Political Reform

Schwarzenegger's Recall Gamble

Articles — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 08:59:00 -0400

California's prison guards union, angry about years of contract and other battles with the state government, announced a petition drive Monday to recall Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The governor's initial response was to denounce the effort as a threat designed to secure the guards an unreasonable pay increase. "The state should not spend more money than we take in, and their intimidation tactics will not make me change my mind whatsoever, because I happen to not represent the [guards union]," he said. "I represent the people of California."

But, if the union's recall drive proves to be serious, the wiser course for Schwarzenegger would be not… more

Top L.A. Labor Group Embraces Election Reform

Communications — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:29:00 -0400

The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO has endorsed a critical reform for Los Angeles elections: Instant Runoff Voting (IRV). The County Federation, the second largest chartered Labor Council of AFL-CIO in the country, represents over 350 unions and over 800,000 workers. Maria Elena Durazo, the County Federation’s Executive Secretary-Treasurer, noted that IRV would benefit voters, working families and taxpayers alike: “By saving millions of taxpayer dollars and relieving voter fatigue, IRV will benefit all of Los Angeles. We strongly urge the Los Angeles City Council and Mayor Villaraigosa to put IRV on the… more

S.F. Chronicle Cites New America Survey in Support of Citizens Assembly

Communications — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 23:11:00 -0500

New America in the News:

Below the surface of all the big issues facing California -- education, prisons, transportation, immigration, political reform -- lies the disturbing reality that the grassroots of citizen political involvement are drying up. In recent years, alienation between Californians and their government leaders has burned like a wildfire across the state, melting voter turnout and heating up cynicism toward the political establishment in Sacramento...

Until we find a way to rebuild citizen participation, and a sense of trust between Californians and their elected officials, solutions to the state's serious long-term problems will elude us. To that end, I have a modest proposal to begin watering the grassroots of California's democracy: a statewide citizens assembly to review ballot initiatives prior to elections...

A citizens assembly has been used with success in British Columbia to empanel a representative, bipartisan group to deliberate over matters of political reform. There 160 citizens met one weekend a month to develop a method of political reform that was considered too "hot" for politicians to handle. In a recent survey commissioned by the nonpartisan New America Foundation, three-fourths of California voters participating said they would support a similar citizens assembly to deal with the thorny issue of state political redistricting...

For the complete article, please visit the San Francisco Chronicle website.

Mail-Order Democracy

Political Reform — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 13:30:00 -0500

Program Director Steven Hill had an excellent article/opinion piece published in the Los Angeles Times on November 5th:

(Excerpt) All across California, millions of voters didn’t wait for election day. They didn’t hear any of the last-minute appeals from the candidates. They made up their minds weeks ago and filled out their absentee ballots in the comfort of their living rooms or at kitchen counters.

Many political scientists and commentators hail the convenience of absentee voting as a milestone in democracy, with the potential to boost voter turnout. The absentee ballot allows voters to vote "at their own pace," said… more

10 Steps to Repair American Democracy

Political Reform — Tue, 30 May 2006 21:25:00 -0400

Drawing upon the author’s 20 years of scholarship, advocacy, and two previous books, and including a trenchant foreword by The New Yorker's Hendrik Hertzberg, 10 Steps to Repair American Democracy is a "onestop" shopping guide to what's broken about our democracy, and what Americans can do to repair it.

In his inspiring blueprint for renewing America, Hill makes a stirring call for national election standards, voting equipment overhaul, nonpartisan election officials, a voting day holiday, and other repairs. He takes it a step further, calling for the end of winner-take-all elections, direct election of the president, an… more