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The Santa Clarita City Council raised campaign contribution limits to $1,000 this week, despite explosive public commentary from dozens of residents who opposed the move.
Some of the speakers stormed out as four out of five council members gave their “yes” votes. Councilman Bob Kellar voted against the move.
Councilwomen Laurene Weste, Laurie Ender and Marsha McLean agreed with Councilman Frank Ferry, who proposed the measure, that campaigning for City Council has gotten expensive.
Raising the contribution limit will allow challengers to raise more money to combat big-business donations to political action committees, they said.
The attending crowd, along with some experts, didn’t see it that way.
A parade of opposition lasted nearly an hour, with 22 speakers demanding a level playing field where voting with their dollars doesn’t cost quite so much. The previous contribution limit was $360.
Outburst leads to walkout
Ferry said the speakers turned out after having received an e-mail from David Gauny, who ran against the incumbents in April. Gauny, who lost narrowly to Ferry, opposed the campaign contribution increase.
“I could have written out the list of speakers prior to the event,” Ferry said.
His comments didn’t sit well with the crowd, many of whom groaned.
Sterling King, a Newhall resident who spoke out against the increase, stood and shouted at the councilman.
“Frank! Don’t address this audience (like that)!” Sterling said, pointing. “I will address and debate you back!”
“He’s taunting us and it’s not right!” yelled Patricia Skinner Sulpizio, who had been sitting near King.
A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy escorted King to the back door at Mayor Laurene Weste’s request.
Several people filed out after King, including Gauny.
“You’re pathetic. It’s sad,” Gauny said as he walked to the door.
The deputy remained at the back door as the council discussed the motion.
Fox and the henhouse
Many cities in Los Angeles County, and every local agency other than the county Board of Supervisors, have no contribution limits at all.
But Canyon Country resident Alan Ferdman said it’s not important what other agencies do.
“What we would like to see is our small-town feel,” Ferdman said. “The way things are going, it’s feeling a lot more like Chicago.”
Skinner Sulpizio said she would like to have the same political clout as her friends and neighbors but wouldn’t be able to donate $1,000 to a candidate.
Robin Clough, an advocate for senior citizens, said her clients are in danger of losing their voice in politics, since the few dollars they can contribute on fixed incomes seem miniscule in comparison to the maximum contribution.
King said the City Council is the fox guarding the henhouse.
“Your hens can lay a lot of golden eggs,” King said. “You’ve been able to amass these people for a long time.”
Experts split
University of California, San Diego, political science professor Gary Jacobson said contribution limits shouldn’t be so low that they hurt challengers’ ability to raise sufficient funds for a campaign. Jacobson said that challengers have to raise more money than incumbents because they’re not as well known, and too low of a limit could hurt them.
But Bob Stern, president of the nonpartisan nonprofit Center for Governmental Studies, said a rising tide raises all ships, and incumbents have many more ships than their challengers.
PACs’ influence
Many speakers said setting a limit on contributions made directly to candidates doesn’t make any difference, since political action committees and their unlimited donations have such a strong influence in elections.
The incumbents’ campaigns this past election were bolstered with thousands of dollars in mailers sent out on their behalf by the PAC Citizens for Integrity in Government.
The main donor to that PAC is G&L Realty, the Beverly Hills-based real estate firm overseeing the construction of the medical office complex portion of Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital’s expansion, which the incumbents supported.
The Building Industry Association of Southern California and SCV Auto Dealers Association also gave money to the PAC.
Increase approved
As part of the motion to raise campaign limits Tuesday night, the council approved doing away with anonymous contributions. Before this change was made, candidates could accept anonymous contributions totaling as much as $200.
Following the second reading and vote, no anonymous contributions are allowed.
Candidates will not have to itemize contributions of less than $100 each, which was part of Ferry’s original proposal, but they do have to know who gave them each dollar they receive.
