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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-18-2015 Public Comment - GoldenFrom: Patricia Golden [mailto:slogoldenC&gmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2015 5:31 PM To: E-mail Council Website Cc: Patricia Golden Subject: Integrity in Elections August 18, 2015 San Luis Obispo City Council 990 Palm Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 R3(c izm AUG 19 2015 gB SLO CITY CLERK COUNCIL MEETING: 08 1 gI S ITEM NO.:�— Dear Mayor Marx, Vice Mayor Ashbaugh, Council Member Carpenter, Council Member Christianson, and Council Member Rivoire: I won't be able to attend tonight's City Council meting, so I'm sending this letter to record my support for the proposed Integrity in our Elections Act. Money has an ever-growing corruptive influence over our politics. The majority (91%) of elections in the United States are won by the candidate with the most money. Policy decisions are increasingly driven by the contributors of that money. I want to be confident that the elections in San Luis Obispo are not corrupted nor have the appearance of corruption. I want to feel that my vote matters and that the candidates will talk to me and represent me, as well as the wealthiest amongst us. I want candidates to have time to really listen, rather than spending the majority of their time raising money. I want the council members to be free to make decisions in the best interests of the majority of SLO residents. The Citizens Congress draft of the "Integrity in our Elections Act" is a major step toward insuring our democratic prerogatives. As with the smoking ban and Farmers' Market, our City of SLO could be the first in the country to implement this specific measure, while joining over 28 states that have public finance programs. I urge you to pass this ordinance to restore our faith in our local government and to send a message across America that there is an alternative option to the moneyed interests controlling our election process and the legislative outcomes that follow. Sincerely, Patricia Golden Patricia Golden