California Takes Huge Step Toward Clean Money Elections

In today's Corruption Digest, I noted that a major effort to create a public financing system for elections was taking off in California. That effort has now added a powerful new ally: the California Nurses Association. You may recall that the nurses led the charge to defeat Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) right-wing special election campaign. Having them on board in this fight is absolutely huge - it could mean a public financing system of elections in the most populous state in America.

Particluarly bold is the nurses' proposed way to fund the system:

"Clean Money candidates would draw from a public fund supported by a small .2 increase in the bank and corporation tax rate – roughly a 2 percent increase in what they already pay. An alternative version of the initiative would provide funding through an oil extraction fee; that is the only difference in the two versions. An estimated $200 million would be needed for the fund; any surplus would go to the state’s general fund. Burger noted that as many as 13% of all corporations operating in California paid no state income tax in 2004 while spending millions of dollars on political contributions 'that have unduly influenced public policy and fueled public disenchantment with our political system. It’s time for the corporations to pay their fair share to correct this abuse.'"

This is the kind of populist politics that shows voters progressives are serious about reforming a broken system. The iron is clearly hot - now its time for us to strike.

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