Another voter-backed Maine law regulating campaign finance halted, but the case is far from over www.newsfromthestates.com/article/anot...

More chambers than you know have no-bid contracts with cities. And many end up acting as lobbyists for moneyed interests and power brokers. It's telling that many Chambers can't survive without government subsidies. voiceofoc.org/2025/04/anah...

"There’s a lot of things that are legal... but not necessarily appropriate or ethical. That’s where transparency comes in and allows us to hold our public officials accountable based on what they do, even if it’s legal.”
www.kqed.org/news/1203587...

“It’s not that it’s not a worthy cause,” McMorris said “But it raises the issue of purchasing influence. I’m sure the people who are being solicited are pretty well-heeled and have their own interests with the city.”
www.kqed.org/news/1203494...

“It’s a way for them to... keep a campaign war chest, regardless of [their] intention [to] run for that office or not,” McMorris said. “But the public and the press absolutely have a right to question how a politician is using campaign funds...”
bit.ly/42qN8rS

In order to restore an effective government that deserves and has the public's trust, we have to solve the problem of money in politics.

Lots of ideas out there on how to do it - I think fully publicly financed elections (like in Europe) with very small grassroots contributions allowed would work.

If there's a buyer, then there's a seller. “Politicians, quite frankly, are using [behested payments] to shake down special interests who they know are going to have business before them. So both parties are guilty here.” www.capradio.org/articles/202...

Great report about local campaign contribution limits. Happy to see the California Municipal Campaign Finance Index being utilized. www.sbsun.com/2025/03/24/c...

Democracy is messy and can sometimes lead to slow meetings and speech you don't want to hear, but “[t]he public should be allowed universal remote public access... It’s been significantly beneficial to public participation." www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/03/23/c...

“even if the end result is a benefit to the constituents,” the One Five Fund creates the appearance of “pay to play.”
www.latimes.com/california/n...

1) The LA City Attorney's interpretation of public records law is very incorrect.
2) Who auto-deletes text messages?
www.latimes.com/california/s...

The Municipal Campaign Finance Index (MCFI) is an organized accounting of campaign finance laws in all California cities. The Index and its accompanying report supply comprehensive data and context for California’s municipal campaign finance landscape.
www.commoncause.org/california/r...