A small victory for freedom of speech was won last night in my hometown of Orange when the City Council voted to double the maximum campaign contribution from $500 to $1,000.
Kudos to Councilman Denis Bilodeau for leading the fight to reform Orange's antiquated, freedom-unfriendly campaign finance ordinance, and to Mayor Pro Tem Jon Dumitru for being strong on this issue.
The Council vote 4-1 to increase the contribution limit from $500 to $1,000. Mayor Carolyn Cavecche voted against increasing the limit, and Bilodeau, Dumitru and Councilmembers Mark Murphy and Tita Smith voted in favor of it.
Orange's $500 campaign contribution limit was established in 1992. Here's what the staff report says on why that amount was chosen 15 years ago:
A brief investigation was done to determine what factors led to the 1992 decision to set the contribution limits at $500. It does not appear that any particular in depth analysis was done other than to provide information concerning limits in other jurisdictions, which at the time ranged from $100 in San Juan Capistrano to $1,000 in Anaheim.
Classic!
In other words, 15 years ago a citizen's freedom to support the candidate of his or her choice was constrained by an arbitrary figure conjured out of the ether: "Hmmmm...Five hundred dollars. That sounds about right!"
That reasoned policy judgment has governed Orange campaign contributions ever since, so it's refreshing to have a couple of my councilmembers finally re-examine this ordinance.
Personally, the ordinance ought to be junked, the entire discredited notion of campaign contribution limits tossed aside and replaced with a regime of transparency and rapid reporting. Make it easy to follow the money, and those voters and media interested in following it will do so.
This insanity of continually shoveling additional rules and restrictions onto the exiting pile of campaign rules and restrictions only shoves campaign spending further into the shadows while handicapping candidates who are neither incumbents nor wealthy self-funders.
But I'll take incremental progress over the status quo, and that's what Bilodeau's and Dumitru's efforts have accomplished.
I spoke to both councilmen today. During the council meeting Denis stated his preference to abolishing contribution limits altogether. His expressed belief in not limiting citizen's freedom of speech prompted Shirley Grindle to yell out from the audience, "I'm going to recall you!"
Unfortunately, there aren't three votes on the Orange City Council for such a bold step. Shirley Grindle was willing to concede the need to some increase ion the limit and would only go as far as $750. Mayor Carloyn Cavecche would not go any higher than $800.
Bromides were tossed out about how Orange is a "grass roots" town -- an easy sentiment coming from elected officials whose office boosts their fundraising ability, but cold comfort to candidates lacking personal wealth or incumbency who are trying to communicate with voters in our city of 137,000 souls.
The total package that emerged last night was a mixed bag. The counil apporved (with Cavecche dissenting) capping at $100,000 the amount a candidate can loan his or her campaign - a provision with which I am agnostically uncomfortable. It obviously affects self-funders like Carol Rudat, who loaned her failed 2006 Orange council campaign about $200,000.
It increases the aggregation of contributions standard so personal contributions are aggregated with a business entitity only if the person in question owns a 50% interst in the business eneituy in question. The current trigger is 25%, so this is a good change.
The reformed campaign ordinance also includes tsomne sort of "reform" of slate mailers which I need to research further. Consideration of impsoing a notification requirement on late independent expenditures was continued.
But all in all, a good day for political liberty in the City of Orange.
Way to go Orange! Welcome to the 21st century!
Posted by: Shirley Grindle must be weeping and gnashing teeth | February 28, 2007 at 03:22 PM