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2008
Prop. 11 Will Take Politics Out Of
Redistricting
Marin Independent Journal
August 17, 2008
Reforming Redistricting: Let Independent
Citizens Draw The Lines
Capitol Weekly
August 14, 2008
Democrats Need Not Fear Prop. 11 On
Redistricting
California Progress Report.com
August 14, 2008
Democrats Break Ranks On Prop. 11
San Francisco Chronicle
August 13, 2008
Proposition 11: Fake Redistricting Reform
California Progress Report.com
August 12, 2008
Dan Walters:
California's House Delegation Could Shrink
Sacramento Bee
August 11, 2008
Proposition 11 Has 2 Giant Loop-Holes In
It---And More!
Fox & Hounds Daily.com
August 11th, 2008
Opinion: Would Prop. 11 help minorities?
Los Angeles Times
July 27, 2008
Editorial: Redistricting Threatens
Incumbents
North County Times, Escondido
July 24, 2008
Cavala: California Voters’ Initial
‘Take’ On Redistricting Scheme Presages Its Defeat
CaliforniaProgressReport.com
July 22, 2008
Pelosi Reveals Herself And Makes Case For
Redistricting, Unintentionally
NewAmerica.net
July 18, 2008
Opinion: Proposition 11 Levels The
Redistricting Playing Field
San Jose Mercury
July 16, 2008
House Dems Oppose Calif. Redistricting
Measure
San Francisco Chronicle
July 16, 2008
Cavala: Could Redistricting ‘Reform’
Make California Competitive For John McCain? (No)
CaliforniaProgressReport.com
July 16, 2008
SEIU May Come Out In Favor of Voters’
First
RoseReport.org
July 11, 2008
Nunez Gets $600,000 From Dems’
Redistricting Fund
CapitolWeekly.net
July 10, 2008
Big Money Needed To Redraw Districts
The Sun, San Bernadino and the Inland Empire
July 9, 2008
Commentary: The Initiative Road To Terminal
Government Gridlock
Sacramento Bee
July 8, 2008
Remap Proposal Worries Civil Rights Groups
Contra Costa Times, Sacramento Bureau
July 8, 2008
Our View: Perata Won't Fool Us Again
Merced Sun-Star
July 7, 2008
Daniel Weintraub: Voters Beware -
Politicians Will Lie To Kill Proposition 11
Sacramento Bee
July 2, 2008
Gerrymandering The Vote: How A “Dirty
Dozen” States Suppress As Many As 9 Million Voters
Democratic Leadership Council
June 2008
Editorial: Perata's Power Play
San Francisco Chronicle
June 30, 2008
Democrats Fear Redistricting Measure Would
Curb Their Power In State
San Francisco Chronicle
June 27, 2008
Election-Map Initiative Helps Voters, State
Progress
Sacramento Bee
June 27, 2008
Politics And California Redistricting
CaliforniaProgressReport.com
June 27, 2008
Millions On Line In Ballot Drives
Sacramento Bee
June 24, 2008
Democratic Leaders Accused Of Pressuring
Supporters Of Redistricting Measure
Contra Costa Times Sacramento Bureau
June 21, 2008
California Is Branded Among A 'Dirty
Dozen' On Gerrymandering
Los Angeles Times
June 19, 2008
Redistricting In California: Control or
Democracy?
CaliorniaProgressReport.com
June 19, 2008
Changing Method Of Redistricting Makes
Ballot
San Francisco Chronicle
June 18, 2008
Government Reformer Down On Redistricting
Initiative
PolitickerCA.com
June 18, 2008
Redistricting Initiative Makes California
Ballot
San Jose Mercury News
June 17, 2008
Democratic Party Takes Stands On Ballot
Measures
CaliforninaMajorityReport.com
June 17, 2008
Cavala: Republicans Kill Reform Bill That
Hurts GOP Chances While Democrats Support 'Reform' That Hurts Their Chances
CaliforniaProgressReport.com
June 9, 2008
Speaking With The New Speaker
Los Angeles Times
June 2, 2008
Two Plans Created To Reform Districts
Modesto Bee
May 19, 2008
New Speaker Should Focus On Public
Interest
Los Angeles Daily News
May 13, 2008
Why Schwarzenegger's Redistricting Plan
Won't Work
California Majority Report.com
May 13, 2008
Tony Quinn: Redistricting Reform OK, But
It's Only A Start
Sacramento Bee
May 11, 2008
Governor May Face Donor Fatigue
Contra Costa Times
May 11, 2008
California Redistricting Plan Faces Hurdles
Capitol Weekly
May 7, 2008
Dan Walters: Competing Proposals For Remap
Sacramento Bee
May 7, 2008
Initiative On Redistricting Closer To
Ballot
San Francisco Chronicle
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Nunez Pushes Ethics Plan As Rival Petitions
Are Filed
Sacramento Bee
May 7, 2008
To Get Leadership Reform, We First Need
Redistricting
Los Angeles Daily News
May 1, 2008
Good Intentions Could Harm Redistricting
Ballot Measure
Los Angeles Times
April 28, 2008
Redistricting On Track To Qualify,
Consultant Says
New America Foundation.com
April 23, 2008
Why Are GOP Contributors Putting Big Money
Into Redistricting Reform?
California Progress Report.com
April 19, 2008
Gov's
Giving To Remap Measure Tops $1 million
Sacramento Bee Capital Alert
April 21, 2008
‘Due
Process’ Democrats Have Their Heads Buried in the California Sand
California Progress Report.com
April 20, 2008
Opinion: Seeing The Light
Los Angeles Daily News
April 19, 2008
California
Voters FIRST Presents A Balanced And Bipartisan Effort For Redistricting
Reform
California Progress Report.com
April 17, 2008
Schwarzenegger's
Redistricting Plan Comes Under Fire
Contra Costa Times
April 17, 2008
Group Says Plan Will Put A Stop To
Gerrymandering
The Simi Valley Acron
April 4, 2008
The Need For Redistricting Reform From
This California Democrat’s Perspective
California Progress Report.com
April 4, 2008
Labor Says No To
Schwarzenegger/Republican/Common Cause Redistricting Measure
The California Majority Report.com
April 02, 2008
Revenge In Attack On Legislative
Redistricting?
California Progress Report.com
March 31, 2008
Weintraub: Governor Gets Another Shot At
Redistricting Reform
Sacramento Bee
March 30, 2008
Editorial: Can't Legislature Do Better Than
Bills On Dogs, Donkeys?
The Fresno Bee
March 30, 2008
Walters: Voters Irate At Budget Posturing
Sacramento Bee
March 28, 2008
New Foundation To Campaign For More Efficient
California Government
Sacramento Bee
March 27, 2008
Editorial: California Voters Should Support
Redistricting Ballot Measure
Fresno Bee
March 24, 2008
Editorial: Redraw the Map
Los Angeles Daily News
March 22, 2008
Walters: Court Ruling Offers Hope to
Dysfunctional California Politics
Sacramento Bee
March 19, 2008
Supreme Court to Hear Major Redistricting
Case
The Thicket at State Legislatures (ncsl.com)
March 18, 2008
Editorial: Let Citizens Redraw the Map
The Torrance Daily Breeze
March 17, 2008
Walters: Redistrict Reformers Miss Mark
Sacramento Bee
March 10, 2008
Let Citizens
Redraw Map
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
March 9, 2008
Governor Proposes Redistricting Ballot
Measure
North County Times
March 8, 2008
Redistricting Initiative Has Strong
Republican Backing
San Jose Mercury News
March 6, 2008
Governor Gathers Signatures to Qualify
Redistricting Measure
San Jose Mercury News
March 4, 2008
Manipulative Lawmakers Playing To The Crowd
Fresno Bee
February 14, 2008
State Voters Need To Do What Lawmakers
Won't
Los Angeles Daily News
February 14, 2008
Editorial: What We Need In Sacramento,
Redistricting, Not Retaliation
San Jose Mercury News
February 14, 2008
Redistricting Reform, Not Longer Terms, Is
The Answer
California Republic.org
February 12, 2008
The Buzz: A Hardball Tactic Could Ricochet
Sacramento Bee
February 11, 2008
Wake Up, Sacramento Media! Wake Up! Wake
Up! Wake Up!
San Diego Union Tribune
February 8, 2008
Editorial: Passive Aggressive Lawmakers
Just Play to the Crowd
Fresno Bee
February 8, 2008
Nunez Takes Blame For Prop. 93 Loss
Los Angeles Daily News
February 7, 2008
Weingand: Voters Got A Whiff and Said 'No'
Sacramento Bee
February 7, 2008
Lawmakers Believe In Term Limits But
Oppose The Measure
North County Times
February 4, 2008
Good For Us
Los Angeles Times
February 4, 2008
Commentary: A Conversation with Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger
Sacramento Bee
January 20, 2008
Walters: Two Party Structure Under Fire
Sacramento Bee
January 18, 2008
Walters: Governor's Brownian Flip-Flops
Sacramento Bee
January 16, 2008
Editorial: Corruption of a Good Idea
San Francisco Chronicle
January 15, 2008
Governor Supports Term Limit Measure
Sacramento Bee
January 15, 2008
A Deceptive Prop. 93
San Francisco Chronicle
January 10, 2008
Use Prop. 93 To Say 'No"
dailybreeze.com
January 3, 2008
more
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Millions On Line In Ballot Drives
By Kevin Yamamura -
Sacramento Bee
June 24, 2008
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cannot run for re-election and has no
stated plans to seek another office, but he still raises millions of
dollars each year.
The governor's continued reliance on the ballot box means a
constant need for campaign cash, and watchdog groups say that leaves
him vulnerable to influence by special interests.
"I think voters should be wary of the extent to which the
governor has to go to fund those ambitions," said Carmen Balber
of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights. "If you
look at his overall trend, business interests are overwhelmingly
represented."
Schwarzenegger has solicited more than $4.6 million this year as
he pursues an initiative to change how California draws its voting
district boundaries, which qualified last week for the November
ballot. He also wants the Legislature to add three measures related
to budget and water projects for the same election.
Schwarzenegger declared during the recall campaign in 2003 that
"I don't need to take money from anyone," but he has
raised more than $127 million since then, not counting money he has
personally contributed. That figure surpasses the $87 million former
Gov. Gray Davis raised over five years.
Schwarzenegger's fundraising totals this year are lower than in
heavy campaign years like 2005 and 2006, but watchdog groups
anticipate he will raise millions this fall to help his
redistricting initiative pass in November.
The crowded ballot will have at least 11 proposals, which means
redistricting proponents must spend more money to communicate their
message. Bill Carrick, a Democratic consultant and a political
advertising expert, estimated that a statewide ad purchase could
cost more than $3 million a week.
"If you want to pass something, if you're the 'yes' side of
something where the burden is so much more difficult, I think you
could end up with a $20 million campaign," Carrick said.
The redistricting initiative has drawn support from a bipartisan
coalition of groups and leaders that includes Schwarzenegger, former
Democratic state Controller Steve Westly, AARP and California Common
Cause.
Yet Schwarzenegger has been responsible for financing the
initiative's signature-gathering efforts. He transferred $2.4
million in campaign money this spring to redistricting proponents.
In the current cycle, the governor has raised $200,000 from Chevron
Corp., $100,000 from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and $50,000 from
State Farm Insurance. All have legislative business before the
state.
More than $800,000 in additional contributions has come from
regular Schwarzenegger donors, including Texas oilman T. Boone
Pickens, Los Angeles developer Rick Caruso and New York City Mayor
Michael Bloomberg.
"The governor has strongly supported redistricting reform
since he was elected," said Schwarzenegger campaign spokeswoman
Julie Soderlund. "It is something he feels strongly about
because the power to draw district lines should be in the hands of
voters rather than politicians."
In addition to redistricting, Schwarzenegger wants the
Legislature to place on the ballot a proposal to establish a budget
rainy-day fund and expand gubernatorial authority to cut spending.
He also wants voters to approve a plan allowing the state to borrow
against future lottery revenues as part of his current budget
solution. And he hopes to get a new bond for water projects on the
November ballot.
Christina Lokke, policy advocate at California Common Cause, said
she agrees that voters should be concerned about the large amounts
of money necessary to approve initiatives in California, though her
group is backing the redistricting proposal. She said it is a
necessary move because the Legislature has refused to approve
changes to the current process.
"I think there's always a concern when you see amounts of
money influencing policy and politics, and sometimes there isn't an
option to go any other route," Lokke said.
She acknowledged that the redistricting campaign will require
"big donors to help out with media ads," but she noted
that the campaign is also relying on "grass-roots"
support.
Though he has been less vocal on campaign finance reform this
year, Schwarzenegger still wants the Legislature to approve a
fundraising ban during budget negotiations and during most of August
and September when bills are approved and signed, said spokesman
Aaron McLear.
He has not taken a position on Senate Constitutional Amendment 9,
by Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, which addresses redistricting,
term limits and fundraising blackout periods.
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