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| For Immediate Release |
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For More Information, contact:
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| Wednesday, October 11, 2000 |
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Kim Alexander or Saskia Mills
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(916) 325-2120; info@calvoter.org
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Updated Top Ten Donors list now online at www.calvoter.org!
California proposition campaigns raise $82.5 million
through 9/30/00
Sacramento, CA -- California proposition campaigns raised $82.5 million through
September 30 to support and oppose eight measures on the state's November 7th ballot,
according to figures released today by the California Voter Foundation (CVF). An
updated Top Ten Donors list and summary figures are available on the CVF web site
at:
www.calvoter.org/2000/general/propositions/topten.html
The nonprofit group analyzed proposition fundraising and spending for all eight
measures and found that the most expensive campaign so far is Prop 38, the school
voucher initiative, with committees raising a combined total of $39.7 million, comprising
nearly half of the money raised to date for all of the measures. Prop 39, which
would lower the vote requirement needed to pass local school bonds from two thirds
to 55 percent, ranked as the second most expensive measure with a total of $21.8
million raised. Prop 35, which would allow state agencies to contract with private
firms on public works projects, was the third most expensive measure at $14.5 million.
Timothy Draper, proponent of Prop 38, is the biggest single donor to a proposition
campaign in California history, and has contributed $18 million so far to Prop 38
through his Timothy Draper Living Trust. On the other side of Prop 38, the California
Teachers Association has contributed a nearly equal amount - $17.9 million - to defeat
the measure. Other top donors to proposition campaigns include John Doerr, a venture
capitalist with Kleiner Perkins, and his wife Ann, who have contributed a total of
$6 million to the Yes on 39 campaign; the Professional Engineers in California Government,
which has contributed $4.3 million to the No on Prop 35 campaign; and George Soros,
Peter Lewis and John Sperling, who have each contributed $1 million to the Yes on
Prop 36 campaign.
"Wealthy individuals, corporations and well-funded interest groups comprise
most of the money behind the eight measures on November's ballot," said Kim
Alexander, CVF's president and founder. "Yet all these millions of dollars being
raised and spent in no way guarantee an informed debate. In fact, most of this money
will be spent on TV advertising designed to confuse or scare voters and do just about
anything but inform them. Fortunately, voters have an alternative, reliable source
of information about the propositions at www.calvoter.org."
CVF's web site features an itemized list of the Top Ten donors for and against each
measure on the ballot as well as summary fundraising and spending figures. "Our
Top Ten Donors
list is a great shortcut that helps busy voters find out who's really behind
these measures and make more informed decisions," said Saskia Mills, CVF's
managing director. Mills, who has been researching and compiling CVF's Top Ten Donors
list since the 1998 election, noted that CVF's current list is being produced and
updated faster than ever before. "Thanks to the new California Online Disclosure
Act, we were able to update our Top Ten Donors list just five days after the October
5 filing deadline," Mills said, referring to the new California law requiring
electronic filing and Internet disclosure of California campaign finance reports.
The California Voter Foundation will frequently update its campaign finance figures
throughout the election season as new reports are disclosed. CVF's research is based
on disclosure reports filed by proposition campaign committees, and includes all
funds raised to support or oppose each measure, including costs to qualify the measure
for the ballot, through September 30, 2000.
CVF's Top Ten Donors list is part of the Fall 2000 California Online Voter Guide,
a nonpartisan clearinghouse of links and information about the upcoming election.
Now in its seventh edition, this noncommercial guide covers 162 state and federal
contests in California, including the eight statewide propositions, the presidential
election, California's U.S. Senate race, 52 U.S. House contests, and 100 state legislative
races. Highlights include contact information for proposition campaigns and all
525 federal and state candidates on California's ballot and links to over 250 official
California campaign web sites.
CVF's Top Ten Donors list is made possible by a generous grant from the Carnegie
Corporation of New York. Additional support for CVF's 2000 Election projects has
been provided by the The James Irvine Foundation, the William & Flora Hewlett
Foundation, the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation and the Markle Foundation.
The California Voter Foundation is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization funded by
tax-exempt contributions from foundations, businesses and individuals. For more
information, visit www.calvoter.org.
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This page first published October 11, 2000 -- last updated October 11,
2000