Chairman, California Fair Political Practices Commission
Chairman of the California Fair Political Practices Commission; former Republican State Senator and Assemblyman from Orange County
PROFILE
Ross Johnson
Guest
FROM Ross Johnson
Which Way, L.A.?
Party Time: Money and Politics in Sacramento In the latest survey by the Public Policy Institute of California, approval of the California state legislature dropped to a record low. Just 14% of registered voters thought the Assembly and Senate were doing a good job. But that hasn't prevented lobbyists from showing up at 250 fundraisers in this year alone. By one count, 19 are scheduled today in Sacramento and another 18 tomorrow. We hear more from Shane Goldmacher of the Los Angeles Times, Democratic State Senator Loni Hancock and former Republican State Senator Ross Johnson, chair of the Fair Political Practices Commission.
Which Way, L.A.?
A Billion Dollar Problem with Campaign Fundraising California’s next election is exactly a month away, featuring six propositions on state finance. Interest groups on all sides will be doing a lot of spending. In 2000, voters passed Prop 34 to limit the influence of money, but it hasn’t worked out that way. Campaigns for candidates and ballot measures have raised more than one billion dollars in the past 8 years—344,000 dollars a day…14,000 dollars an hour…24/7…365 days a year. hat’s according to a report called “ The Billion-Dollar Money Train ,” issued by the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission.
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