April 2023

Posted on April 14, 2023May 9, 2023 by John Hartley

Clean Elections San Diego

Update

4/14/23

“If anyone should own our politicians, it should be we, the people”

— Bill Moyers – American Journalist

Hi Everyone,

Our main thrust at the moment is that we are still reviewing the language of our initiative. It is slow work but we want to make sure that we have it right.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact John Hartley at 619-299-8870. Our web page is: CleanElectionsSanDiego.org where you can read a little about our history, our endorsements ,our news updates and a video that I encourage you to check out, entitled “The Road to Clean Elections.” This 7.5 minute DVD was written and narrated by Bill Moyers, the journalist, and it covers the impact of clean elections on Arizona and Maine. These states have had clean elections since 2000.

Our goal continues to put clean elections on the 2024 ballot and then to win the 2024 campaign! But if you would like to help out today, we suggest that you check out our web page, watch the video again and invite a friend to look at clean elections by having he or she, watch the video. And then send me their contact information so we can keep them updated on our campaign.

Lastly, I invite you to join me over coffee, especially if you have any questions or suggestions, on Saturday, April 22 at 10 AM at Le Stats coffee house, 4496 Park Blvd, two blocks north of El Cajon Blvd.

Below is a piece written by Mark Linsky. Mark is our campaign chair. a professor at San Diego’s Community College and my colleague, in the clean elections campaign.

A few months back I wrote a commentary for the Times of San Diego about the need for clean elections

in our town. I pointed out what the real cost of ‘politics as usual’ has been for

America’s Finest City. Any objective observer—regardless of party affiliation—has to be concerned

with the long list of bad deals which have enriched the downtown interests while short changing the

citizens who expect their elected officials to act wisely on their behalf. The Ash St. debacle is only the

latest and most costly example of this.

So how does this involve the push for clean elections? The short answer is unless private money is removed from the electoral equation, candidates will continue to be beholden to the money which helped put them

in office. This system will not go away. But it can be offset by candidates who accept only

public funds and therefore are immune to the pressures and arm twisting of individuals and groups

who expect a return on their investment. In a democracy, the people are supposed to rule.

And it is high time for a clean elections initiative which will make that a reality for the citizens

of San Diego

— Mark Linsky

December 2022

Posted on December 26, 2022December 26, 2022 by John Hartley

Clean Elections San Diego

Campaign Update

12/6/2022

Hi Everyone,

First, we wish you the best over the upcoming holidays. Enjoy yourself! You deserve it! And second, we thank you for your ongoing support for clean elections for San Diego. We were close in 2020 and we plan on winning in 2024!

We had another letter to the editor printed in the Union/Tribune recently, and if you haven’t already sent in a letter, we urge you to write one and to refer to that letter. Share why you support campaign finance reform and why, in your opinion, we need clean elections.

Here is our latest article printed in the U/T

12/2/22.

To: San Diego Union Tribune Letters to the Editor

You published a recent letter regarding campaign finance reform. Having just finished the recent election cycle I would like to agree that campaign financing is a major issue. The amount of money needed to fund campaigns keeps growing. With that growth, the power of wealthy individuals, corporations and organizations grows. An example is the problem of climate change. Scientists have known since the 70s that increasing CO2 emissions are a serious problem. We have the technology to produce electricity by means other than burning fossil fuels, yet CO2 emissions continue to increase every year. The wealth and political power of the fossil fuel industry is the major reason we can do so little to combat climate change. Changing the way we finance election campaigns is the only way to reduce the political power of wealth.

Mark Spitzer

North Park

Directions on sending in a letter to the editor of the U/T

Include your full name, community of residence and phone number. (The number is not printed.) Email your letter to letters@utsandiego.com

Thank you!

Thanks again for your help and support for clean elections. See you next year! We urge you to check out our web page at: CleanElectionsSanDiego.org where you can both, read about the history of the San Diego campaign for clean elections, and check out the the powerful, 7 minute video, entitled Road to Clean Elections, narrated by celebrated journalist and philosopher, Bill Moyers

Lastly, if you have a question or a suggestion, contact John Hartley, Clean Elections campaign coordinator at 619-299-8870 or hartley2k@aol.com

Clean Elections San Diego

November 2022

Posted on November 26, 2022December 26, 2022 by John Hartley

Clean Elections San Diego

Clean Elections Update

11/14/22

Hi Everyone,

We have suddenly been given a great opportunity. A letter to the editor on the need for campaign finance reform was published in the U/T on November 4. Our opportunity is to have more letters to the editor printed in the U/T which agrees with the need for campaign finance reform

The original letter is printed below. It is entitled: Campaign finance reform is needed.

So, to move our campaign for clean elections forward, could you send in a letter to the U/T?

It is easy to submit a letter. It is best to refer to the original letter, and share why you support campaign finance reform? The more letters on a topic, the more likely the UT will print them, so If you don’t have much time, just jot down some of your thoughts and send it in. And if you want to write out a well thought out and written letter, great. The U/T will decide which letters to print.

The U/T wants your letter to to include your name, community of residence and a phone number. They do not publish the phone number. They need it to call you if they decide to print your letter. Send your letter to letters@sduniontribune.com

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me at 619-299-8870 or hartley2k@aol.com

John Hartley, Clean Elections San Diego

Campaign finance reform is much needed

Re “Midterm political spending shatters records” (Nov.4): This article clearly shows the need for campaign finance reform. All that excessive spending on political ads perpetuates the U.S. wealth gap. Billionaires donate to Republican candidates because their policies reduce taxes on the rich and reduce regulations on the billionaires’ businesses. How does benefit the ordinary American? It does not.

We need government to keep us safe from pollution, unfair business practices that squash the little guy, discrimination of many kinds and crime. How much more housing would that $16.7 billion buy? How much better could the education system be with more funding? We could make strides in lessening the effects of climate change.

Please, let’s not let money buy elections.

Sandy McMullen

Carlsbad

Check out our web page at CleanElectionsSanDiego.org