Ventura Rejects Cap on Political Contributions

The Ventura City Council has issued a resounding “No” to campaign contribution limits, defeating by 4 to 2 a proposal to cap political donations at $100.

“A lot of council members have received special interest dollars and have voted against those special interest dollars time and again,” said Councilman Gregory L. Carson, arguing that limits are unnecessary because contributions do not buy votes.

The proposal came from Councilman Steve Bennett, who raised more than $20,000 for his 1993 council campaign while refusing any donation above $100. Councilman Gary Tuttle joined Bennett Monday in voting for the proposal, and Councilman Jack Tingstrom was absent.

The other four council members gave a myriad of reasons for their opposition to the idea, including the disadvantage it would give first-time candidates who need money to build name recognition. Others said the proposal would unnecessarily hamstring the voting process.

“The electoral process is something we should be very careful about messing with because it’s a key to our freedom,” Mayor Tom Buford said.

The proposal garnered considerable support from the audience, with speaker after speaker exhorting the council to approve the caps and restore confidence in public officials.

“Voters are tired of the perception that politicians are selling their votes to the highest bidders,” said Joy Kobayashi, a Ventura resident, adding that with contribution limits “people can once again feel that they make a difference.”

“I think campaign contributions bring council members further away from the citizens who support them,” said Elaina Fletcher, a resident who is spearheading a recall effort against Councilwoman Rosa Lee Measures.

The recall petition states, in part, that Measures breached conflict of interest rules by vocally supporting a land-swap proposal from builder Ron Hertel, who is Measures’ friend, former business associate and largest single campaign contributor. Measures denies that any of those factors influenced her enthusiasm for Hertel’s project, which failed this past summer for lack of council support.

Measures and Fletcher have been on less-than-cordial terms since Fletcher announced her recall campaign this summer, but the two had never clashed in public. Monday, however, Measures took time from the hearing to defend her voting record against Fletcher’s allegations and to threaten Fletcher with a lawsuit if she continues to make such charges.

“You are liable, and you may find yourself in court,” a grim-faced Measures warned from the dais. “I find it appalling that I have been accused of things that are absolutely false. . . . Less than one-tenth of my (campaign) money came from developers, and if 99% of it came from developers, it would not make an ounce of difference.”

As other council members smothered grins of amusement, Measures and Fletcher continued a tete-a-tete for about five minutes, until Buford cut them off to resume the debate on the contribution limits.

Bennett’s proposal would have banned political contributions of more than $100 by individuals, businesses or political action groups. The contribution limit would have extended to any group formed to support or oppose City Council candidates.