CAMPAIGN REFORM CHANGES SOUGHT IN FINANCE LAWS.Byline: Harrison Sheppard Staff Writer A coalition of campaign finance reform Campaign finance reform is the common term for the political effort in the United States to change the involvement of money in politics, primarily in political campaigns. advocates and political groups Tuesday called on the city of Los Angeles
The group, which includes Common Cause and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association helped sponsor Proposition 13, the property tax-cutting initiative in California in 1978 which slashed property taxes by fifty-seven percent and initiated a national tax revolt. It was founded by California republican Howard Jarvis. , said a small number of companies conducting business with the city gave at least $250,000 in the last three months of 2000 alone, primarily to three mayoral candidates. Such contributions, they argued, lead to improper influence on city government decisions. The group singled out candidates Steve Soboroff Steve Soboroff (born August 31, 1948) is a real estate developer and president of Playa Vista. Mr. Soboroff is the Chairperson of the Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University. , James Hahn For the Iowa politician, see . James Kenneth "Jim" Hahn (born July 3, 1950) is an American politician from the Democratic Party. He was the Deputy City Attorney (1975-1979), City Controller (1981-1985), City Attorney (1985-2001) and Mayor of Los Angeles, California and Antonio Villaraigosa Antonio Ramon Villaraigosa (born Antonio (Tony) Ramon Villar, Jr. on January 23, 1953) is the mayor of Los Angeles, California. He is the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since Cristobal Aguilar in 1872. as receiving the most contributions from groups with pending city business. ``We believe any organization or business which tends to profit from their relationship to the city should not be allowed to make campaign contributions,'' said coalition founder Jim Mangia, the former national secretary of the Reform Party. While the city places $1,000 contribution limits on individuals and businesses, ``bundling'' - in which multiple individuals at one firm contribute at the same time - is one of several loopholes allowing organizations to skirt those limits. Among the firms with city business giving thousands to mayoral candidates are law firms Latham & Watkins and O'Melveny & Meyers, both of which had employees who contributed to all three candidates; and accountants Ernst & Young, which gave $7,500 to Soboroff. Spokesmen for all three candidates said they were following the city's campaign finance laws and said there was nothing wrong with accepting money from people with city business. All three also said their candidates would not be beholden be·hold·en adj. Owing something, such as gratitude, to another; indebted. [Middle English biholden, past participle of biholden, to observe; see behold. to contributors. Soboroff's press secretary Phil Paule said, ``I think he is running as a person who is an outsider, a person who gets things done in Los Angeles. I don't think his history shows that he is beholden to anybody.'' ``When people support candidates, they're doing it because they believe in the candidate and what he stands for,'' and not to buy influence, he added. A Latham & Watkins spokeswoman said there is no organized effort to get attorneys to support a particular candidate. ``We do not have a centralized political contribution operation,'' said spokeswoman Pearl Piatt. ``All attorneys are free to contribute to whomever whom·ev·er pron. The objective case of whoever. See Usage Note at who. whomever pron the objective form of whoever: they want to.'' LeeAnn Pelham Noun 1. Pelham - a bit with a bar mouthpiece that is designed to combine a curb and snaffle bit - piece of metal held in horse's mouth by reins and used to control the horse while riding; "the horse was not accustomed to a bit" , city Ethics Commission executive director, said the commission plans to examine several campaign finance issues at its April meeting, included those raised by the coalition. ``Our laws are very comprehensive, and we want to make sure whatever laws the commission approves are strong, workable and effective - meaning they're enforceable,'' Pelham said. The newly created Coalition for Political Reform also included representatives from the Green, Reform and Natural Law parties and former California Secretary of State Tony Miller. |
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