In Common: keeping up the pressure for reform

Common Cause Magazine, Summer, 1994 by Jackie Howell

The Boston Globe editorialized, "Common Cause deserves enormous credit. ... Even the legislative leaders admitted that the bill would never have had a chance without the threat from Common Cause."

The Massachusetts legislature adopted a plan that would provide partial public financing of statewide campaigns, limit private campaign contributions to $500 per primary or general election, place a $200 cap on lobbyists' donations and ban all gifts made to legislators by lobbyists. The new law requires donors of more than $200 to disclose their occupations, puts a $1.5 million spending ceiling on each gubernatorial primary and general election and places a $375,000 limit on other statewide races.

Earlier this year CC/Massachusetts, with help from other citizens' groups, collected more than 81,000 signatures on a petition that directed the legislature to act on comprehensive campaign finance reform -- or else have it go directly to voters as a ballot initiative in November.

Facing that choice, lawmakers decided to write their own bill. A Common Cause plan would have limited individuals' campaign contributions to $100 per candidate for each primary or general election, limited PAC contributions to $500 per election and provided tax credits for contributions to candidates who agreed to abide by campaign spending limits. It also would have prohibited incumbents from amassing campaign "war chests" to scare off opposition.

REFORM WITHOUT SCANDAL

Although the vice mayor called it "welfare for politicians," and the local newspaper opposed it, in June voters in Long Beach, Calif., adopted a public financing system for local elections that also limits contributions from individuals, corporations and political action committees. Perhaps the most surprising element of the plan, according to CC/CALIFORNIA board member Lisa Foster: It was not born out of scandal.

The campaign for the ordinance was led by CC National Governing Board member Norma Mayfield. It will limit mayoral candidates to spending $200,000 in a primary and $100,000 in a runoff. (In 1990 Mayor Ernie Kell spent $580,000 to win election.) For the city council, the limits will be $40,000 and $20,000; for prosecutor and auditor, $100,000 and $50,000. The new law limits contributions to $250 for council races and $500 for the mayor's race.

The measure establishes a Clean Government Fund, which will provide matching funds to all candidates. Contributions for the fund will be solicited via monthly utility bills -- with any shortfall being made up by the city's general fund. To qualify for matching funds, mayoral candidates will have to raise at least $20,000, council candidates $5,000, other candidates $10,000. Those who meet these standards will receive $1 for every $2 they raise, up to one-third of the spending ceiling. Candidates qualify for matching funds only by abiding by the spending limits.

CC/California Executive Director Ruth Holton says the success in Long Beach is a sign of the general public's support for public financing. "Long Beach is Republican and very representative of the middle ground," she says.