Open Season Needs to be Closed

Greg Lucus has a story in the San Francisco Chronicle that is simply shocking:

It's open season on lobbyists' donations
Lawmakers hunt for cash in final days of voting on bills
With more than 1,700 pieces of legislation pending -- many affecting the bottom line of powerful, monied interests -- state lawmakers have crammed their final 19 days of business in 2006 with 75 fundraisers to seek campaign contributions from those same interest groups.

Of those breakfasts, dinners and cocktail receptions -- there's even a $3,300-a-person fundraiser at the Aug. 20 Raiders-49ers game -- 32 are being hosted by legislative candidates.

"It's an opportune time to fleece lobbyists for as much money as possible because the fate of bills is literally being voted on," said Barbara O'Connor, director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and Media at Cal State Sacramento.

We need Proposition 89.