Sean McMorris
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smcmorris.bsky.social
Sean McMorris
@smcmorris.bsky.social
Program Manager at CA Common Cause, Activist, Good Government advocate, Planning Commissioner, Journalist, cat lover, Dodgers fan. (Tweets and views are my own.)
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...
Anaheim Chamber of Commerce To Close in Aftermath of Corruption Probes
The Anaheim Chamber of Commerce is expected to close its doors at the end of the month – years after a corruption scandal rocked city hall.
voiceofoc.org
April 21, 2025 at 4:08 PM
"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...
SF Will Let Nonprofits Report Less About Themselves Due to Fears of Political Attacks | KQED
San Francisco supervisors voted to ease reporting requirements for city-funded nonprofits, but one ethics expert is worried it could expose the city to financial mismanagement.
www.kqed.org
April 16, 2025 at 9:41 PM
“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...
Billionaire-Backed Nonprofit to Fund San Francisco’s Downtown Recovery Projects | KQED
The move is Mayor Daniel Lurie’s latest play to prop up major public-private partnerships to boost the city’s economic comeback, but it has raised concern among some government watchdogs.
www.kqed.org
April 10, 2025 at 5:33 PM
“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
Insurance commissioner splurges on meals, drinks as CA burns
An @sfstandard investigation found that Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has been using a shadowy campaign committee to spend thousands on fancy meals & cocktails. And we have the receipts 🧾🥩🍸 The ...
bit.ly
April 10, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Reposted by Sean McMorris
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.
March 28, 2025 at 8:01 PM
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...
March 27, 2025 at 8:45 PM
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...
California caps city council campaign contributions at $5,500 but some cities say that’s too high
Two Inland Empire cities do not limit the amount of money donors can give to local candidates.
www.sbsun.com
March 24, 2025 at 10:54 PM
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...
Civic participation got a lot easier during the pandemic. Here’s how that ‘happy accident’ is playing out now.
From voting to public meetings to courts access, the restrictions on in-person meetings at the height of COVID-19 helped modernize how local government works — and how the public can weigh in.
www.sandiegouniontribune.com
March 24, 2025 at 6:15 PM
“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...
An L.A. City Council member is launching a nonprofit. Ethics experts have questions
Should a councilmember raise private donations to pay for basic city services in his district?
www.latimes.com
March 15, 2025 at 8:04 PM
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...
Why is Mayor Karen Bass deleting her text messages?
Bass and her office have said she was in constant communication while she was out of the country. But it’s impossible to know exactly what she was communicating, because her messages were not saved, a...
www.latimes.com
March 11, 2025 at 5:10 PM
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...
California Municipal Campaign Finance Index
www.commoncause.org
March 7, 2025 at 6:50 PM