By Rachel Dovey.
One week after a group of Los Angeles pols swore off donations from real estate developers, one council member wants to take campaign finance reform a step further and make all donations taxpayer-funded.
“Instead of tweaking the system, let’s fix it and replace it with a better one,” Mike Bonin said Monday, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Bonin will be seeking reelection in March. His proposal would have candidates gather a minimum number of small donations from their constituents to prove the viability of their campaign. Then they would have to stop fundraising (and promise not to chip in any money themselves).
Practical or no, his proposal follows a groundswell of support for some degree of reform in how Los Angeles politicians finance their campaigns.
Last week, public affairs consultant Mitchell Schwartz, running what the Times calls a “long-shot bid” against current Mayor Eric Garcetti, vowed not to take any campaign funds from real estate developers. Several candidates running against Bonin have made similar promises.
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