Category Archives: Newsletter

This is the most recent newsletter.

September 2022

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Clean Elections San Diego
Update
9/22/2022
“If anyone is to own our politicians, it should be we, the people”
—  Bill Moyers
Hi Everyone
Our campaign is chugging along. We are spending most of our time outreaching to groups for support for our push in 2024. If you would like to help with this or any thing else,  let us know.  If you think of any groups that we should contact, please let us know. And of course, if you have any questions or suggestions for the campaign, let us know.
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This month I would like to share with you why I have continued to support clean elections over the years. The clean elections campaign actually started when a La Jolla activist, Francoise Faron, brought a group of people together to discuss clean elections in 2000.
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Out of this meeting came the campaign for clean elections which went through various forms over the years.   I got involved in the campaign in 2002 after a citizen initiative for clean elections failed due to the enormous amount of signatures needed for it to get on the ballot. And now in 2022 and a lot older, I am still committed to clean elections for San Diego.
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Why?
Because I believe that clean elections is an answer to the problem of big money controlling our political system with their financial contributions to candidates.  With the power of their money, they buy influence and support for their special projects over the concerns and needs of regular people.
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Arizona and Maine have had clean elections since it was passed by citizen initiatives in both states in 2000.  In those two states, clean elections has enabled more regular and ordinary people who are dedicated to serving the public, to serve.  It has given more women and people of color a chance to serve.  And it has shown one does not have to be wealthy to serve.
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In essence, clean elections has leveled the playing field.  And it is optional. Candidates can earn the right to run as a clean elections candidate by showing that they have wide support and candidates who are wealthy or who are supported by special interests, can still run traditional campaigns.
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That is why I continue to fight for clean elections for San Diego.  And I believe that if I am not successful in my life time, that the next generation will rise up to the challenge and continue the struggle.
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John Hartley
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Lastly, I invite you to check out our web page: CleanElectionsSanDiego.com and watch the seven minute video on our front page entitled “Roads to Clean Elections” created and narrated by Bill Moyers.
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And of you have any questions or suggestions, contact John Hartley, Campaign Coordinator, at 619-299-8870 or hartley2k@aol.com

August 2022

Posted on by

Clean Elections San Diego

Update
8/29/22
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Hi Everyone,
I hope you had a great summer.  I certainly did! I thought it time to share with you where we are in this “long” campaign for clean elections reform for the city of San Diego.
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First, you know already that we are targeting the 2024 presidential election year to put clean elections on the ballot.  The reason we are targeting this election is because the biggest voter turnout is in presidential elections.  That turnout is usually much larger than that of the mid term elections.  That is why we skipped this fall 2022 election.
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Since we are asking the San Diego City Council members to put our clean elections proposal on the ballot,  we have had many positive conversations with most council members or their staff and we plan to follow up on this right up to the 2024 election.
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We are now in the process of reviewing our clean measure to see if we can cut costs and ensure that clean money funds would be protected and secure from any scams.  We have been in touch with clean elections oversight groups in Arizona and Maine, which have had clean elections since 2000, and they have shared with us how they protect their clean elections funds. Plus, we have asked for your input on this in the past and we have a number of suggestions to explore.
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We have started a new project in sponsoring a monthly zoom meeting for neighborhood leaders with the goal of helping them work together.  While this is a big time commitment, but we feel that it is important and that we have the skills to make it happen..
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We are now exploring different ways to outreach groups and individuals about the value of clean elections, and here again, this is where we ask you for your input!  .
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We want your ideas and suggestions on any part of our campaign.  Don’t be bashful Please send them to us.
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John Hartley, Clean Elections campaign coordinator
619-299-880 – hartley2k@aol.com

June 2022

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6/15/22

Clean Elections San Diego
Summer Update
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Hi Everyone,
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Summer is here. We didn’t meet this month and we are going dark in July.  So enjoy your summer!  But we can still use this time to work on the clean elections campaign. One of the long term issues that we want to deal with,  is how can we cut the cost of clean elections?  Our original estimate of the cost of clean elections in San Diego was $5 million a year or $4 per person per year. When compared to the city’s budget, that might not sound like a lot, but given the financial needs of the city, we do want to see if we can cut the cost of our clean elections proposal..
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How do we do that?
Here is where we would like your feedback on some ideas that we have come up with .  One idea, although it might not be considered to save money, would be to make our proposal a “pilot”.  If it were passed by the San Diego voters, we have have clean elections for two, four year terms  followed by a  city-wide vote to see if San Diego voters still approve of clean elections after they have seen it in action.  Another idea would be to cut the cost of the clean election funds for mayor and city attorney and save money.   Another idea we have discussed is to completely cut funding for mayor and city attorney offices and only apply the clean elections measure to the city council races during a possible pilot period.  Another possibility would be to make the funding of clean election funds based on a progressive higher amount of $5 contributions collected.  The more a clean elections candidate collects, showing more voter support,  the more funds  that clean elections candidate would get.  Maine has this in their clean elections measure
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So, these are ideas we have discussed on how to cut the cost of clean elections for the city of San Diego.  What do you think?  We would like your feedback at what we have come up with.  and we would also welcome your ideas on how we could cut the cost of our clean elections measure. Please send your feedback, ideas, as well as any questions or suggestions, to our campaign coordinator, John Hartley, at 619-299-8870 or hartley2k@aol.com..
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And lastly,  again check out our web page: CleanElectionSanDiego.org which hosts the Road to Clean Elections video by Bill Moyers   Bill Moyers created and narrated this short, 7 minute video highlighting the positive impact of clean elections on Arizona and Maine.
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Have a great summer!
Why I support Clean Elections for San Diego.
Why I support Clean Elections for San Diego  – Richard J. Castro, Neighborhood/Clean Elections Activist – District 2
I believe in Democracy, as did the ancient Athenians, the English who signed the Magna Carta and, generally, our American Founding Fathers and authors of the Declaration of Independence, American  Constitution and Bill of Rights. But having asserted so, I am mindful of the economic interests, that motivated all of them! It is virtually impossible to escape our economic or monied interests. However, that are ways to reduce the impact of money! in our political process.
I am a fervent supporter of measures associated with a program called Clean Elections. The purpose is to reduce if not eliminate the inordinate, crass and selfish influence of MONEY! Large financial contributors do not objectively donate their money. They support those who supports them and their interests! Clean Elections supports all announced, honor bound and legally circumscribed candidates, who participate in the election process with limited financial
resources – equally distributed. The focus is on the candidates, their ideas, motivations, energies and social/political talents. It is an idea and a program spelled out persuasively in Bill Moyers’ book, “Moyers on Democracy.” For all who believe in democracy, it is a book to beread and ideas to be absorbed and applied to our politics
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Why I support Clean Elections for San Diego – Pat Sexton, North Park Activist – organizer of Save 30th. Street Parking and North Park United.- District 3

My name is Pat Sexton, organizer of Save 30th. Street Parking and North Park United. Today I’m speaking as a resident in my North Park community. I’ve lived in North Park most of the past 50 yrs., with short residency in Southeastern San Diego, and Talmadge.  I was on the Board of the Skyline-Paradise Hills Community Planning Group, when William Jones, and Wes Pratt were the Councilmen for D4.  Then started the original Kensington-Talmadge Community Planning Group when John Hartley and Gloria McCall were my Councilreps, for D3.  I started attending North Park Planning Committee meetings (not on the Board) in 2017 and what a difference a few years made in how the City operates.
When I started in Community Planning Group attendance, every single new construction project came before the Planning Committee Group.  The Mayor listened to the City Council, and they listened to the people and voted accordingly.  The public had three opportunities to voice their opinion on the project.  Council reps were voted in based on their platform for the community.
Today at North Park Planning Committee meetings, the ONLY projects we hear about are map waivers.  I’ve heard many people say, “I didn’t know what was going on next door, until the dozer pulled up”.  We all have been surprised to find out what was planned for us, when it’s implemented a day or two, or sometimes, overnight.  Today, the developer simply goes to the Permit Counter, and purchases their permit, and so long as blue-prints comply with the State Building Code mandates, the permit is given. Seems to me there would be considerably less conflict, and much more support for our politicians, if the community involved was a partner on the decision making process, prior to the implementation, and had a platform to voice their opinions and recommendations.
Long time San Diegans vested in their chosen communities, NEED to have a forum or another way to work with our Council Rep, when something is coming down the pipeline, so they know the needs and wants of our communities.  They in turn would know what a lot of the people living in the community want or need and could knowlingly represent us on the City Council.  Transparency the basis of democracy in our country.  Candidates need to be able to run for Council seats on a level playing field so a grassroots community person can run with the same budget as the candidate sponsored by the special interest lobbyist group.  That’s what clean elections are all about.  The government is, We The People, and we need to be heard and the Council Reps and Mayor need to hear those who live in the community, in order to get a balanced idea of what works and doesn’t.
I strongly urge the Mayor and Council Reps to hear us out and support Clean Elections for San Diego tax payers.

May Newsletter

Posted on by
5/16/22
Clean Elections San Diego.
Update
“If anyone is to own our politicians, it should be we, the people!’ 
– Bill Moyers, Journalist
Hi Everyone ,
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Our campaign marches on.  As you know, our goal now is to put our clean elections measure on the 2024 ballot.  We are continuing to reach out to groups and individuals for support and if you have any suggestions or want to help, please get in contact with me.  Our team leader zoom meeting is on the first Sunday of the month.  If you would like to join us in June, please let me know. Our new web page is now up and complete, but we are always open to your input and suggestions: cleanelectionssandiego.org
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This month we are starting something new.  We are including statements from supporters on why they support clean elections.  If you would like your voice included, please let me know.
John Hartley, Coordinator, Clean Elections Campaign for the City of San Diego
619-299-8870 – hartley2k@aol.com
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P.S. We want to thank our supporters for their support!
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Why I support Clean Elections – Carl Demas, President Serra Mesa Community Council (District 7)
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After 32 years of living in San Diego, I have seen many candidates make promises to the electorate that are either forgotten or overcome by candidates because they need to find funds to run for public office. After receiving these funds, they are then committed to do the bidding of the giver instead of their constituents.  Clean Elections empowers neighborhoods by enabling those qualified residents to run for office in spite of their financial means. The result is an elected official who is responsible to the electorate and not a doner.
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Why I support Clean Elections – Dr. Raghavan (Jay) Jayakumar, San Diego, CA (District 5)
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.The American election campaign and the election outcome are heavily influenced by a small number of wealthy donors and powerful PACs. Well funded candidates can employ paid staff to publicize their message and superiority with door to door canvassing, pay for TV and Internet coverage, distribute great numbers of campaign brochures and flyers and employ savvy consultants to secure an election victory. These wealthy donor funded candidates may not be more suitable for the office, but would be seen, heard and talked about much more so that, solely based on their campaign chest, they may become popular. Candidates who are funded by individual small donors would normally have no chance against such candidates.
 
While one can be resigned to these benefits to wealthy candidates as part of the process in a capitalistic system, what is unacceptable is that once they win, they may be beholden to the wealthy donors and create public policies according to the donors wishes and instructions, and not for public good. Even at a lesser level, the wealthy donors would have greater access to the office holder and be able to persuade the office holder in favor of themselves.
 
The right solution is to provide public financing to candidates who are viable and  have a minimum demonstrated support in the community. Such candidates would waste less time raising election funds and thereby spend more time with their constituents. They would enact policies that are uninfluenced by the wealthy and powerful. The cost of funding these candidates would be a fraction of the savings that would accrue to the Government because of honest policies that would fully benefit the public. We would also get high quality representatives and exclude poor ones propped up by wealthy donors for their own benefit. For these reasons I support Clean Elections San Diego.
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Why I support clean elections – Audrey Ledesma – Activist Rolando Park (soon to be district 9)
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I support clean elections because until we get special interest big money out of politics, we will continue to have a government by the rich for the rich. The rest of America gets left out. Why do the rich keep getting richer while the rest of the country struggles?? Clean elections are the antidote to this poisonous system. Clean elections will enable people to run for office who aren’t beholden to anyone but their constituents. Only then will we have a government by the people and for the people.

April Newsletter

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4/6/2022
It Is Time For Clean Elections
By Mark Linsky, Chair, Clean Elections San Diego

Twenty Five years ago the journalist and political commentator Hendrik Hertzberg wrote: “Money, the curdled mother’s milk of politics, is the most humiliating, corrupting part of a politician’s life”. Not much has changed since he wrote that, but there is a way the system can be dramatically improved in San Diego. The answer is Clean Elections, in which the power of private interests and private monies are countered by candidates who are publically funded.
To qualify for the money a participating candidate must, among other things, agree not to solicit or accept private funds, must gather hundreds of $5 donations to show he or she in fact has the backing of the community from which they come and is not some fly-by-night opportunist. And the candidate cannot use personal funds as a work-around.
The advantages of Clean Elections are many including the obvious big one: It removes the shadow of special interests from the campaign itself. But it also empowers neighborhoods by giving well known and well respected local candidates a way to fund a competitive campaign without drinking that ‘curdled mother’s milk’. In addition it frees up a candidate to spend time out in the community, listening to neighbors, asking the right questions and gathering ideas from neighborhood organizations rather than spending countless hours raising money. Finally, if elected, the payoff is programs and policies which are enacted free from the taint of undue influence.
The only objection those of us involved in the Clean Elections campaign have heard over the years is the ‘cost’ of such a program. In our 2020 initiative the cost was pegged at about $4 per resident of the City of San Diego per year. Now we believe we can run it for even less. But citizens need to ask themselves the following: What has the ‘cost’ been in sweetheart deals, questionable practices and benefits accrued to private interests over past decades?
Clean Elections is an alternative to the present electoral system which can and should be implemented no later than 2024. Money will continue to flow to candidates willing to maintain the status quo, but as a new generation of publicly funded candidates run for and win office, the result will be policies and programs which increasingly benefit the citizens, not private interests. We talk about San Diego as ‘America’s Finest City’, and in many ways we are, but the time has come to add a better and more inclusive way of electing our representatives so that the slogan becomes equally meaningful when it comes to holding public office.

Campaign Update

Posted on by

12/2/2021
Clean Elections San Diego
Campaign Update

Happy Holidays Everyone,

As you know, we came close to getting clean elections on the San Diego city ballot last year, but we lost at the city council by one vote.

And you know that we still feel that we cannot give up on Clean Elections. We believe that clean elections or public financing of elections is still the best way to reform our government to ensure that our elected leaders represent all of us, not just the few, not just the wealthy and not just the special interests.

Right now, we are still planning for the future. We are looking at what works and what doesn’t work. You know that we have adopted a new name: Clean Elections San Diego and we have started fundraising again to set up our new web page..

Now, we would like more of your input. What are your suggestions on how we can go forward, how we can get clean elections on the ballot and how we can win the campaign. Do you have skills that would be helpful? Do you know people that we should talk to? Call me or send me an email.

Another question we have is, do you want us to start hosting meetings again. Before the pandemic we held monthly in-person meetings. If we set up meetings again, would you prefer meeting in person or by zoom? Let us know. As I said before, we would like your input.

And we still have to cover the cost of the campaign even though we are all volunteers. First, I want to thank everyone who has sent in a check to help us set up a new web page. We had asked for your help, but since then, a web designer volunteered to help us at no cost. Therefore we will use these funds to start building a financial war chest to cover the campaign costs that lie in the future.

To help us build that war chest, can you help out financially. either, with a small or large contribution? If so, please send a check made out to: Clean Elections San Diego and mail to: c/o John Hartley, 3911 Park Blvd, #1014, San Diego, CA 92103. Once we have our new web page, we will be able to take credit and debit card contributions. And if you are interested in getting mentoring in organizing, let us know and we can help you master skills such as public speaking, recruitment and organizing effective meetings.

And lastly, we still invite you to watch a short (8 minutes long) film called Road to Clean Elections hosted by Bill Moyers which shows the positive impact of clean elections on Arizona and Maine, and how clean elections actually works. If you have seen it before, we invite you to watch it again. I have seen it hundreds of times and I am inspired each time.

Click here to watch Road to Clean Elections: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgVNjtr2lEc

Thanks for your support and if you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me at 619-299-8870 or hartley2k@aol.com

John Hartley, Clean Elections Campaign Coordinator