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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BERKELEY
PLACES FULL PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCING MEASURE ON BALLOT – WOULD BE FIRST
CITY IN U.S. TO ENACT SYSTEM With last
night’s 7-2 vote, the Berkeley City Council made history by approving
new campaign finance system that would eliminate most private money from
local candidate campaigns. Berkeley, CA – With strong
support from Mayor Tom Bates and election reform organizations, the
Berkeley City Council voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday night to send a full
public financing measure to the Berkeley voters in November. The plan adopted by the Council
would replace private money in campaigns with a system of public financing
paid for by the City. Under
the system, candidates who qualify for public financing and accept public
funding would be barred from accepting any private donations or any other
financial assistance. A similar system was approved by initiative for statewide
races in Arizona and Maine. However,
no city in the United States has adopted the system, nor has any
legislative body ever voluntarily voted to approve such a system. “With this vote, the Berkeley
City Council took a strong stand against the influence of money in our
political system,” said Mayor Tom Bates.
“This is a city know throughout the world for innovative
policies. If the voters
approve this plan, we will not only reinvigorate the political process in
Berkeley, we will also provide a clear path for other cities to follow.” This public financing system was
originally proposed by the Berkeley Fair Elections Coalition and was
supported by a number of other organizations, including Common Cause and
the Greenlining Institute. If approved by the voters, the measure would
take effect only after the City Council affirms that there are adequate
resources in the City budget to fund its $498,000 per year price tag. # # # |
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