Lastest News
Neighborhoods for Clean ElectionsJuly Update
First of all, Thanks
Thanks to all who worked hard on the Prop 15 clean elections effort. It's not easy to lose but we can always learn for the future. I think the low voter turnout doomed Prop 15. Our goal is to put the San Diego Clean Elections initiative on the November 2012 general election. This will be a presidential election with the best possible turnout. But we need to use the next one and a half years in building support. We invite all those who worked on Prop 15 to join us for the San Diego City effort. Give me a call.Thanks again!
Thanks to our phone bank team. They have done a great job and we are taking a break in July. We will begin anew in August. If you would like to join us, give me a call.
And thanks to our contributors!
As of June 30, we have $7,888 in funds. Thanks to all who have contributed! And by the way, you can always contribute again. There is no upper limit and we will need all the funds we can raise. To contribute, go to our web page: www.sdcleanelections.org and select the contribution tab on the left column on the front page.
Would you like to help organize in your own neighborhood?
We have started an effort to organize support for clean elections in our own individual neighborhoods. Would you like to help organize support in your neighborhood? If so, you could really help make a difference. Give me a call.
Anyone interested in doing research?
Would you like to help our campaign with research? If so, we need your help. Give me a call.
John Hartley - Coordinator
Neighborhoods for Clean Elections
619-299-8870
June 2010Vote for Prop 15 on the June Primary
As you know, the California Fair Elections Initiative (Prop 15) will repeal the ban on public financing in California and establish a state-wide pilot program for public financing of California Secretary of State campaigns.
Polling on Prop 15 is on our side. But the lobbyists opposing Prop 15 are misrepresenting the facts to try to kill it. So, getting the word out to vote YES is key to passing Prop 15.
There is little time until Election Day and we could really use your help in getting the word out about the importance of voting Yes on Prop 15.
The most effective way to persuade voters is through personal conversations.
Can you help by phone banking from your home?
The YES on Prop 15 Campaign has a convenient website PLUS phone banking locations across the state. So you can choose a phone bank location close to you or make calls from your home at www.YesOnProp15.org/phonebanks
Letters to the Editor Needed
We had a big win this past Friday, May 28, when the San Diego Union/Tribune printed a letter in support of clean elections by Steve Howard. We are now trying to create a deluge of letters to the U/T in support of Steve's letter and his support of clean elections. Would you be willing to write a letter? With e mail, it is very easy and the more letters we can generate in support of the letter written by Steve Howard in support of clean elections, the more letters the Union/Tribune will publish. If you can send in a letter, please refer to Steve's letter which is included below in your letter. Following Steve's letter are directions on how to submit letters to the Union/Tribune. Thanks again for your help. If you have any questions, please contact John Hartley at 619-299-8870 or hartley2k@aol.com
5/28/10
San Diego Union/Tribune
Letters to the Editor
“Clean Elections” in San Diego
Candidates for office in San Diego must raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to run a competitive campaign. This leads to larger contributions from the wealthy and from special interests, which inevitably leads to increased influence by these big contributors. The result is council members paying less attention to ordinary citizens and their neighborhood concerns.
A system called Clean Elections has overcome these problems and allowed candidates to spend their time communicating with voters instead of continuously raising money. The system allows candidates to collect a minimum number of donations from registered voters to show that they have some public support. Candidates who have the required support receive public funding and may not raise any other funds. Candidates who choose not to accept public support may raise and spend as much as they like, but the public knows that they will owe their contributors big favors. Arizona and Maine have been using Clean Elections since 2000 and most candidates have chosen to run clean campaigns.
Steve Howard
San Diego
How to submit a letter to the editor of the Union/Tribune
To be considered for publication, a letter must include a daytime phone number and, if faxed or mailed, be signed. E-mail it to letters@uniontrib.com, or fax it to (619) 260-5081. You can also send it to Letters Editor, The San Diego Union-Tribune, P.O. Box 120191, San Diego, CA 92112-0191.
Because of the number of letters we receive, and to allow as many readers as possible to be published, it is the policy of the Union-Tribune to publish no more than one letter from the same author within 30 days. Letters may be edited, for length and clarity. It is also our policy to publish letters supporting or opposing a particular issue in a ratio reflecting the number received on each side. For example, if we receive three times the number of letters supporting Side A than Side B, we’ll publish three times more letters supporting Side A. Letters submitted may be used in print or in digital form in any publication or services offered by The San Diego Union-Tribune, LLC.
Misc. Updates
- Phone Bank - We have a great phone bank on Wednesday nights but we could squeeze in another volunteer. If you want to help, call John Hartley at 619-299-8870
- Fundraising - We are making steady progress. We now have $6,000 in the bank but we need to raise a lot more to succeed. Please consider contributing to our clean elections campaign. You can now go to our web page at sdcleanelections.org to contribute.
- General Meeting - We will be showing the video, “Road to Clean Elections” narrated by Bill Moyers, at our June general meeting. All are invited to attend. Our general meeting will be on Wednesday, June 16 at 7pm in Larry Remer's conference room located at 3609 Fourth Avenue in Hillcrest.
Do you have a question or suggestion?
If you have any questions or suggestions regarding the clean elections campaign, please contact the campaign coordinator, John Hartley, at 619-299-8870 or hartley2k@aol.com
May 2010
Rally for the statewide Prop 15
The San Diego group of Proposition 15 supporters will have a rally at the San Diego Registrar of Voters on Friday, May 7 from 2-3PM and all clean elections supporters are encouraged to attend. Assembly Member Lori Saldana will be joined by local leaders and clean elections supporters.
Prop 15 is the statewide ballot measure which would create a clean elections pilot for the office of Secretary of State position. The Registrar of Voters is located at the intersection of Ruffin Road and Clairemont Mesa Blvd, just west of Highway 15. For more information on the Prop 15 campaign, call Common Cause organizer Jeanne Brown at 619-857-1807.
You can now contribute from our web page
We just setup a contribution page on the front page of our web page: www.sdcleanelections.org where you can financially contribute to the clean elections campaign through PayPal or a one time contribution off your credit card. Or you can just write a check out to Neighborhoods for Clean Elections and mail it to: Neighborhoods for Clean Elections, P.O. Box 16066, San Diego, CA 92176.Why do we need to raise money?
We will need to gather 90,000 signatures in order to qualify a clean elections initiative on the November 2012 ballot. We realize that if we are to be successful, that we will need to raise enough money cover all the costs of the campaign including paying for signatures if we cannot get enough through our volunteers. So, please contribute what you can when you can!
Phone bank still up and working
Our Wednesday night phone bank is working well with a small group of dedicated volunteers. Every Wednesday, from 6pm to 8pm, we are calling past supporters of clean elections to see if they are still with us and if they can help us out. We are phoning from Larry Remer's office at 3609 Fourth Avenue in Hillcrest. If you can phone, just come down with your cell phone. We only have one phone at the office. If you have any questions, give John Hartley a call at 619-299-8870.
Arizona clean elections has a new web page
Arizona's clean elections has been under constant attack since its start in 2000. Check out their new web page at www.savecleanelections.com
Can you write a letter to the editor on the need for clean elections?
Letters to the editor are an important way to influence public opinion. Can you write one today? With e mail, it is easy and only a click a way.
How to submit a letter to the editor of the Union/Tribune
To be considered for publication, a letter must include a daytime phone number and, if faxed or mailed, be signed. E-mail it to letters@uniontrib.com, or fax it to (619) 260-5081. You can also send it to Letters Editor, The San Diego Union-Tribune, P.O. Box 120191, San Diego, CA 92112-0191. Because of the number of letters we receive, and to allow as many readers as possible to be published, it is the policy of the Union-Tribune to publish no more than one letter from the same author within 30 days. Letters may be edited, for length and clarity. It is also our policy to publish letters supporting or opposing a particular issue in a ratio reflecting the number received on each side. For example, if we receive three times the number of letters supporting Side A than Side B, we'll publish three times more letters supporting Side A. Letters submitted may be used in print or in digital form in any publication or services offered by The San Diego Union-Tribune, LLC.
I hope this message finds you in a good place. If you have any questions or suggestions, contact the clean elections campaign coordinator John Hartley at 619-299-8870 or hartley2k@aol.com
April 2010
Hi Everyone - How are you? We are highlighting some special needs this month. We need more clean elections speakers and research volunteers! We would like to expand our outreach to groups and we need to research clean elections around the U.S. If you would like to help in either category, call John Hartley at 619-299-8870.Congratulations to Jeanne Brown and the League of Women Voters They created a great luncheon on clean elections in March! It was a great success. --- And don't forget Proposition 15, the statewide clean elections measure covering the Secretary of State position, which will be on the June ballot. If you would like to work on this important effort or want more information on it, call Jeanne Brown at 619-857-1807.
Phone bank continues on Wednesday nights
We continue to have a great group of phone bank volunteers calling clean elections supporters on Wednesday nights. If you would like to join us, we would love to have you. Just come in after 6pm to our 3609 Fourth Avenue phone bank in Hillcrest (just north of the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Brooks Avenue and on the East side of Fourth Avenue) If you have a cell phone, bring it! Call John Hartley at 619-299-8870 if you have any questions.Bill Moyers here in San Diego on Wednesday, April 21?
Yes, Bill Moyers will be joining us on the Road to Clean Elections video at our general meeting at 7pm on Wednesday, April 21 at our phone bank location. (See location above) . If you have never seen Bill Moyers talk about clean elections, you will enjoy the message. Come join us. And join us too if you have questions or just want to know what we are doing to get clean elections in San Diego.Why do we need to raise money?
People ask us why we need to raise money to get a clean elections measure on the ballot. The truth is that the establishment has raised the bar in terms of the number of signatures needed to qualify ballot measures. We will need to get 90,000 signatures of registered voters from the city of San Diego in order to qualify our clean elections measure. We are planning a robust volunteer effort to get signatures but we will also have to raise money in ensure that we qualify our initiative! So please dig in and send in a check, big or small.Where to send a contribution check
All contributions count. Make your checks out to: Neighborhoods for Clean Elections and mail to: Neighborhoods for Clean Elections, P.O. Box 16066, San Diego, CA 92176. For more information, call John Hartley, at 619-299-8870.
March 2010
Hi Everyone - Big news this month is the Clean Elections luncheon put on by the League of Women Voters on Wednesday, March 24 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. We encourage you to attend. Directions on how to reserve your place listed below.Phone bank continues on Wednesday nights
We continue to call Clean Elections supporters every Wednesday night starting at 6pm from a conference room at 3609 Fourth Avenue in Hillcrest (just north of the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Brooks Avenue) We need volunteers. Come join us. If you have a question or need more information, call John Hartley at 619-299-8870. P.S. Bring your cell phone.General Meeting setup for Third Wednesday
We will be hosting a general meeting, also at 3609 Fourth Avenue location, starting at 7pm on Wednesday, March 17. We will be showing “The Road to Clean Elections” narrated by Bill Moyers and answering any questions that folks might have. Come join us!Please keep those contributions to the clean elections campaign coming!
We need to raise money to help us get our initiative on the ballot! Make checks out to: Neighborhoods for Clean Elections and mail to: Neighborhoods for Clean Elections, P.O. Box 16066, San Diego, CA 92176. For more information, call Neighborhoods for Clean Elections Coordinator, John Hartley, at 619-299-8870.League of Women Voters of San Diego - Clean Elections Luncheon “Do Special Interests Now Own Our Elections?”
Speakers:
- Ric Bainter, Founding director of the New Politics program at the National Civic League and current National Common Cause Board member.
- Trent Lange, Chair of Californians for Fair Elections, the ballot committee that is leading the campaign for the California Fair Election Act on the June 2010 ballot, and board member of California Clean Money Campaign.
- Simon Mayeski, Board member of California Common Cause and watchdog on the San Diego Ethics Commission for Common Cause.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Tom Ham’s Lighthouse Restaurant: located at 2150 Harbor Island Drive, 92101
Cost: $28 LWV members; $30 non-members
Directions to Tom Ham’s:
Harbor Dr. to the airport; turn left at Harbor Island Dr.; proceed two short blocks and veer right. Continue past hotels and marinas to the end of the island.
Parking is free.
Reservations must be received by Mar. 18, 2009
Mail check to LWVSD, 4901 Morena Blvd., # 104, San Diego 92117.
Questions: 858-483-8696
February 2010
Hi Everyone - The Supreme Court’s recent decision allowing corporations to spend unlimited funds on political campaigns makes our clean elections campaign all the more important. See the article below by local Diego political consultant, Larry Remer.Phone bank moves to Wednesday nights
We have moved our clean elections phone bank to Wednesday nights starting this Wednesday, February 3. The location is still the same, 3609 Fourth Avenue in Hillcrest and we start at 6pm. Volunteers are always appreciated. Come join us! For more information, contact John Hartley.We are targeting the 2012 general election
Just a reminder that our intention is to put a clean elections ballot measure on the 2012 general elections ballot for the city of San Diego. There is also a statewide ballot measure on this June primary which if it passes, will provide for a pilot clean elections process for the statewide, Secretary of State office. For more information on this effort, give Common Cause organizer, Jeanne Brown, a call at 619-857-1807.Court Opens the Way for Influx of Corporate Big Money
The US Supreme Court’s unprecedented tilt towards “Big Money” politics has made the need for Clean Elections more urgent than ever. In late January, the Supreme Court, by a 5-4 margin, overturned more than 100 years of precedent by ruling that restrictions on campaign spending by corporations and labor unions is an unconstitutional violation of the 1st amendment. The Court’s decision overturned key provisions of the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Law as well as other federal limits on special interest spending. In essence, the Court lifted virtually all restrictions on campaigning by corporations and unions. Some observers believe that this will open the floodgates to hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign spending in the upcoming midterm elections. President Obama criticized the Court’s ruling during his State of the Union Address and public interest groups from across the country have joined in a rising chorus of outrage. The ruling has given new life to Clean Elections efforts across the country. With a political system that places virtually no limits or restrictions on special interest money, Clean Elections style ordinances offer the only hope for ordinary citizens to make their voices heard.
Larry Remer, Political ConsultantThanks again for your clean elections donations
Thanks again to those who have sent in checks for our campaign. We do need to raise money in order to successfully qualify and pass a clean elections initiative. If you have not done so, please consider making a contribution now. Make a check out to: Neighborhoods for Clean Elections and mail to: Neighborhoods for Clean Elections, P.O. Box 16066, San Diego, CA, 92176
John Hartley, Coordinator for Neighborhoods for Clean Elections
619-299-8870/hartley2k@aol.com
January 2010
Clean Elections Campaign
Hi Everyone - Happy New Year! 2010 will be a great year. You heard it from me! Our clean elections campaign will go into high gear with the new year! First, let me tell you about and invite you to some upcoming events.Upcoming Events
- This Saturday, January 9, from 11am to 1pm at the Mission Valley Branch Library located at 2123 Fenton Parkway in Mission Valley. This is a speakers/volunteers training session put on by Californians for Fair Elections. They are organizing support for the statewide clean elections ballot measure which will be on the June primary ballot. For more information, go to www.yesfairelections.org or call
310-397-0200.- Sunday, January 17, 10:30am - 11:30am at the First Unitarian/Universalist Church, 4190 Front St in Hillcrest. This is a meeting of the Clean Elections Task Force of the church and everyone is invited to attend. We will be planning activities for the new year.
- Tuesday, January 19, 6:30pm at 3609 Fourth Avenue in Hillcrest. This is our first general meeting and everyone is invited to attend. We will also be sharing plans for the new year and, upon request, will show the video entitled, "Road to Clean Elections."
Phone Bank
Can you help us make calls to our supporters at our weekly phone bank? We will be phoning every Tuesday night from 6pm at 3609 Fourth Avenue. If you can help, come join us. For more information, contact John Hartley. This is a cell phone, phone bank so bring your cell phone. (we will have extras)Thanks to those who have donated!
Thanks again to those of you who have donated to our clean elections campaign. We are an all volunteer group but we need to raise money to help qualify our Clean Elections Initiative for the 2012 ballot. More donations will be gratefully accepted. Please make checks out to: Neighborhoods for Clean Elections and mail to: Neighborhoods for Clean Elections, P.O. Box 16066, San Diego, CA 92176. Please include your phone number and e mail so we can contact you if we have any questions, and. by law, we need your occupation or profession and the name of your employer. If you are self-employed, we need the name of your entity and your position. If you are retired or a homemaker, please indicate that.Thanks again!
Thanks again for your help and support for clean elections. We are on a long, tough journey to reform politics in the city of San Diego and to give our neighborhoods a Say at City Hall! If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact John Hartley.
John Hartley, Coordinator of Neighborhoods for Clean Elections
619/299-8870 - hartley2k@aol.com
Constituents
like to see legislators
who spend
more time working on issues.
Clean Elections has enabled
me to do that.
Maine Senate PresidentBeth Edmonds