Campaign Finance Reform Summit - Austin 6/24

[sonias]

On behalf of AARP Texas and the members of the "Clean Up Texas Politics" coalition, you are cordially invited to attend the upcoming Campaign Finance Reform Summit, scheduled for Thursday, June 24, 2004 from 9:00 a.m. to noon at the AARP Texas offices in Austin, located at 98 San Jacinto Blvd., Suite 750.

The summit will be an initial gathering of diverse organizations committed to an open and inclusive political process. Texas Comptroller, Carole Keeton Strayhorn will serve as the opening speaker to this event. Comptroller Strayhorn is a dedicated public servant who has worked for our state in various capacities for many years and we are pleased that she will be joining us. We look forward to her remarks and insights regarding campaign finance reform.

The goal of the summit will be to discuss the unlimited amounts of money used to finance our state’s elections, as well as possible key reforms to "clean up Texas politics." Each of these possible reforms will be reviewed and discussed in depth. Our hope is that all or most groups represented will join our effort as they are equally committed to most, if not all of the key points.
They are:

- Closing corporate and union money loopholes
- Setting reasonable individual and aggregate contribution limits
- Improving the effectiveness and independence of the Texas Ethics Commission
- Opening the legislative process and recording all legislative votes
- Other suggestions for possible reforms to Texas’ campaign finance laws

We hope you will be able to attend. Please RSVP to Carla Adauto at AARP Texas at 512-480-2427 or at [e-mail] . (If you are able to attend, please park on G3 in the San Jacinto Building and we will validate your ticket.)

We hope to see you on June 24th.
Sponsored by:
AARP Texas
Campaigns For People
Texas Impact
Texans For Public Justice
Baptist Christian Life Commission
Common Cause
Public Citizen
Policyholders of America
TexPIRG
Gray Panthers
League of Women Voters of Texas
---------------------------------------

This is very timely with the DeLay, TRMPAC, and TAB finance scandals.
Carole Keeton Strayhorn showing up is interesting. I guess that's reaching out to be more bi-partisan. I do know that CleanUpTexasPolitics.org has been doing a great job. Check them out if you haven't gotten a chance
http://www.cleanuptexaspolitics.org/

Sonia

[sonias]

1. kicking it

This happens tomorrow Thursday. I know many of you are busy and can't take the day off. I'll give you an update here tomorrow or Friday on how it went.

Sonia

[sonias]

2. Report on CFR Summit

This summit was great, wish more people could have made it. I realize that a Thursday is bad for most people. I did see John Cobarruvias there from Houston. Wish we had more time to talk John.

Carol Strayhorn did attract the press, she had every major news station there and trashed Perry pretty good about being too lean and mean. Plus she came out and said he and his cronies are retaliating against her with endless audits trying to match her contributors to her policies. She claims she welcomes it and says they should do the same for themselves.

Anyway, we had about 50 people and it was a busy agenda. All the active names on political finance reform were there. Craig McDonald from Texas Public Justice, Fred Lewis of Campaigns for People as well as Suzi Woodford of Common Cause and Tom "Smitty" Smith from Public Citizen and a whole lot of people from AARP. The presentations were excellent. They basically showed that recent polling of Texans show that 71% of Texans think big money has too big an influence in politics and that 95% of Texans think there should be single candidate contribution caps with 53% saying it should be $1,000. People would put an end to this if they could. So there is hope.

The story on political contributions for the 2002 state races was about as disgusting as you think with corporation money. Two things I got out of this. #1) The myth that trail lawyers have such a big influence, is in fact that, a myth. The top 50 individual contributors in the state list only 2 trail lawyers. #2) PACs make up 40% of all campaign contributions.

The top 5 individual money donors are:
1) Bob Perry (homebuilder) Perry Homes
2) James Leininger (voucher wingnut)
3) Albert D. Huddleston (?)
4) Bo Pilgrim (chicken wingnut)
5) Bob McNair (?)
6) John O. Quinn (trial lawyer)
The rest are businessmen.

Biggest donors by group
1)Texans for Lawsuit Reform
2)Realtors
3)Texas Medical Association
4)Vinson & Elkins
5)Dentists
6)Auto Dealers
7)Phil Gramm (Former Senator and scum bucket)

I was hoping for more dirt on the recent TAB & TRMPAC case but since this was a bi-partisan meeting, it was only alluded to as being under investigation and alleged violations.

These groups will continue to gather and work on this issue.

Finally if you are a member of an organization that has not signed in favor of recording legislative votes, try to get your group to sign up at
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/ Look for the link on "Let the Shine Shine" editorial and you can download a sample resolution.
All votes in the legislature should be recorded for record. We should know how everyone of them votes on anything and they should
be made accountable for those votes.

Get your club or organization to pass that and sign onto this reform. There are about 78 organizations on board now, but we need thousands.
Individual representatives and senators can sign too. I was shocked to see Sen. Jeff Wentworth on board too. He's my repuke senator.

Sonia