Campaign finance reform changes landscape
Updating the civic scene:
--The make-up of past City Councils might have been very different if a recently passed ordinance had been in effect 25 years ago, when thousands of developer-donated dollars began paying for the professional consultants, colorful brochures, full-page newspaper ads and cable TV spots that dominated 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s elections.
Candidates whose platforms didn’t match the plans of companies whose bottom-line profits depended on rapid growth and higher densities had far fewer dollars to match outside-the-city, special interest financing for favored contenders.
Now, new regulations prohibit candidates from seeking donations from city contractors or accepting contributions $250 or more from anyone benefiting from council decisions the past year or voting on contributors’ matters for a year after $250 or more is received.
The ordinance also promises that a “whistleblower” law outlining a procedure to protect city employees who report improper governmental actions and a resolution with a “code of conduct” for elected and appointed city officials will be enacted.
--Budget cuts eliminated the October Fiesta Day parade in 2009 and the July 4 fireworks show for 2010, but money might be found for the latter, based on comments at the Jan. 5 Finance Committee meeting with Mayor John Anderson and Councilman Mark Schwing.
Parks Director Steve Rudometkin noted that cellular towers at Black Gold Golf Course, perhaps disguised near the driving range, could bring in $2,000 per month that could be dedicated to fireworks funding. Further discussion is expected at a future meeting.
--Another tiny turnout from Yorba Linda voters helped send Chris Norby to fill former Mayor Mike Duvall’s 72nd District state Assembly seat. Just 4,318 of 22,097 registered westsiders voted, 3,489 by mail and 829 at 14 precincts in the Jan. 12 election.
Turnout in the Country Club and Fairlynn county islands was a bit stronger, with 264 of 1,109 voters casting ballots, 188 mail-in and 76 at two precincts. Norby won 3,216 city and county island votes, Democrat John MacMurray 1,109 and Green Jane Rands 239.
My recent column noting the small number of voters in Nov 17’s Assembly and other special ballots drew a bunch of e-mails from readers saying they didn’t receive voting materials for the Nov. 17 contest. But they were among 20,775 voters in the eastside’s 60th Assembly District, represented by first-termer Curt Hagman.
--Longtime resident Wendell Bainter, a former Parks and Recreation Commissioner who moved to Banning after retiring from the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, won the most votes in a Banning Unified election for two trustee seats.
Bainter, a social science teacher at Bernardo Yorba Middle and Valencia High schools, played a key role in developing PYLUSD’s community service graduation requirement.
--The make-up of past City Councils might have been very different if a recently passed ordinance had been in effect 25 years ago, when thousands of developer-donated dollars began paying for the professional consultants, colorful brochures, full-page newspaper ads and cable TV spots that dominated 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s elections.
Candidates whose platforms didn’t match the plans of companies whose bottom-line profits depended on rapid growth and higher densities had far fewer dollars to match outside-the-city, special interest financing for favored contenders.
Now, new regulations prohibit candidates from seeking donations from city contractors or accepting contributions $250 or more from anyone benefiting from council decisions the past year or voting on contributors’ matters for a year after $250 or more is received.
The ordinance also promises that a “whistleblower” law outlining a procedure to protect city employees who report improper governmental actions and a resolution with a “code of conduct” for elected and appointed city officials will be enacted.
--Budget cuts eliminated the October Fiesta Day parade in 2009 and the July 4 fireworks show for 2010, but money might be found for the latter, based on comments at the Jan. 5 Finance Committee meeting with Mayor John Anderson and Councilman Mark Schwing.
Parks Director Steve Rudometkin noted that cellular towers at Black Gold Golf Course, perhaps disguised near the driving range, could bring in $2,000 per month that could be dedicated to fireworks funding. Further discussion is expected at a future meeting.
--Another tiny turnout from Yorba Linda voters helped send Chris Norby to fill former Mayor Mike Duvall’s 72nd District state Assembly seat. Just 4,318 of 22,097 registered westsiders voted, 3,489 by mail and 829 at 14 precincts in the Jan. 12 election.
Turnout in the Country Club and Fairlynn county islands was a bit stronger, with 264 of 1,109 voters casting ballots, 188 mail-in and 76 at two precincts. Norby won 3,216 city and county island votes, Democrat John MacMurray 1,109 and Green Jane Rands 239.
My recent column noting the small number of voters in Nov 17’s Assembly and other special ballots drew a bunch of e-mails from readers saying they didn’t receive voting materials for the Nov. 17 contest. But they were among 20,775 voters in the eastside’s 60th Assembly District, represented by first-termer Curt Hagman.
--Longtime resident Wendell Bainter, a former Parks and Recreation Commissioner who moved to Banning after retiring from the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, won the most votes in a Banning Unified election for two trustee seats.
Bainter, a social science teacher at Bernardo Yorba Middle and Valencia High schools, played a key role in developing PYLUSD’s community service graduation requirement.
posted by Jim Drummond at 12:00 PM
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