California Elections

The price of politics Re "Whitman and Fiorina roll to wins," June 9 That former executives Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina won important primaries serves as an example that the United States has the best elections money can buy. Both women threw millions of their own money into their campaigns, seeking to buy their way into office. My state had clean elections to level the playing field until it was halted by the Supreme Court, as a result of a Republican challenge.

California voters are being asked on the June 8 ballot to approve an experiment in state funding of political campaigns. Backers of Proposition 15 say it would reduce the corrupting influence of special-interest money. Opponents say it would be a costly mistake, full of loopholes allowing politicians to continue benefiting from moneyed supporters. The measure, called the California Fair Elections Act, would test the waters on government funding by applying it only to the elections for secretary of state in 2014 and 2018.

Now that the "Money Talks" California election of 2010 is in full swing, it's timely to examine just how loudly the millions of dollars being spent by major corporations at the ballot box are speaking, and what they're saying. To recap, this year stands to yield one of the greatest bumper crops in history in self-serving electoral cash. With the exception of former EBay Chief Executive Meg Whitman, who has demonstrated impressive skills at fundraising from her own pocket ($38 million for her gubernatorial campaign so far)

Voters narrowed the fields Tuesday in two hard-fought Southern California special elections for vacant state legislative seats, but both races were headed for June 8 runoffs, election night returns were showing. In a Glendale- Silver Lake area Assembly race, Democratic attorney and former congressional aide Mike Gatto of Silver Lake was leading fellow Democrat Glendale school board member Nayiri Nahabedian. The third Democrat in the race, Chahe Keuroghelian, a businessman and former spokesman for the Glendale Police Department, trailed them.

*--* Propositions *--* *--* *--* *--* 1A - Budget stabilization fund Yes 1,327,400 34 No 2,555,519 66 *--* *--* 1B - Education funding Yes 1,452,535 37 No 2,421,906 63 *--* *--* 1C - Lottery modernization act Yes 1,368,222 35 No 2,493,770 65 *--* *--* 1D - Children's services funding Yes 1,324,252 34 No 2,536,657 66 *--* *--* 1E - Mental health funding Yes 1,292,437 34 No 2,549,361 66 *--* *--* 1F - Elected officials' salaries Yes 2,859,122 74 No 1,010,457 36 *--* *--* Congress 32nd District

Perhaps now Sacramento has gotten the message. Unfortunately, the voters who sent it can't agree what it was. Of course, some are only too happy to interpret the results of Tuesday's election. From the right, small-government zealots lecture smugly that California has gotten its comeuppance for years of prodigal spending and unrighteous living.