From the Daily News
Campaign finance plan urged 
> 
> Council members call for study of proposal 
> 
> By Rick Orlov, Staff Writer 
> Wednesday, July 27, 2005 - Amid declining voter turnout and a > perceived lack of trust in politicians, four Los Angeles City Council > members called Tuesday for the city to study a public-financing system > for candidates. 
> 
> The effort by council members Tony Cardenas, Eric Garcetti, Wendy > Greuel and Bill Rosendahl would take aim at reducing the amount of > time political candidates spend raising money and the large role > special interests play in politics. 
> 
> "Voters want candidates they can believe in," said Garcetti, who ran > unopposed in his last election yet raised more than $317,000 for the > race. "They want candidates to hang up the phone on campaign donors > and get out in the neighborhoods, talking to real people about real > issues." 
> 
> Councilwoman Wendy Greuel, who supplemented her campaign finances > with personal money when she first won office in 2002, said she is > concerned about the public's perception of government. 
> 
> "Our residents need to know that decision-making in government is > open, ethical and truly independent," she said. 
> 
> The effort comes as local governments across the country have been > rocked with campaign-finance scandals. In Los Angeles, criminal > investigations are under way into allegations of a "pay-to-play" > operation under the administration of former Mayor James Hahn and > whether companies were compelled to make campaign contributions to win > city business. 
> 
> Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa emphasized his focus on city ethics and > campaign finance issues during his mayoral campaign. Since taking > office, he has required department heads, commissioners and staff > members to sign an ethics pledge. 
> 
> He also has two staff members working on city ethics issues, in > addition to the work of the city Ethics Commission. During his > campaign he also said he would support public-financing proposals for > candidates. 
> 
> Under the proposal to be studied over the next three months, a plan > would be developed -- applied to City Council candidates first -- > that would provide taxpayer money to candidates who are able to raise > contributions of at least $5 from 500 to 700 donors. 
> 
> Once that level is reached, all candidates would be eligible for the > same amount of city money, yet to be determined. 
> 
> If it is effective, Garcetti said it could be expanded to include > citywide races for mayor, city attorney and city controller. 
> 
> Garcetti said he believes the city should be able to pay for the > program with $8 million now set aside in the matching fund account. 
> 
> However, the program would not ban or limit the role of independent > expenditures, political action committees or of wealthy candidates, > acknowledged Susan Lerner of the California Clean Money Campaign. 
> 
> Instead, she said, the public funds could be used to offset the roles > of independent committees by providing money to other candidates in a > race. 
> 
> Rosendahl, the newest member of the council -- who spent more than > $470,00 in his race and received more than $210,000 in independent > expenditure money -- said he is supporting the proposal to try to > free up candidates' time and reverse the public image of politicians. 
> 
> And he said he believes a public-financing plan would lessen special > interest groups' impact on policy. 
> 
> "I think part of the reason we don't have a national health insurance > plan is because of the contributions of pharmaceutical companies to > politicians," Rosendahl said. 
> 
> Rick Orlov, (213) 978-0390 rick.orlov@dailynews.com 
> 
~~~