[Sosfbay-discuss] CNA clean money initiative

[Jim Doyle]

Here is a copy of comments I sent to Greg Miller who presented
the CNA clean money initiative to our monthly meeting last night.

Greg,
I have looked at the Initiative Measure being sponsored by the CNA.
I had to concentrate to pull out the parts I felt were crucial for the
participants from the various parties.  Here is what I found.

I find seven categories of candidates in the definitions in
paragraphs 91037 to 91061:

   independent candidate
   non participating candidate
   office qualified candidate   (depends on office qualified party)
   participating candidate
   party candidate
   performance qualified candidate
   qualified candidate

I did not achieve complete clarity on the distinctions.  To wit
 
independent candidate:   does not represent a party that has been 
granted ballot status
   question - what about candidates from parties that have not been granted
      ballot status?
qualified candidate:    candidate from a party that is not an office 
qualified party
   comment -   that includes party candidates and independent candidates
party candidate:   represents a party that has ballot status and holds a 
primary election
   question - where do those fit in whose party does not hold a primary?
performance qualified candidate:
   either winner of a primary of an office qualified party
   or gathers twice the number of qualifying contributions as an office 
qualified candidate
   (comment - so much for a level playing field)
   furthermore, independent candidates may qualify as performance 
qualified candidates
      question - does that exclude party candidates or qualified 
candidates?

Section 91071
   part a refers to office qualified candidates
   part b refers to party candidates
      two qualifying criteria are given
      1) deals with filing requirements
      2) only mentions participating candidates from office qualified 
candidates
   comment - so part b pulls party candidate back into office qualified 
candidate

Section 91073
   signatures  (doesn't mention qualifying contributions)
   qualified candidate:   half as many as an office qualified candidate
   performance qualified candidate:   twice as many signatures

   and at the end of the paragraph imposes a condition on non office
   qualified candidates

Now to funding amounts - section 91099
   primary election
      1) office qualified candidate amounts
      2) performance qualified candidate: 20 % of office qualified 
candidate
      comment - that leaves out several others completely
      comment - level playing field?  fair?

   general election
      1) office qualified candidate amounts
      2) performance qualified candidate:  50 % of office qualified 
candidate
      comments - half the pay for twice the work; level playing field?  
fair?
      3) qualified candidate: 25 % of the office qualified candidate
      comments - third class citizen; 1/4 the pay for 1/2 the work
         level playing field?  fair?

      party candidates are not mentioned - do they receive any funding?

      ---------------

So, Greg, since office qualified candidates - which from the definition of
   office qualified means only democrats and republicans in some 99 % or
     so of the cases - receive at least twice as much as others this is 
a very
   biased initiative.  On the one hand it is incumbent protection and in 
light
   of term limits it is party protection.

And Greg, the definitions of candidates altogether leaves something to 
be desired

      ------------------

The Green Party is all for public financing of campaigns.
The Green Party's concept of public financing would aim to allow
all third parties into the race on comparable financial footing.

A level playing field would be equal number of signatures and equal
funding amounts.

Jim Doyle