Prop 32 is arguably the most deceptive initiative in the hundred-year history of ballot propositions in California. Indeed, if California had a Truth-In-Politics Act, some of its sponsors may well be facing lengthy spells in San Quentin.
The so-called “stop special interest money now” initiative is a cynical attempt to mislead voters by claiming it would reduce the influence of big money in Sacramento. It wouldn’t. On the contrary, it would make the corruption of our elections by big money much worse.
Nothing exposes the big lie behind Prop. 32 quite like the big money special interests that are funding it.
Shadowy out-of-state groups have poured millions of dollars into the Prop. 32 campaign. Arizona-based “Americans for Responsible Leadership,” whose $11 million check is the largest-ever secret political donation in California, and Iowa-based “America Future Fund” both refuse to disclose where their money comes from.
The Superior Court has ordered Americans for Responsible Leadership to come clean, stating that Californians will suffer “irreparable harm” if its funders remain secret. Its Virginia-based law firm, known as “ground zero for dark money” in 2012, has refused and appealed, hoping to hide its Prop. 32 millions until after the election.
The Prop. 32 campaign doesn’t even want us to know who is trying to buy our elections.
These out-of-state groups have links to billionaire Koch brothers and GOP operative Karl Rove. They are prime examples of the corrosive impact of big money on our elections. No one could have less credibility when it comes to taking special interest money out of politics.
The Prop. 32 campaign claims not to know where its secret millions come from but has defended the right of the out-of-state scams to “put their voice in the debate.” Most likely, billionaire conservative activists such as the Kochs are using these front organizations to bypass California’s campaign disclosure laws. But what is crystal clear is that the sham “non-profits” are the special interests – and they would be untouched by Prop. 32
Some actual Californians are also bankrolling the deceptive initiative. Another big money special interest funding Prop. 32 is conservative activist and son of the billionaire partner of Warren Buffet, Charles Munger Jr. Munger, who would be free to spend unlimited money under Prop. 32, has dropped $35 million so far.
Munger’s millions, like those of the Arizona Super PAC, have been funneled through the “Small Business Action Committee,” an organization that is neither small nor business (unless you consider using secret funds to buy elections a business). It’s a big money conservative Super PAC run by long-time a longtime GOP operative. And it is another special interest that would be untouched by Prop. 32.
This is why Prop. 32 is more appropriate called the Billionaires’ Bill of Rights.
Who thought up this model of deception in the first place? That would be GOP strategists Michael Capaldi and Thomas Hiltachk, geniuses when it comes to ballot initiatives that say one thing but do exactly the opposite.
Prop. 32 is written by big money special interests for big money special interests. Its shadowy out-of-state bankers want us to believe that their money laundering operations support genuine campaign finance reform.
This is one of the most cynical efforts ever to buy an election in California through deception. Voters should reject Prop. 32 out of hand.
We’re not backing down in the face of Trump’s threats.
As Donald Trump is inaugurated a second time, independent media organizations are faced with urgent mandates: Tell the truth more loudly than ever before. Do that work even as our standard modes of distribution (such as social media platforms) are being manipulated and curtailed by forces of fascist repression and ruthless capitalism. Do that work even as journalism and journalists face targeted attacks, including from the government itself. And do that work in community, never forgetting that we’re not shouting into a faceless void – we’re reaching out to real people amid a life-threatening political climate.
Our task is formidable, and it requires us to ground ourselves in our principles, remind ourselves of our utility, dig in and commit.
As a dizzying number of corporate news organizations – either through need or greed – rush to implement new ways to further monetize their content, and others acquiesce to Trump’s wishes, now is a time for movement media-makers to double down on community-first models.
At Truthout, we are reaffirming our commitments on this front: We won’t run ads or have a paywall because we believe that everyone should have access to information, and that access should exist without barriers and free of distractions from craven corporate interests. We recognize the implications for democracy when information-seekers click a link only to find the article trapped behind a paywall or buried on a page with dozens of invasive ads. The laws of capitalism dictate an unending increase in monetization, and much of the media simply follows those laws. Truthout and many of our peers are dedicating ourselves to following other paths – a commitment which feels vital in a moment when corporations are evermore overtly embedded in government.
Over 80 percent of Truthout‘s funding comes from small individual donations from our community of readers, and the remaining 20 percent comes from a handful of social justice-oriented foundations. Over a third of our total budget is supported by recurring monthly donors, many of whom give because they want to help us keep Truthout barrier-free for everyone.
You can help by giving today. Whether you can make a small monthly donation or a larger gift, Truthout only works with your support.