Initiative Effort in Cash Bind : Politics: Leader of anti-affirmative action measure says prospects of qualifying for 1996 ballot are in jeopardy without immediate funding.

A top official pushing the “California civil rights initiative” said Wednesday that prospects of qualifying the anti-affirmative action proposal for the November, 1996, ballot are in jeopardy without an immediate infusion of cash.

Campaign chief Joe Gelman denied that the signature-collecting effort was on the fiscal ropes, but said serious financial trouble could occur “if those who committed privately and publicly on this issue don’t come through very soon.”

“Those who talked the talk are going to have to start walking the walk very quickly,” he said.

As an example, he cited the California Republican Party as an organization that had pledged “whatever resources prove to be necessary, financial or otherwise,” to get the measure on the November general election ballot next year.

Asked whether the party had contributed funds, Gelman said, “I don’t want to criticize anybody.”

Michele Davis, deputy executive director of the state GOP, said the party strongly supports the plan, but declined to say if it will contribute funds to the initiative campaign.

She said there is a “plethora of political situations” that will demand party funds during the next year, including the effort to defeat President Clinton. As for the initiative, she promised support “far beyond lip service” but offered no details.

Gelman said he believes that Gov. Pete Wilson, who endorsed the proposal last winter, is “rock solid” behind it, but he refused to discuss whether the governor had helped with fund raising.

Wilson’s staff said the governor was unavailable for comment.

The measure, which would appear on the presidential election ballot, would eliminate affirmative action preferences for women and minorities in state and local government employment, contracting and admission to the University of California and the California State University systems.

Public opinion polls have shown that the proposed initiative is well known to voters even though it would not appear on the ballot for another year. Polls also show it would pass.

As a proposed constitutional amendment, it requires more than 690,000 voter signatures to get on the ballot, an effort the campaign estimated will cost $1.2 million.

Gelman said the campaign has raised about $450,000 in the last year, most of it in direct mail solicitations, and has collected approximately 150,000 voter signatures in the past couple of months.

Last week, House Speaker Newt Gingrich jumped into the financial breach and endorsed the proposal in a mailed appeal to California voters for money.

The funding situation contrasts sharply with forecasts made a year ago by campaign operatives that financing the effort would be relatively easy because polls showed Californians supporting repeal of affirmative action programs.

“I’m optimistic that we will ultimately marshal the resources necessary. We just have to get over this temporary crunch,” Gelman said in an interview Wednesday. “I’m not minimizing the seriousness of the situation.”

A high-level GOP source who asked not to be identified said party officials privately have questions about the performance of the year-old initiative campaign, especially the raising of $450,000 with relatively few voter signatures to show for it. “All that money was gone before there was even a signature gathered,” the source said.

But Gelman said “the reality is that it took a lot of money to raise that money. We’ve been at this for a long time. Our signature gathering is on track. The problem is making sure we have the resources to continue.”

Thomas Wood, a professor who co-authored the proposal, said he is satisfied with the performance of the campaign so far, although, he said, “I am as concerned as everybody about our need for money. The problem seems to be cashing in on the expressions of commitment that were made some time ago.”