Valli's Links Email: valli4reform A
Better Ballot Box
CA Secretary of State's
Page 2002 Secretary of State Campaign '98 Secretary of State Campaign Email: valli4reform Urgent Issues
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Valli's Column Can't tell the well-financed candidates apart? Perhaps they all serve the same corporations that fund their campaigns. Dont waste your vote on the one who only appears to be the lesser of two evils. If the major campaign contributors are getting their moneys worth, where does that put you? We Californians have experienced the impact of big money in politics -- hence: deregulation of a monopoly resulting in higher electric bills. Is water next? Electioneering
2000 -- only Florida?
We
want less money in the political process, thats why year after year we
vote for campaign finance reform, but to no avail. Proposition 208 (which
I helped pass in 1996) was on the verge of passing constitutional muster
when Proposition 34 was sneaked onto the 2000 ballot by opponents of real
campaign finance reform. According to the League of Women Voters,
Proposition 34 is full of loopholes and is designed to fool the voters
into thinking they are getting reform it also canceled much of P208.
Money rules? Who benefits from the prohibition of U.S. Congress candidate statements in this pamphlet -- perhaps only well-financed candidates? If elected I will: |
Campaign Education: simplify the education code, so schools can cost effectively do thier job. Campaign Reform: "We are a wealthy nation, and don't need to let our elections and our leaders be sold at auction." GrannyD's cross-country 3,200 mile walk for campaign reform was an inspiration to us all. I walked with her into Washington DC on Leap Day to ask Congress to "remove from our elections all money that has unhealthy strings attached." The Environment: I support California's sovereign right to set its own environmental standards and stand firm against challenges like this one from Methanex Corporation calling a NAFTA tribunal and demanding the taxpayer pay $970 million in potential perceived profits lost just to have the privilege to phase-out Methanex's MTBE. Trade Reforms: We can be strong in this global economy with policies that benefit us all and not just the Big monied interests that fund campaigns. I am for glo- bal trade that supports small busi- ness, the independent family far- mer and won't allow International tribunals to supersede CA's environmental and worker safety laws (see platform). I oppose NAFTA, GATT and the WTO and that is why I participated with the 70,000 people from around the country and around the globe who came together in Seattle to peace- fully protest the "closed door" and "corporate first" policies of the WTO. Small Business and Family Farmers: The present political system penalizes our largest employer, Small Business. There are 20 Million 'Mom and Pop Shops' furnishing 90 Million jobs. Streamline laws and give tax incentives. NAFTA:
GATT-WTO:
22,000 pages of managed tariff trade - starting with
loss of U.S. sovereignty. The WTO's managed trade for special interests
is NOT acceptable any longer.
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