Campaign Contributions and Endorsements

By R. Lane Anderson

I have refused all campaign contributions in recognition that any citizen or organization could have business before the city and contributions could create a conflict of interest.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/09042009/profile.html#history

Citizens United vs The Federal Election Commission is currently deciding, in the Supreme Court, whether corporations and other organizations have unlimited rights to influence elections as the News-Press covers the forum that left out those who were not able to solicit enough money to be considered "viable candidates". Supreme court justice Sonia Sotomayor has referred to campaign contributions as bribery. She delivered a speech in 1996 comparing campaign contributions to "bribes" and questioned whether elected candidates could pretend that they were "representing only the general public good, when private money plays such a large role" in helping them win office. "If they cannot, the public must demand a change in the role of private money or find other ways, such as through strict, well-enforced regulation, to ensure that politicians are not inappropriately influenced in their legislative or executive decision-making by the interests that give them contributions," she said. This has been my reason for refusing campaign contributions as I think that everyone could have interests before the city, whether it be permits or code infractions. As far as I know, I am the only city council candidate to not take campaign contributions, which means I will not stuff mailboxes with junk mail or leave litter on doorsteps. If we cannot have a city council campaign in the small community of Santa Barbara without spending tens of thousands of dollars and producing tons of litter, democracy is truly compromised.

Currently health care reform is being held hostage by special interests who operate through campaign contributions and lobbying. Additionally, we find ourselves endlessly bailing out financial institutions due to the power of the financial lobbies and involved in endless wars due to the military industrial congressional complex. The lobbying is generally only a process that reminds the politician of the campaign contributions, so contributions are the primary problem with our democracy. Although I do understand the reality of politics and money....first amendment rights in the political process are in direct proportion to the money you solicit....it is not the right thing for our society and if we are ever to change it it will be in local elections in a small community like ours.

It is in the best interest of our society as a whole to restore our democracy by denying corporations rights to free speech as if they were individuals. It is for this reason that I have refused both campaign contributions and endorsements from organizations.

Best wishes, R. Lane Anderson, Candidate for City Council, Adjutant of Disabled American Veterans Chapter 37, Chaplain of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1649, Past Director of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 218 and proud member of Veterans For Peace and Arlington West on the beach (which has brought visitors and press coverage to our city, restaurants and hotels)

ps, find my platform at http://www.LaneAnderson.org

"Those who make peaceful evolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable." -- John F. Kennedy Security Through Localization http://www.laneanderson.org End legal bribery: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2006/0606.birnbaum.html