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| For Immediate Release |
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For More Information, contact:
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| Tuesday, October 31, 2000 |
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Kim Alexander or Saskia Mills
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(916) 325-2120; info@calvoter.org
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Proposition campaigns raise $120 million through
10/21/00
Updated Top Ten Donors list available at www.calvoter.org
Sacramento, CA -- California proposition campaigns raised $120.5 million through
October 21 to support and oppose eight measures on the state's November 7th ballot,
according to figures released today by the California Voter Foundation and available
on the CVF web site at:
www.calvoter.org/2000/general/propositions/topten.html
The nonprofit group analyzed ballot measure fundraising and spending for all eight
measures and found that the two education-related initiatives on the ballot account
for 75 percent of all the money raised to date. Prop. 38, which would create a school
voucher program, is the most expensive campaign so far, with committees supporting
and opposing the measure raising a combined total of nearly $60 million. Prop. 39,
a measure that 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 $31 million raised, followed by Prop. 35, which would allow state agencies
to contract with private firms on public works projects, at $21 million.
The nonprofit organization's research is available online at www.calvoter.org and
includes an itemized list of the Top Ten Donors for and against each measure on the
ballot as well as summary fundraising, spending and cash-on-hand figures.
The biggest proposition contributor so far is the California Teachers Association,
which has given $24.5 million to defeat Prop 38. The second largest donor is Silicon
Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper, who is the proponent of Prop 38 and has contributed
$23.4 million toward the campaign. Another Silicon Valley venture capitalist, John
Doerr, along with his wife Ann, have contributed a total of $6,010,000 in support
of Prop 39, and rank as the third largest proposition donor this election season.
Money raised by proposition campaigns is generally used to pay for T.V. commercial
advertising, which is dominating California's airwaves right now. "Unfortunately,
most of these millions are spent on commercial advertising that's designed to confuse
voters, manipulate voters, scare voters and do just about anything but inform them,"
said Kim Alexander, CVF's president and founder. "Voters are finding our web
site a refreshing reprieve from attack ads and soundbites. At www.calvoter.org we
offer information tools to help voters make sense of the election and better understand
their choices. One of the most popular resources on our site is our Top Ten Donors
lists, where voters can follow the money and easily find out who's paying for all
these ads. It's a great shortcut that's helping voters make more informed choices."
CVF has been publishing campaign finance data on the Internet since 1995, when the
organization made history by producing the world's first real-time, online campaign
finance database for that year's San Francisco mayoral election. CVF's ongoing efforts
to advance Internet disclosure of money in politics led to the landmark 1997 Online
Disclosure Act, a state law being implemented this year that mandates electronic
filing of, and instant Internet access to California campaign and lobbying disclosure
reports.
The California Voter Foundation will continue to 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 any 1999 funds raised to
qualify the measure for the ballot, through October 21, 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 as well as links to more than
250 official California campaign web sites.
CVF's Follow the Money project 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 31, 2000 -- last updated October 31,
2000