October 15, 2006
CLEAN MONEY....I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but the LA Times has recommended a No vote on Proposition 89, the Clean Money initiative on the ballot in California this November. They agree it's a splendid idea, but:
In the details, however, Proposition 89 runs aground. The funding would come from a tax on corporations and financial institutions....The measure worsens both the insult and the injury by sharply limiting a corporation's ability to spend money supporting or opposing a ballot measure.
Yeah, Prop 89 really sticks it to corporations. It's funded by a 0.2 (that's zero point two) percentage point increase in the corporate income tax, and it prevents corporations from donating more than $10,000 to initiative campaigns unless they set up a PAC to do it.
Can we get real? 0.2% is a tiny increase, and forcing corporations to set up PACs that raise money from wealthy executives and stockholders is a speed bump, not a death sentence. But that's still too bold for the Times. Your liberal media at work.
—Kevin Drum 5:51 PM
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For the outside world, the LA Times (owned by the Chicago Tribune) is undergoing major trauma internally. The parent company fired the publisher (who has overseen a moderate progressive editorial page) and replaced him with a headquarters guy who worked in the Reagan administration, had his hands in some dirty business (I believe with El Salvador or such) and is close friends with Chief Justice Roberts. Yet most of their readers still likely regard them as quasi-progressive.
Watch them endore the right wing zealot Tom McLintock for Lt Gov (Arnold will be reelected easily), probably on the grounds that he should be the same party as the governor, although in reality they prefer his hard-right stands (which are totally out of sync with the state, and Arnold much of that time for that matter).
Posted by: hopeless pedant on October 15, 2006 at 6:20 PM | PERMALINK
Just think of all the jobs that would be lost if this tax went into effect!
The only taxes should be on poor people, to encourage them to work harder!
Posted by: Al's Mommy on October 15, 2006 at 6:21 PM | PERMALINK
Yes, because the greatest threat facing our nation, and planet, right now is the slim possibility of giant coprporations losing tiny slices of profit. Hooray for democracy! Wanna buy some?
Posted by: Kenji on October 15, 2006 at 6:21 PM | PERMALINK
There is a reason that corporations don't get the vote. Nor should their money be available in such a way as to corrupt the political system as it so obviously has done.
Nobody's anti-industry, union, corporation, etc. We all have an interst in successful business, effective economy, and a society that functions.
It's the last that has been under severe threat for some time, and perverted these last 5 years.
Corporations don't get the vote, period. Not by proxy, or bribery and corruption either.
I know it's boring of me, but external organizations' money doesn't meed to be, nor should it be in the political process.
Government of the people, by the people, for the people.
Posted by: notthere on October 15, 2006 at 6:22 PM | PERMALINK
California is trying to infringe the first amendment, limiting the ability of individuals under the law to support their favored candidates. All patriotic Americans should oppose it.
Posted by: American Hawk on October 15, 2006 at 6:25 PM | PERMALINK
American Hawk --
the courts have upheld it, you can spend all your own money on yourself, you can spend all your money advertizing for someone else, as long as your interest is declared.
Nobody has any god-given right to own our politicians. Their allegiance and duty is to their electorate and the country, not to any narrow interest.
Unfortunately, I can't sau both major parties don't do it. However, the Republicans under Rove have made it their business to deliver legislation and tax breaks for donations, and to ignore the best interests and governance of this country.
You are obviously not a conservative or libertarian tending Republican. Just a K street licking party hack!
Posted by: notthere on October 15, 2006 at 6:33 PM | PERMALINK
The ultimate LA times editorial will be when they endorse David Broder for chairman of the central committee of our one-party state. Seriously, the LA Times _news_ is one of the best papers in the country, but the editorial page is just BORRRING, in that mind-numbing Wash Post way, without EJ Dionne. Fortunately they don't have anybody quite as banal as Broder. Well, I don't think they do, but how would I know?
When I stumble upon a copy of the WS Journal, I look at the editorial page (in addition to the news coverage of course). Just to see what's goin on over there. Not the LA times, which I read daily.
Broderism - yeah, things are bad, but change is even scarier! Its kinda strange how scared they are of change.
Posted by: BoulderDuck on October 15, 2006 at 7:06 PM | PERMALINK
Prop 89 has a great rap video by the webmaster of the California Nurses Association, Colette Washington. Check it out at YouTube if you dare. About time for 89
Cant get health if you dont have wealth
Cant fix schools if we dont have tools
Cant afford the gas, to fill up the tank
Big Boys are takin us to the bank
Proposition 89 is real reform
The corporations hate it like a lovers scorn
They want freedom - to buy politicians
Of course they would rather keep with tradition
You can also see it at the Yes on Prop 89 pages.
Posted by: jamester on October 15, 2006 at 7:24 PM | PERMALINK
And what a surprise... they also endorsed Ahnold. Their rational for rejecting Angelides was that he had some good policy ideas, but he would raise taxes! He would actually make unpopular decisions instead of Ahnold's smoke and mirrors crap.
Posted by: wilder on October 15, 2006 at 7:39 PM | PERMALINK
The well-funded tv ads against Prop 89 all claim it benefits "special interests." There's a joke in there somewhere.
Posted by: fyreflye on October 15, 2006 at 7:39 PM | PERMALINK
All newspaper corporations are owned by swine. Without exception. Murdoch at least is no hypocrite about it. And of all those swine, the people who mismanage the Tribune corporation would probably win a vote among those in the industry as the most swinish owners of all.
Posted by: JMG on October 15, 2006 at 7:49 PM | PERMALINK
Kevin,
Curious...are you going to break your abstinence from supporting ballot measures for this one?
Posted by: Zacher on October 15, 2006 at 8:03 PM | PERMALINK
Newspaper endorsements have been declining in influence for years, like the print media themselves. Fortunately.
Posted by: janinsanfran on October 15, 2006 at 8:09 PM | PERMALINK
Overturn Buckley v Valleo !
Money does not equate to political speech.
End of story.
Bob
Posted by: rmck1 on October 15, 2006 at 8:11 PM | PERMALINK
When a corporation can vote for a candidate, Hawk, let me know.
Posted by: keptsimple on October 15, 2006 at 8:20 PM | PERMALINK
This is a big infringement of free speech, as is McCain Feingold CFR, which the SCOTUS sadly upheld. It's easy to agree with not letting rich people "own" politicians, since they have so much more money than the rest of us. But, the same argument could apply to newspapers and other media. The New York Times can virtually "own" a New York politician, because their slant can often get him elected or defeated. Rush Limbaugh has the same sort of power over national conservative figures.
So, if we're going to limit the ability of the rich to use their wealth to influence elections, maybe we need to limit the media as well. That would require government censorship of all media for 3 months before each election -- an ugly concept.
This is the slippery slope to which campaign finance reform can lead. That's why it's a bad idea.
Posted by: ex-liberal on October 15, 2006 at 8:45 PM | PERMALINK
Kevin doesn't try hard enough to distinguish between dismay and bafflement that a genuine liberal media organ would put out an opinion like that, and sarcastic reference to the MSLM clich with full realization that outlets like the LATcats had their editorial pages co-opted by their corportate owners
Posted by: Neil' on October 15, 2006 at 9:28 PM | PERMALINK
I will be voting against Prop 89. Not because of the taxes, but because of the distributions. It virtually shuts out third party and independent candidates in a maze of qualifications, rules, and restrictions. America is ready to move past a two party government. Prop 89 further entrenches the two party system.
http://www.voterguide.ss.ca.gov/pdf/prop89_text.pdf
I'm all in favor of public financing of campaigns.
I'm all in favor of shorter campaign seasons.
I'm all in favor of the National Popular Vote plan.
I'm all in favor of voter-verified paper trails.
I'm not for Proposition 89.
Posted by: ascap_scab on October 15, 2006 at 10:52 PM | PERMALINK
This is the slippery slope to which campaign finance reform can lead. That's why it's a bad idea.
Posted by: ex-liberal on October 15, 2006 at 8:45 PM | PERMALINK
But Campaign Finance Anarchy is an equally slippery slope, and has been directly responsible for giving us the Military Industrial Complex, Enron, Halliburton, and Microsoft.
How about bringing back public flogging for politicians who quid pro quo with donors? That sounds like an even trade.
Posted by: osama_been_forgotten on October 15, 2006 at 11:58 PM | PERMALINK
American Hawk makes me long for the relative sanity of Al.
American Hawk has got to be Michael Savage or something.
Posted by: SocraticGadfly on October 16, 2006 at 1:12 AM | PERMALINK
In the details, however, Proposition 89 runs aground. The funding would come from a tax on corporations and financial institutions.
I'd love to ask them - so, what source of funding would not "run this aground"? Are corporations now some kind of protected species?
Posted by: craigie on October 16, 2006 at 2:17 AM | PERMALINK
Yeah, they endorsed Arnold today, too. Put out some crapola about charming being better than smart.
It's just sad.
Posted by: cmac on October 16, 2006 at 2:28 AM | PERMALINK
Money does not equate to political speech...End of story.
They're certainly not identical. But one effectuates the other. Don't think so? How many minds would Paul Krugman or George Will reach without the money that disseminates their ideas?
I believe when it comes to something as precious as speech -- especially the speech involving the great political debates of our democracy -- we ought to err on the side of caution and put as few strictures on it as possible. That means the widest possible dissemination of ideas and debates and opinions about politics. And that means no limits on spending money to disseminate those ideas. By limiting what free people can contribute to campaigns and to the advocacy of causes and ideals they support, our society indeed curbs the dissemination of political speech. The reality is that there is less dissemination of political speech in the America of 2006 than there would otherwise be because of the existence of laws curbing political donations.
I tire of the mindless attack ads and general political advertising BS as much as the next person. But, given all that is at stake, do we really want less debate than we would otherwise have?
Posted by: Jasper on October 16, 2006 at 3:03 AM | PERMALINK
This is a big infringement of free speech, as is McCain Feingold CFR, which the SCOTUS sadly upheld.
The Supreme Court merely upheld the constituionality of Congress's taking action to fight political corruption, or even its mere appearance. The Supreme Court didn't order Congress to do so in the manner it has chosen (contribution limits). Congress could take action against the appearance or actual existence of corruption simply by mandating strict disclosure requirements -- via a publicly funded website. Voters could then decide for themselves whether or not to vote against Congressman X because he's taking too much money from big pharma or the gun lobby.
Posted by: Jasper on October 16, 2006 at 3:12 AM | PERMALINK
Is it really a good idea for the party of free speech to enforce silence on businesses that want to campaign for or against initiatives?
Posted by: Adam Herman on October 16, 2006 at 9:10 AM | PERMALINK
I eagerly await when the Tribune Corporation restores the "True Industrial Freedom" flag, complete with eagle, on the Times mast, as it brings the paper full circle to its days as a right-wing, anti-labor voice. Unfortunately for the owners, Los Angeles is not similarly going to revert to a haven for Anglo midwestern emigres.
Posted by: Vincent on October 16, 2006 at 9:54 AM | PERMALINK
Two repugnickins:
JES can count and DF has nothing to say. Buck up kids 826 days left till Bush is retired. Jail sentence to follow......
Posted by: Dennis d' Mennace on October 16, 2006 at 12:44 PM | PERMALINK
Corporations can be neither insulted nor injured because they aren't people.
Posted by: jefff on October 16, 2006 at 12:49 PM | PERMALINK
just fyi for the hopeless pedant (the first post here), the lat endorsed mcclintocks opponent, democrat john garamendi, today.
Posted by: name on October 16, 2006 at 7:57 PM | PERMALINK