Here’s a note I received from my friend Rob Arnow who has been instrumental in San Francisco’s public campaign finance system. If you’re glad that we have a progressive block on the SF Board of Supervisors, then you have public campaign finance to thank. We are in danger of having this fund obliterated because of budget cuts. Don’t let that happen. Read the message below and take a few simple actions (an email or a call) and help protect the leveling of the playing field in SF politics.
Via Rob:
We urgently need your help. The mayor and his downtown backers once again are on the verge of outsmarting the Board of Supervisors and raiding the public financing fund. We need you to contact Budget Chair John Avalos and Board President David Chiu right away.
HERE IS THE BACKGROUND: The Board of Supervisors Budget Committee, led by Supervisor John Avalos, passed the full budget out of committee last week, WITHOUT restoring the mayor’s secret $2.3 million raid on the public financing fund.
This was in direct contradiction to the pledge Avalos and other Supervisors had signed, and had reiterated in public meetings, in private conversations and to the media.
If this money is not restored, there are not enough funds to cover public financing for the 2011 mayoral race, and possibly the 2011 Supervisorial races as well.
The good news: Fortunately, Avalos and the other Supervisors are now saying that they are trying to figure out how to restore the funding at the full Board meeting next Tuesday. But their commitment has already been shaky. And since this already has passed the Budget Committee without being restored, we know that we can’t take this outcome for granted.
What you need to do: Call and write John Avalos & David Chiu right away (see sample letter below). Ask them to fulfill the campaign pledge that they signed to restore the $2.3 million that the mayor raided from the public financing fund. Your voice is the only thing protecting public financing right now! And if you can make the Board meeting next week and voice your opinion, please do.
Here is their contact info:
Budget Chair John Avalos
john.avalos@sfgov.org
415-554-6975
Board President David Chiu
david.chiu@sfgov.org
415-554-7450
SUBJECT: Restore public campaign financing funds!
Dear Supervisor [__________],
Public campaign financing is the only the thing that can bring our democracy into the 21st Century – a democracy based on who has the best ideas, not who can raise the most money.
Please fulfill the pledge you signed during your campaign last year to ensure full funding for this crucial program.
While public financing costs a very small amount of money in the short run, it saves far more, in the long run, by ensuring a government that acts in the best interests of the majority, rather than a small group of donors.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
