Support SLO election finance ordinance

We strongly encourage San Luis Obispo voters to support a significant vanguard effort to assure that our city continues to be blessed with a general absence of outside money influencing city elections. We are all aware of the outsized influence that money has on our national elections, especially since the Supreme Court’s ruling in the terrible Citizens United decision, which allows more money in campaigns than ever to influence elections.

The “Integrity in our Elections” ordinance, presented by SLO Citizens Congress, builds on existing election laws to:

1. Create public funding of the city’s mayoral and council elections. A similar method was recently adopted by Seattle. Even on a local level, the cost of a competitive campaign dissuades many potential candidates from competing. This stifles potential candidates and diversity.

2. Require disclosure of anyone who spends money on “electioneering communications” with the city clerk so that we know who is trying to influence our elections.

3. Empower a citizens elections commission to consider allegations of campaign violations and make recommendations to the City Attorney’s Office.

This landmark ordinance can do for our city what our national legislators have been unwilling to do. Please attend the SLO City Council hearing on March 15.

This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 4:13 AM with the headline "Support SLO election finance ordinance."