Saturday, May 28, 2016

Petition Drive by An Accountable Miami-Dade: SIGN IT. By Geniusofdespair

If someone comes up to you with this petition: I say sign it! In fact, I say you ARE CRAZY IF YOU DON'T SIGN IT!


This is the ballot text addendum:


Local leaders announced the launch of An Accountable Miami Dade, a county initiative to update an existing law aimed at giving ordinary voters a stronger voice in Miami Dade County politics. The initiative will increase accountability and limit the power of wealthy special interests in the local political process. Do you all remember we once had a $250 limit on contributions? It is now $1,000. That is so awful. It is the reason Mayor Gimenez was able to raise $1,325,156 to run his campaign.
Co Chairs: Monica Russo and Bettina Rodriguez Aguilera
An Accountable Miami Dade came together under the bipartisan leadership of Monica Russo President of SEIU Florida Counci and Bettina Rodriguez Aguilera, Republican former Vice Mayor of Doral and former Florida President of League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). Russo and Aguilera will serve as Co-Chairs of the PAC.

This initiative would break down the barriers that prevent working people of all races and genders to run and win office and as well as removing barriers that prevent the voices of ordinary people from being heard in our political system.
And:

This initiative will update an existing law, reducing the power of big-money interests, increase accountability and transparency, and give ordinary people a stronger voice in our elections.

An Accountable Miami Dade Facebook

They filed as a PAC on May 13th, there are no financial reports yet.

Here is the Advisory Board:


Advisory Board Chair

Philip Levine, Mayor of Miami Beach (D) and entrepreneur.

Advisory Board Members



Marlon Hill, past president of the Caribbean Bar Association (2001-2003), former Vice Chair of The Miami Foundation, and a board member of the Orange Bowl Committee, Miami Book Fair International, and Good Government Initiative. Mr. Hill was one of the Inaugural Fellows in the Miami Foundation’s Miami Fellows Initiative; a model of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation National Leadership Program.

Maribel Balbin, President League of Women Voters of Miami-Dade and Vice President League of Women Voters of Florida, former chair of the Miami Dade County Commission for Women, and a special projects administrator with Miami-Dade County.

Gihan Perera, Executive Director of the New Florida Majority.

Sara Yousuf, Chair Engage Miami, Miami-Dade Public Defender’s office, and co-founder of Sweat Records and Emerge Miami.

Ed MacDougall, Former Mayor of Cutler Bay (R), Chair of the Trump for Miami-Dade Campaign Committee, Vietnam veteran, former Special Forces Green Beret (Airborne), and former Miami-Dade Police Sergeant.

Ken Russell, City of Miami Commissioner and Vice-Chairman and businessman.

Juan Cuba, Executive Director of Miami-Dade Democratic Party.

Cindy Lerner, Mayor of Pinecrest (D), attorney, leader at the National League of Cities, former president of the Miami-Dade County League of Cities, National Board Chair of Democratic Municipal Officials, and Vice Chair of Miami-Dade’s 21st Century Schools Bond Advisory Committee.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

This means more soft money, more dark money.

That's fine by me. It's a royal pain to bundle all those hard money checks.

Love it.

Anonymous said...

I am not impressed with the board members; it reads like a who's who of conflicted politicians.

Anonymous said...

The law of unintended consequences; By limiting donations of individuals it increases the relative importance of those whose activity is not limited by campaign finance reporting, like labor unions and in smaller races give advantages to deep pocket self funded assholes.

IMO said...

Not clear how this accomplishes the stated goals of increasing transparency, opportunity or eliminates big money from the equation. If anything it seems like it would serve incumbents with their Rolodex of donors. Lowering the individuals contribution threshold does nothing to create transparcy or diminish the power of PACs non-profits, unions or other outside interest which have vested interest in the process. In fact I would argue by diminishing the fundraising capacity of the independent candidate one elevates the position of the Citizens United crowd.
But hey, just my opinion.

Anonymous said...

Prohibit large county contractors from making contributions... You don't like that?

Anonymous said...

If either party wanted to really do away with Citizens United they would have. It's benefited both so it is still there. What is the definition of "large county contractor"? How is "large" going to be defined in this instance. The only way to really do away with all of this insider/pac money is public financing of campaigns. I would support something like that. As long as the private sector are directly finances politicians via means of campaign contributions, they will find a loop hole as we see now, no matter what the cap it per donation or what regulation is put in place. I would support this petition just because it's better than nothing. However, it won't really do much to change anything, just the way the game is played.

Anonymous said...

Um... then read the petition instead of complain about it.

It provides for limits on companies doing biz with the county - $250000 or more a year, and restores the public campaign financing law.

Anonymous said...

I have a radical idea. Let's eliminate all contributions for political purposes.

Anonymous said...

This ordinance will shift the ratio of hard money contributions to make citizen contributions relatively more important. That's a good thing. It will do nothing to counter soft money contributions or influence, and will make it harder for candidates to counter 3rd party attacks. What will be the net effect?