Voucher Drive Woos Public With Prizes

In a move that critics claim comes close to vote-buying, the millionaire-backed school voucher campaign is giving away computers, a Hawaii vacation and shopping sprees to persuade people to register electronically as supporters of Proposition 38.

In the weeks leading to the November election, people who round up the most co-workers, friends and neighbors to endorse the school vouchers initiative become eligible for prizes that include 38 iMac computers, a trip to Maui and five $2,000 shopping sprees at Macy’s department store.

“This is breaking new ground here,” said Chris Bertelli, spokesman for the voucher proponents. “We’re certainly offering people an incentive to come support Proposition 38.”

The California secretary of state’s office said there is nothing illegal about the prize contest, which many observers called the first of its kind.

“The Yes on 38 campaign’s result-based payments to workers are not illegal,” said Alfie Charles, spokesman for Secretary of State Bill Jones, “but to the casual observer they may raise some eyebrows.

“Campaigns need to make sure they distinguish clearly between offers to campaign workers and direct offers to voters,” he said.

Tony Miller, former acting secretary of state, said the contest prize falls short of vote-buying. “But it’s akin to it,” he said. “It does cheapen the political process, which is supposed to be about issues.”

The contest encourages people to register electronically as “team leaders.” These “team leaders” send in batches of e-mail addresses of other potential “supporters.” A private company hired by the voucher campaign then electronically asks these “supporters” to register as such by giving their names, addresses and phone numbers.

The contest rules say the names and addresses of registered supporters may be published or promoted by campaign managers. Bertelli said the goal is to pass on more information about vouchers.

Team leaders who register the most “supporters” on a weekly basis--and daily as election day approaches--can win computers. Five regional winners will get $2,000 Macy’s gift certificates, according to the contest rules, and the top recruiter in the state wins an eight-day trip to Hawaii for four people.

A second, separate contest promoted on the Proposition 38 World Wide Web site encourages people to enter their names and addresses for a random drawing to receive two free computers--one for themselves and one for the school of their choice. The winners are scheduled to be drawn Wednesday and Sept. 27.

Bruce Cain, a UC Berkeley political scientist, called the offer of $73,200 worth of prizes “a natural extension” of paying people to gather signatures to qualify initiatives for the ballot--a practice defended by the nation’s top court. But Cain called the prize offers “problematic” because they undermine the credibility of political endorsements, and many people vote based on endorsements rather than the fine print of a ballot pamphlet.

“It’s certainly not my ideal of democracy,” he said.

The prizes are paid for by the school voucher campaign, which has been financed largely by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper. Through June of this year he reported spending $3.6 million of his own money on the campaign. He has promised to spend $20 million if necessary.

Opponents of vouchers reported raising $1.1 million through the end of June.

Proposition 38 would give California parents $4,000 each year for each school-age child; the money could be spent at any private or public school. Vouchers give parents the financial freedom to move their children to schools that work, Draper said, and will shake up a failed public school system.

Draper’s opponents--nearly the entire California public school establishment, from school boards to the teachers union--contend that vouchers will drain funds from public schools. They called the prize contest a sign of Draper’s desperation.

A new poll released today by the Public Policy Institute of California shows that 53% of 2,014 adult Californians interviewed this month oppose Proposition 38.

“Tim Draper is handing out street money on the information superhighway,” said Jon Lenzner, spokesman for the anti-voucher campaign. “The tools of the venture capitalist will not work with persuading the voters.”

“It diverts people’s attention from what’s really at stake here,” Lenzner said, “which is children’s education and our neighborhood schools.”

Daniel Lowenstein, a UCLA law professor, said he does not see anything illegal or even unethical about the prizes. They entice people to simply type in their names and addresses electronically as voucher supporters, he said, whereas prizes aimed at getting people to register to vote or to cast a certain vote would be a clear violation of federal law.

But the contrast between a week’s stay in a deluxe two-bedroom villa in Maui--the grand prize--and the overcrowded elementary school down the street is so great, Lowenstein said, that the prize contest seems politically unwise.

“You’re not talking to me about vouchers here, which is the issue,” said Lowenstein. “I would really question the tactics of it [the contest]. What is the point they’re making?”

Bertelli called it “voter outreach brought into the 21st century.”

“The whole idea is to bring people to the Web site, where we have more information about vouchers than you could probably read between now and November,” he said. “This is what political scientists should love. . . . This is a great way to get people involved.”

This new organizing tactic could be scrutinized by a 13-member commission that would be created if Gov. Gray Davis signs a bill now on his desk, AB 2720, by Assemblyman Keith Olberg (R-Victorville). The bill seeks a study of issues posed by political activity on the Internet.

“It’s a very tough area,” said Karen Getman, chairwoman of the state Fair Political Practices Commission. The Internet offers an affordable way to do grass-roots organizing, she said, but there are pitfalls--such as fake Web sites established to mislead voters.

“We want to make sure we control any abuses,” Getman said, “while at the same time we don’t interfere with a medium that has great potential for taking the money out of politics.”

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Draper’s Deal

Tim Draper, the wealthy Silicon Valley entrepreneur behind the November school voucher initiative, is offering iMac computers, a free trip to Hawaii and $2,000 shopping sprees at Macy’s to “team leaders” in his campaign for passage of Proposition 38. Below is a portion of his Web site.