Question of the Day

Mark Matthews of ABC 7 points out:

After we did a piece on Proposition 89, Bob in Guerneville e-mailed to tell me about something he saw on the No on 89 Web site.

Now this is the proposition that wants to take the money out of politics by publicly funding elections. And the Chamber of Commerce, business groups and the Teachers Union are fighting it. Obviously they are also big donors to political candidates.

So Bob is reading the No on 89 arguments on their Web site and he comes across this: "The measure also prohibits state contractors or anyone seeking state contracts from contributing to any candidate for or holder of an office with which the contractor has or seeks a contract."

And he wonders why the No on 89 folks would put this forward as an argument. I mean, if you have a contract or if you are seeking a contract isn't it a little unethical to be offering money to the candidate or office holder who has control of that contract?

Good question Bob.

Indeed.

Proposition 89

ABC 7 on Proposition 89 and Channel 89

Mark Matthews of ABC 7 News has a story on Proposition 89.

Backers of campaign finance reform have come up with a way of promoting their cause that is both unique and oddly familiar. [...]

In 2004 we did a story investigating who would attend a $3,200 a plate breakfast with East Bay State Senator Don Perata. None of the lobbyists going to that breakfast wanted to tell me their names. Some even ran away when we tried to photograph them.

Well two years later, check out this Web video shot by the Yes on 89 campaign. It was shot last week outside a fundraiser for Assemblyman Rick Keene of Chico. He was charging $1,500 a head and serving donuts for breakfast. The woman from Proposition 89 is offering the lobbyists donuts for 89-cents.

In a similar stunt, the Yes on 89 campaigners also posed as reporters questioning the lobbyists as they ducked away.

Angela Mae, Ace Reporter!