Statement
of Steve Blackledge, CALPIRG Legislative Director, at railroad museum
event on government reform held by the Angelides campaign
“Southern
Pacific may no longer have a stranglehold on American politics, but
powerful interests still do. Oil companies, pharmaceutical companies,
banks, insurers and others use large campaign contributions, loose
ethics, and loads of lobbyists to get their way, even when it's not in
the public's best interest.
“With political corruption problems making daily headlines, voters want
elected officials to remove the stench of politics as usual. They also
need candidates to show how they'll clean up the underlying causes of
that stench.
“We applaud Treasurer Angelides for unveiling his platform on
government reform. His positions in favor of public funding for
candidates, lobby reform, disclosure of who's paying for gifts and
perks, enforceable penalties for constitutional officers who break the
rules, and a ban on staffers moonlighting at other jobs while on the
taxpayers dime is a good one. The missing piece is a call for a fair
redistricting process, and we urge him to support it.
“We call on Governor Schwarzenegger to match Treasurer Angelides and unveil his platform for on government reform.
“Finally, corruption isn't a problem that only should be addressed in
the governor's office. All candidates for elected office should tell
voters how they intend to create an honest, open government.”
