Candidates adhered to contribution limits The League...

Candidates adhered to contribution limits

The League of Women Voters Laguna Beach Unit has concluded its

on-going review of the campaign disclosure statements filed in Laguna

Beach throughout the Nov. 2, 2005 election cycle. Since the league

was one of the primary advocates for Laguna’s campaign limitation

ordinance, it felt a particular responsibility to see that compliance

with the ordinance was uniform.

The league found that every committee filing disclosure statements

during this election cycle made a good faith effort to report

accurately.

When mistakes were made, they were corrected. The contribution

limitation of $310, which applied to candidate committees for City

Council, city clerk and city treasurer, was honored.

The greater story in this election turned out to be the vast

quantity of money spent by independent expenditure groups not subject

to the contribution limit. In the league’s ideal world, the

contribution limitation would apply to all committees that accept

contributions; however, the courts have ruled otherwise.

The only remedy available to leaven such expenditures is broad

public exposure of the source so that voters can be informed.

Our city’s print media did an excellent job of exposing the source

of independent expenditures in their respective newspapers.

The league continues to believe that the benefits of a

contribution limit for candidate committees outweighs the negatives

of unrestricted independent expenditures. The league recognizes the

imperfection of the system.

A complete copy of the league’s election review final report is

available in the city clerk’s office.

LINDA BROWN

Laguna Beach

Advisory committee could help win compromises

May I compliment through your letter the terrific job done by

Mayor Elizabeth Pearson and Councilwoman Toni Iseman. They have

broken the 10-year chain of opposing viewpoints on the ACT V use.

They are to be highly complimented.

Several times over the past few years I have suggested to both

that they create an Advisory Standing Committee to weigh viewpoints

on details of pro-posed council action. This com-mittee to be as

bi-partisan as they can achieve with a balance of levelheaded

individuals willing to work out compromises of differing public

group’s recommendations.

W. W. MCDONALD

Laguna Beach