As election day, we march towards us on March 5, voters will already get more mail flyers. Video advertisements will also be flooded in TV shows and social media posts.
But look carefully where they are from. Here I met Irwin: “Republican Dr. Steven Choi fights tax.” The East Assembly is running for the state Senate in the 37th district. The flyer is paid by the top funder of the Uber Innovation Political Action Add Committee.
Another flyer claims, “Josh supports Josh Pneumon for the Schematic State Senate,” also for the 37th district. It is currently a democratic democrats in the 29th district. Except the advertisement was paid by Uber Innovation. Pay attention to various issues: Tax for Republican, abortion for democrats.
The key here is the assembly bill from 2019, which created several part -time “gig” workers, including Uber driver, full -time employee, a terrible law. Choi voted against it. Numan was briefly out of the Senate as he was called back to support the Senate Bill 1 in 2017, which increased 5 billion dollar gas taxes per year. He was re -elected in 2020.
Uber and Lyft spent $ 193 million in 2020, in 22 passing proposals gave themselves exempted from AB 5. Now, Uber wants to cover both sides in the 37th November 5 5 in runoff.
How did we get here? Blame Oc original son Richard Nixon. The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 revealed the campaign contribution. Then, as the Watergate scam expelled him from the office in 1974, the Democratic Congress amended the Act. The changes contributed limited campaign by the federal Election Commission and individuals, political parties and political action committees.
In the 1976 Bakle judgment, on the First Amendment Ground, the US Supreme Court exempted the individual contribution of the law to give a huge benefit to someone’s own campaign-Amir, self-financially given a big benefit.
The 2010 citizen United’s decision thrown any limit on independent expenditure by corporations, unions and their political action committees – PAC. So Uber and many other packs.
Today in California, Fair Political Practice Commission lists limitations that include $ 5,500 for assembly, state Senate and local offices; And $ 36,400 for the governor. But political parties and PACs can “contribute more than the border.” The Federal Election Commission says that the contribution to American House, Senate and Presidential candidates is limited to $ 3,300 per election.
I have known dozens of candidates, and except for self-funded people, they all have to spend several hours to beg for small contribution. They then not only face an opponent attack, but often better funded PACs. It is considered a “democratic” because the financial assistance reportedly comes to the ground level, but the opposite.
Because the expedition laws are so complex, and the wealth is so difficult, the campaign has also become a specific special profession run by some experts. If you are a short -time candidate, forget it.
This system is anti -democratic and gives huge benefits to millionaires, incumbents and special interests. Not wonder why the federal government is $ 34 trillion in the loan and California is incurring a loss of at least $ 38 billion this year. They “pay to play.” You pay the candidates, and they let you play with the taxpayers’ dollars.
What is the need for improvement. First, keep a good part: contribution disclosure. Let’s know who is paying whom.
Second, throw out all other laws. Although the courts have upheld the contribution boundaries, all boundaries actually violate “the freedom of speech, or the first amendment against the freedom of the press; or to gather the rights of the people, and to petition the government for redressal of grievances.”
If I like the candidate Better than the candidate B, then why can’t I give $ 10,000 A? Instead, why can you spend a PAC to spend a $ 1 million backing candidate B?
Under this improvement, most PACs and other independent schemes will disappear, as the candidates will collect the most or all the money, with full disclosure. Candidates will control Mano a man, the tenure of the campaigns and the tempo. This is a real democracy.
John SCNG is on the blog on the editorial board and johneseler.substack.com