Concerns About Big Money, Attacks on Rights Will Propel Reform Efforts

Contact: Bruce Mirken, Greenlining Institute Media Relations Coordinator, 510-926-4022; 415-846-7758 (cell)

SACRAMENTO – New survey results released today show substantial voter concern about the influence of special interest money on ballot initiative campaigns and the use of the initiative system to attack people’s rights. Voters said they want greater transparency regarding funders behind ballot measure campaigns, greater review and oversight of initiatives, and more information to help make decisions when voting. The survey data and results from a statewide listening tour were released this morning at a state capitol briefing for policymakers and the media.

Full results of The Greenlining Institute’s survey are available here. Key findings include:

• 85 percent of voters felt it was important to know who funds initiative campaigns, with majorities saying it would help to have this information in campaign ads and in the state voter guide. 59 percent said they would be less likely to vote for a legislator who voted against a proposal to increase campaign funder disclosure (such as AB 1148, which failed on the Assembly floor Jan. 31).
• 73 percent believed that the rights of certain groups are often attacked via ballot initiatives, and 41 percent felt their own rights had been attacked.
• 81 percent favored greater review and oversight of initiatives to check for legal issues and drafting errors.
• Significant numbers of voters are ill-informed about the process, with 30 percent incorrectly thinking they must cast a yes or no vote on all propositions listed on the ballot. 42 percent of African American voters and 53 percent of Latino voters held this mistaken belief and did not know they could abstain on a measure.
• A majority expressed a desire for more and better information in the official state voter guide, such as data on the impact of a measure of the state’s unemployment rate, poverty rate, and environment.

“At The Greenlining Institute, we’ve seen the initiative process first-hand as both proponents trying to qualify an initiative with very little money, and then as opponents battling wealthy interests who could simply write a check to get their measure on the ballot,” said Michelle Romero, program manager for Greenlining’s Our Democracy program. “What was supposed to be about citizen democracy has turned into something very different, and to bring it back to that ideal we had to start by listening to real Californians.”

“Ballot initiatives and referenda have a tremendous impact on the lives of Californians and can be a wonderful tool for democratic action,” said Sen. Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley).  “However, the process has frequently been hijacked by corporate interests intent on misleading voters to benefit their own narrow interests.  The Greenlining Institute has written, ‘Corporations and other special interests now dominate what was supposed to be a vehicle for “people’s democracy.”‘ I share their concern and look forward to working with Greenlining on ways to improve the system.”

Romero also expressed concern that although the cost of qualifying a measure certainly restricts access to the initiative system, limited English proficient voters face additional challenges.  The federal Voting Rights Act guarantees limited English proficient voters the right to receive election materials in their own language, but this provision does not currently extend to initiative petitions which are not translated for voters. Limited English proficient voters are effectively cut out of the process and have no say in determining what qualifies for the ballot.

Assemblyman Paul Fong (D-Cupertino) echoed this concern. “California is the most diverse state in the nation, with millions of voters whose first language is not English,” Fong said. “Because much of our population is not proficient in English, they unfortunately have no involvement in what gets on the ballot. We need all our voters to be fully engaged in our democracy, and we need a system that encourages and allows them to do so.”

Romero said Greenlining is working with legislators and a broad coalition on a long-term agenda for reforming the state’s ballot initiative system. Immediate priorities include improving funder disclosure and transparency, introducing legislation to enable voters with limited English proficiency to more effectively participate in the initiative process, and surveying voters in this year’s election to assess opportunities to improve the state voter guide. Longer-term plans include exploring ways to remove the barriers to participation in the initiative process by ordinary citizens, balanced with the need for greater review & oversight of initiatives for the ballot.

A second briefing on the findings will be held in Los Angeles on Friday, Feb. 3 at 1:30 p.m. at the office of the Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund, 634 S. Spring St. in downtown L.A. Local media are welcome to attend.

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THE GREENLINING INSTITUTE
A Multi-Ethnic Public Policy, Research and Advocacy Institute
www.greenlining.org

Contact: Bruce Mirken, Greenlining Institute Media Relations Coordinator, 510-926-4022; 415-846-7758 (cell)

SACRAMENTO – California officials and politicos have long been talking about the ballot initiative system and possible reforms. Last year, concerned by the growing influence of special interest money and use of the initiative system to attack civil rights, The Greenlining Institute decided to take up the issue and to start by finding out what real Californians think. After assembling a diverse, 33-person advisory board, Greenlining commissioned a two-wave public opinion survey of a representative sample of state voters and mounted a statewide listening tour that visited 14 California cities.

This Wednesday, Sen. Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley), Asm. Paul Fong (D-Cupertino), and Kim Alexander of the California Voter Foundation will join Greenlining representatives to present the results of this research and discuss efforts to return the initiative process to the ideal of “citizen democracy” at a lunch briefing for policymakers and the media.

WHAT: Policy briefing, A Community Perspective on Ballot Initiative Reform.

WHO: Sen. Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley); Asm. Paul Fong (D-Cupertino); Kim Alexander, California Voter Foundation; Orson Aguilar and Michelle Romero, The Greenlining Institute.

WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 1, from 11:30am-1pm. A box lunch will be provided for attendees who RSVP.

WHERE: State Capitol, Room 2040.

RSVP to brucem@greenlining.org or micheller@greenlining.org or call (408) 550-3121. Be sure to include any dietary restrictions.

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THE GREENLINING INSTITUTE
A Multi-Ethnic Public Policy, Research and Advocacy Institute
www.greenlining.org

Contact:
Samuel S. Kang, Greenlining Institute General Counsel, 415-317-5946 (cell)
Bruce Mirken, Greenlining Institute Media Relations Coordinator, 510-926-4022; 415-846-7758 (cell)

SACRAMENTO – With the Senate Rules Committee preparing to hold a hearing this afternoon on the nominations of Catherine J.K. Sandoval and Michel P. Florio to the California Public Utilities Commission, The Greenlining Institute strongly urged confirmation of these two consumer-friendly nominees.

“The CPUC is arguably the most powerful and closely scrutinized regulatory agency in California,” said Greenlining General Counsel Samuel S. Kang. “Anyone appointed to this demanding environment needs an unusual combination of intellect, integrity, and leadership, and by those measures, you could not find better picks than Commissioners Sandoval and Florio.”

Sandoval, California’s first Latina Rhodes Scholar, was a law professor and expert on telecommunications law at Santa Clara University and previously served as undersecretary for housing with the state’s Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. Florio was a senior attorney for The Utility Reform Network for over 30 years and was a member of the board of governors of the California Independent System Operator from 1997 to 2005.

Kang noted that consideration of these commissioners comes at a time when public trust in the CPUC has suffered and a series of critical issues loom in the next few years, including how to prevent disasters like the San Bruno gas pipeline explosion, overhauling the electrical delivery system, and dwindling competition in the wireless and broadband industries.

“They’ll have to convince families, small businesses and underserved communities that the CPUC won’t leave them behind when making these critical decisions,” said Kang. ”Fortunately, this year, transparency has been a hallmark for Commissioners Sandoval and Florio, who both spent their entire professional lives working to empower communities. They must stay committed to this principle if they are going to win back the public’s trust.”

Sandoval and Florio were appointed by Governor Jerry Brown on January 25, 2011. CPUC Commissioners are appointed by the Governor to serve six-year terms and must be confirmed by the state Senate within a year of their appointment.

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THE GREENLINING INSTITUTE
A Multi-Ethnic Public Policy, Research and Advocacy Institute
www.greenlining.org

Contact: Bruce Mirken, Greenlining Institute Media Relations Coordinator, 510-926-4022; 415-846-7758 (cell)

FRESNO – Federal healthcare reform is already beginning to affect California, but many Californians know little about the changes that are coming, a problem that The Greenlining Institute is hoping to remedy with the next in its statewide series of town hall meetings, scheduled for Jan. 18 in Fresno.

The event is the latest in a series of town halls that Greenlining has held around California, with an emphasis on the needs of communities of color and low-income Californians. Experts will provide information about the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and solicit input from audience members about their questions and concerns as well as suggestions for effective implementation of the law in California.

WHAT: Town Hall meeting regarding California implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

WHO: Alexis Dennis, Health Fellow, The Greenlining Institute; members of the public

WHERE: Chicano Youth Center, 1515 Divisadero Street, Fresno, CA 93721

WHEN: Wednesday, Jan. 18, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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THE GREENLINING INSTITUTE
A Multi-Ethnic Public Policy, Research and Advocacy Institute
www.greenlining.org

Contact: Bruce Mirken, Greenlining Institute Media Relations Coordinator, 510-926-4022; 415-846-7758 (cell)

SAN FRANCISCO – The Greenlining Institute today endorsed Assembly Bill 1148, the California DISCLOSE Act, to improve funder disclosure on political advertisements. Authored by Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) and sponsored by the California Clean Money Campaign, AB 1148 will require the largest funders of campaigns to be clearly identified in political advertisements. Wealthy special interests often fund political advertising while hiding behind deceptively named campaign committees. AB 1148 would require that top donors be listed by actual donor name.

According to FollowtheMoney.org, over $235 million was spent on California ballot measures in 2010 alone. “Californians deserve to know who is behind ballot measures when making important decisions about how to vote,” said Michelle Romero, Our Democracy program manager at the Greenlining Institute. “For low-income communities and communities of color who often have less access to the Internet or other sources of information about measures, it is critically important that political ads disclose who is behind the slogans and sound bites.”

Earlier this year, The Greenlining Institute launched a statewide listening tour to hear from voters about California’s broken ballot initiative system. Greenlining convened diverse groups of Californians across 14 different cities to discuss their experiences with ballot initiatives and how they make their decisions on measures.

Chief among the complaints expressed was the influence of wealthy special interests. Voters said they are often unsure about what funders lurk behind ballot campaigns.

“Current disclosure statements on political ads are simply not clear enough,” Romero said. “Recent polling suggests Californians want reform.” In a national poll done by Hart Research in June 2010, 87 percent of Republicans and 91 percent of both Democrats and independents favored legislation requiring ads to say which corporations paid for them.

The Greenlining Institute will be joining the California Clean Money Campaign, California Common Cause, California Church Impact, and the California Nurses Association in endorsing AB 1148 at this weekend’s campaign kick-off events in Oakland, Palo Alto, and San Francisco.

East Bay Campaign Kick-off:
Saturday, January 7, 10 a.m. – noon
Oakland City Hall, Room 1, Broadway & 14^th Street, Oakland
Speakers include: Senator Loni Hancock (SD-9), Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski (AD-20), The Greenlining Institute, California Clean Money Campaign, and others.

Peninsula/South Bay Campaign Kick-off:
Saturday, January 7, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Unitarian Universalist Church, 505 E. Charleston Rd., Palo Alto
Speakers include: Assemblymembers Jerry Hill (AD-19), Bob Wieckowski (AD-20), Rich Gordon (AD-21), Paul Fong* (AD-22), Jim Beall (AD-24), and Sally Lieber (ret.); The Greenlining Institute and California Clean Money Campaign.
*Principal Co-Author of AB 1148

San Francisco Campaign Kick-off:
Sunday, January 8, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
San Francisco Main Library, Latino/Hispanic Meeting Room,
100 Larkin Street, San Francisco
Speakers include: Senator Mark Leno (SD-3); Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (AD-13), San Francisco Supervisor John Avalos, The Greenlining Institute and California Clean Money Campaign.

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THE GREENLINING INSTITUTE
A Multi-Ethnic Public Policy, Research and Advocacy Institute
www.greenlining.org

WASHINGTON – The Greenlining Institute today applauded President Obama’s expected recess appointment of Richard Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Greenlining Institute Executive Director Orson Aguilar commented:

“President Obama did absolutely the right thing, and the senators who blocked Mr. Cordray’s confirmation all year in an attempt to weaken protections for consumers should be ashamed of themselves. Creation of CFPB as a tough, independent consumer protection agency was best thing to come out of the financial crisis, and no one needs that protection more than the communities we represent. Communities of color got hammered by predatory and dishonest lending, and we’re relieved that the cop on the beat we’ve needed for so long is finally able to get to work.

“What’s been frustrating in all of this is that a majority of senators supported Cordray’s confirmation, but a minority was able to block the Senate from voting. It’s time for the Senate’s leadership to address the growing misuse of the filibuster. It is simply undemocratic to require a super-majority for everything, and it’s not what the framers of the constitution intended.”

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THE GREENLINING INSTITUTE
A Multi-Ethnic Public Policy, Research and Advocacy Institute
www.greenlining.org

Greenlining Institute Asks: Will the Zynga “Grinch” Steal San Francisco’s Christmas After Whopping Tax Breaks?

SAN FRANCISCO – After receiving millions in tax breaks from the city of San Francisco and on the eve of the largest Internet company stock offering since Google, Zynga hasn’t followed through on its promise to invest its wealth back into San Francisco’s communities, The Greenlining Institute said today.  Over the summer Greenlining shined a light on high-tech tax avoidance in its report, Corporate America Untaxed: Tax Avoidance on the Rise.

Zynga, known for its online games on Facebook, expects to raise $1 billion  or more when it goes public this Thursday. The company reportedly threatened to leave San Francisco last spring, unless officials agreed to whopping tax breaks.

Greenlining Institute Executive Director Orson Aguilar met with Zynga’s executives earlier this year to discuss how the company could invest its profits back into the community. But since the tax breaks were okayed, the company has stalled.

“Zynga scared San Francisco’s leaders into cutting a sweetheart deal to pad its profits at the expense of city taxpayers,” Aguilar said. “After getting what it wanted from San Francisco, Zynga put issues like jobs for local residents and investment in local businesses on the back burner.”

Aguilar noted that large companies have a history of duping politicians into tax breaks with false promises of job creation. “This is exactly what happened in 2004 when President Bush offered a tax holiday for America’s wealthiest corporations,” he said. “After getting the tax break, many of these companies not only failed to create jobs, they actually fired thousands of workers.”

It is up to San Francisco’s leaders who approved the tax break to hold Zynga accountable, Aguilar added: “Zynga got its tax break while the mayor and the board of supervisors were slashing programs that aid the sick and homeless to close a record budget deficit. Zynga will become a billion-dollar company overnight, but it’s acting more like Goldman Sachs – or the Grinch who stole Christmas — than a good corporate citizen.”

Misperceptions About Economics, Health, Discrimination May Skew Politics, Fuel Conflicts

BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA – A new analysis of some of the most definitive survey data available, to be released Dec. 12, finds a huge gulf in perceptions between black and white Americans on a wide range of issues, a gulf that may be contributing to America’s increasingly divisive politics.

Post Racial? Americans and Race in the Age of Obama was written by Greenlining Institute Research Director Daniel Byrd, Ph.D. and Media Relations Coordinator Bruce Mirken. Among the key findings:

• While official statistics show that African Americans lag far behind whites in income and wealth, a majority of whites believe that blacks’ and whites’ incomes are about the same. African Americans and Latinos have more accurate perceptions. Whites and blacks have a similar disconnect regarding African Americans’ health status.
• Only 16 percent of whites believe there is a lot of racial discrimination in America today, compared to a majority of blacks and over a quarter of Latinos.
• 56 percent of blacks believe the federal government treats whites better than African Americans, and virtually none believe the government treats blacks better than whites. In contrast, most whites think the government treats blacks and whites about the same, one quarter believe the government treats blacks better than whites, and only nine percent think the government treats whites better.
• Whites higher in what is known as “racial resentment” were more likely than other whites to perceive little discrimination and were less likely to believe that blacks make less money or are in worse health.

Journalists can view the report online here.

“We hear lots of talk about America becoming a ‘post –racial’ society, but these data show that we’re light-years away from any such thing,” Dr. Byrd said. “In some ways, black and white Americans might be living on different planets, and this has huge implications for our politics and our nation.”

Advocates Call Filibuster Unjustified, Bad For Consumers

WASHINGTON – The Greenlining Institute, the group that sounded the alarm about the subprime meltdown years before it became a crisis, today renewed its call for the Senate to approve Richard Cordray as head of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. An attempt to bring the nomination to a vote could happen as soon as Thursday.
“This highly respected consumer advocate deserves immediate approval, and there is simply no justification for a filibuster,” said Greenlining Institute Community Reinvestment Director Preeti Vissa. “Communities of color were devastated by predatory lending and the foreclosure crisis, and any action that delays CFPB getting fully up and running constitutes a direct attack on America’s most vulnerable communities and on consumers in general.”

Greenlining’s Sept. 2 letter in support of Cordray is available online here.

Greenlining and other consumer advocates pushed for CFPB’s inclusion in the Dodd-Frank financial reform law as a way to curb the predatory practices that led to the housing crash. As documented in the Academy Award-winning documentary “Inside Job,” Greenlining warned Alan Greenspan and other federal regulators of problems with subprime lending that threatened disaster, but those warnings were ignored.

A group of 44 Senate Republicans sent a letter to President Obama earlier this year indicating that they would block any CFPB nominee unless actions were taken that would effectively cripple the bureau.

Stall Tactic With Regulators Would Be Damaging to All, Greenlining Institute Says

BERKELEY, CALIFORNA – Communities facing harm from AT&T’s proposed takeover of T-Mobile watched with concern over the Thanksgiving weekend as the company publicly sparred with the Federal Communications Commission over the implications of AT&T’s Thanksgiving morning withdrawal of its merger application, including whether the FCC can proceed with its administrative law case.

“What’s coming is a test for AT&T,” said Samuel S. Kang, Greenlining Institute general counsel. “Goliath took a step back because it was becoming clear that David was going to slay him, and the Justice Department’s suit against the takeover now comes front and center.

“I hope this experience has shown AT&T that it must always work in partnership with consumers,” Kang continued. “AT&T’s decision to hit the reset button at the FCC can be an opportunity to craft a deal that is good for consumers and the broader public. The question now is, ‘Will AT&T use this opportunity to mend fences or will it try to sneak up on David from behind?’”

Greenlining and other advocates for low-income consumers and communities of color have been concerned that the takeover would result in reduced availability of low-cost broadband service and thousands of lost jobs.

“I hope AT&T’s decision to pull out at the FCC was not merely a tactical decision to avoid full transparency regarding the serious problems with this deal — lost jobs, lost innovation, fewer competitors, and higher prices,” Kang said.