New Archive of Campaign Promises Debuts on the Web

Site Features Progress Statements by Statewide Officers

Davis, CA -- Today the California Voter Foundation unveiled its new Archive of Campaign Promises, an online resource designed to help the public keep track of campaign promises made by California's elected leaders.

The site features "progress statements" submitted by California statewide officers stating what they've done in the past four years to advance their top three campaign priorities from 1998, and is available online at:

http://www.calvoter.org/promises

"CVF's goal with this project is to utilize the Internet to create the essential 'raw materials' needed for citizens to make informed decisions during elections and to hold elected leaders accountable when the elections are over," said Kim Alexander, president and founder of the California Voter Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization advancing new technology to improve democracy.

The California Voter Foundation has been publishing election information on the Internet since 1994, and over the years has built a vast online library featuring thousands of pages of archived California election information.

In 1998, CVF asked all candidates for statewide office to tell voters, through CVF's web site, what their top three priorities would be if elected to office. In 2000, CVF began collecting and archiving position statements published by candidates on their campaign web sites.

This year, CVF invited all elected statewide officers to submit "progress statements" to tell voters, in 500 words or less, what they've done to advance their top three priorities from 1998. The site currently features progress statements from four of the eight statewide officers: Governor Gray Davis; Secretary of State Bill Jones; Treasurer Phil Angelides; and Attorney General Bill Lockyer. CVF will add new progress statements to the archive as they are submitted. Progress statements are not edited and are published without any analysis or commentary.

"Five of California's eight statewide officers are on the ballot this year," Alexander said. "Their record over the past four years in office is an important tool for voters to use when deciding how to vote. CVF's Archive of Campaign Promises provides a base of information that voters and the news media can use to evaluate these officeholders and determine if they've kept their promises."

CVF's Archive of Campaign Promises project is made possible through a grant from The James Irvine Foundation. More information about this and other CVF projects and activities is available at http://www.calvoter.org.

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Examples of statewide officers' top three priorities:

* * * * *

Gray Davis, Governor
Top Three Priorities, 1998:

1. Restore our public schools to greatness by raising our expectations of students, increasing funding and requiring more parent-teacher-student interaction.

2. Implement HMO reforms to protect the rights of all patients.

3. Develop an inclusive administration to unite California's diverse population.

* * * * *

Bill Jones, Secretary of State
Top Three Priorities, 1998:

1. Work for 100% participation in elections by all eligible voters with zero tolerance for voter fraud

2. Implement campaign reform including contribution limits and candidate reports on the internet

3. Reform California's election system using innovative technology

* * * * *

Phil Angelides, Treasurer
Top Three Priorities, 1998:

1. Protect taxpayers' dollars, investing prudently and managing efficiently.

2. Cost-effectively finance schools and other public facilities; Broaden opportunities for California families to invest and save for their future.

3. Increase state fund investment in California, creating economic growth, jobs and opportunity.

* * * * *

Bill Lockyer, Attorney General
Top Three Priorities, 1998:

1. Uphold the assault weapons ban and outlaw junk guns.

2. Restore environmental, consumer protection, civil rights enforcement.

3. 236,000 felony arrest warrants are unserved in California. Murderers, wife-beaters, child molesters, rapists. I'll make sure the AG's computers catch criminals, not let them go.

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This page was first published on February 22, 2002 | Last updated on February 26, 2002
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