RE: PUBLIC POLICY OF INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA POLL
(PPIC-Baldassare Poll)
The August PPIC poll contains both encouraging and discouraging news
regarding Proposition 34.
After asking whether they supported or opposed a court challenge to the
measure passed in 1996, (yes-35/no-53), the question asked was as follows:
3The Governor and California Legislature have placed Proposition 34 on the
November ballot, which would limit individual1s contributions to $3,000 for
legislative candidates, $5,000 for statewide candidates, and $20,000 for
candidates running for governor. Some campaign finance reform groups have
criticized Proposition 34 because, if passed, the stricter limits on
campaign donations that the voters approved with Proposition 208 would not
take effect. Knowing this, would you vote yes or no on Proposition 34?2
The results (with respect to all adults, whether likely to vote or whether
registered or not) was:
Yes 37%
No 50%
Don1t know 13%.
The good news is that when voters know that Prop 34 would replace the limits
in Prop 208 with less strict limits, they are likely to vote against Prop
34. The bad news is that voters won1t get a clue from reading the
arguments in the ballot pamphlet or ballot label that Prop 34 kills Prop 208
limits. They won1t have a clue that real reformers oppose Prop 34.
The poll underlines just how critical it is that we deliver our message with
both free and paid media. Without both, we lose.
The complete report can be found at www.ppic.org.
FIELD POLL SHOWS HOW STEEP OUR CLIMB IS
The Field Poll, using only the official title and summary to
describe Proposition 34, shows that Proposition 34 is supported by a margin
of nearly 2 to 1.
According to the Sacramento Bee1s account:
3Only 28 percent were aware of Proposition 34 before hearing the ballot
description, but 50 percent said they would support the version of campaign
finance reform crafted by state Legislature and Gov. Gray Davis.
Twenty-three percent were opposed, and 27 percent undecided.2
3Campaign reform activists have harshly criticized the measure as a
transparent attempt to nullify more stringent reforms contained in
Proposition 208, which is pending before a federal judge in Sacramento.2
[summary of Proposition 34 provisions]
3Davis, who broke all records for fund raising in his first year in office
last year, would not be affected by the measure, because its provisions
would not kick in for statewide candidates until after he seeks his final
term as governor in 2002.2
The Field Poll underlines the critical need to educate the voters
as to what Proposition 34 is intended to do (kill Proposition 208) and what
Proposition 34 will do (keep the big money flowing to politicians) if it
passes. If the only thing the voters know about Prop 34 is what they read
in the title and summary and ballot label, they will vote for Prop 34.
Unless we can deliver our message with free and paid media, the politicians
and the special interests that fund them will win. On the other hand, as
the PPIC polls indicates, if we can get our message to the voters, we win.
(This is NOT CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM: State Senator John Burton and Gov.
Davis should be ashamed--Jo Seidita)
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