February 7, 2005

Today TheRestofUs.org is asking the Fair Political Practices Commission to investigate and then halt Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's unlimited fundraising for ballot question campaigns.

Let me first make clear that I am a big fan of the Governor and I applaud his desire to get things done on behalf of Californians through his use of ballot initiatives. It is entirely proper for any Governor to take his agenda directly to the people when he believes that entrenched incumbents in the legislature are not serving the public interest.

I was heartened when Governor Schwarzenegger ran for office with the pledge to sweep the special interests out of Sacramento. He told us that he would not need to take money from special interests. Yet now, he's become the Donald Trump of campaign cash - he just can't get enough.

Arnold recently announced his intentions to raise a staggering $150 million dollars between his candidate committee, recall committee, and various ballot committees by the time of the 2006 election. This kind if moneygrubbing would make even Grey Davis blush.

Arnold plans to raise $50 million for ballot questions that he intends to pursue with a special election this fall. Much of this money will come from people who do not even live in California. According to Governor Schwarzenegger, he'll be asking fat cats to write checks of at least $50,000, and probably much more if the governor's past fundraising is any guide. This fundraising has already begun at a series of high-powered fundraising lunches at high-priced hotels around California.

This obscene level of fundraising is damaging to our democracy. It's wrong. If Arnold is truly championing reform that Californian's demand, he shouldn't need five and six digit checks from out-of-staters to convince us to vote for it.

Arnold's use of big money to pass his initiatives is not only wrong, it's illegal. The FPPC recently issued regulations saying that candidates for governor cannot raise more than $22,300 for ballot committees that they legally control. California law plainly says that a candidate controls a committee if he influences its actions. And the so-called Citizens to Save California committee have made it crystal clear in recent press accounts that they are DIA -- driving under the influence of Arnold.

If Arnold can get around the clear letter and spirit of the law as laid out by the FPPC, then the Commission is nothing but a Kindergarten Cop. Surely the FPPC will not let Arnold terminate any effective enforcement of its recent rulings.

If the Governor wants to take his agenda to the people, he should go back to Costo and Wal-Mart to get signatures and volunteers. He shouldn't be heading to the lobbies of swank hotels to get signatures on checks made out for amounts higher than most of us make in a year.