prowess, not insurance knowledge
37. Let oil industry write bill to kill fix of "hot fuel" ripoff
38. Perata funneled work to favorite political consultants including his son
39. Speaker ignored fiscal analysis of his health plan predicting a possible $5 billion deficit in just five years
40. And called CHP to harass citizens who dared to challenge his legislation
41. Legislators held fundraisers with insurance companies during Special Session on Health Care Reform
42. Speaker Núńez ordered legislators to make contributions to 93 ($2 million so far) of just under $50K so they didn't have to be listed in TV ads for Yes on 93
43. $8.7 million of 'Yes on 93' money from groups that bought concessions in health care deal
44. SEIU: $25 million a year in workforce development funds and membership expansion in health care bill for $3.7 million Prop 93 donation
45. CTA: health care lottery funding proposal killed for its $2 million to Prop 93
46. Big Pharma: neutered the drug bulk purchasing pool in health reform for $500,000 to Prop 93
47. 39 newspaper editorial boards say No on 93
48. Current term limits diversified the California legislature
49. One Senator would be termed out only after his 26th year in office
50. Sixty percent of incumbent Senators will be able to stay in Sacramento 18 years or more
51. Donors below who gave money to Yes on Prop 93 might want something in return:
52. SEIU: $3,737,646
53. California Teachers Association: $2,000,100
54. AFSCME: $960,633
55. Assembly Speaker Fabian Núńez's Committee to Protect California's Future: $690,000
56. Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America (PhaRMA): $500,000
57. California Democratic Party: $395,074
58. California Hospitals Association: $350,000
59. CDF Firefighters Issues Committee: $300,000
60. California State Council of Laborers: $300,000
61. California State Employees Association: $300,000
62. Senate pro Tem Don Perata's Voter Education and Registration Fund: $300,000
63. California Dental Association: $250,000
64. Los Angeles Casinos PAC $250,000
65. Professional Engineers in California Government: $250,000
66. Girardi & Keese: $225,000
67. Southern California Edison: $210,000
68. AT&T: $250,000
69. E & J Gallo Winery: $200,000
70. Mercury General Corporation $200,000
71. Steinberg For Senate 2006 $195,000
72. California Attorneys, Admin Law Judges And Hearing Officers In State Employment PAC: $165,000
73. Law Offices Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy: $162,500
74. Karen Bass For Assembly 2008/Strengthening California Through Leadership: $155,000
75. Northern California Carpenters Regional Council: $150,000
76. PG&E Corporation: $150,000
77. Southwest Regional Council Of Carpenters: $150,000
78. Zenith Insurance Co.: $150,000
79. Members' Voice of the State Building Trades: $125,000
80. CCPOA: $100,000
81. Chevron Corporation: $100,000
82. Haim Saban: $100,000
83. Network Management Group, Inc.: $100,000
84. Pala Band Of Mission Indians $100,000
85. Sycuan Band Of The Kumeyaay Nation: $100,000
86. United Auburn Indian Community Of The Auburn Rancheria: $100,000
87. Working For Working Americans: $100,000
88. International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers: $100,000
89. California Building Industry Association: $75,000
90. Anheuser-Busch Cos., Inc.: $75,000
91. California State Pipe Trades Council: $70,000
92. Consumer Attorneys: $60,000
93. Believing In A Better California, sponsored by the insurance industry: $60,000

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