Grab your wallets

IT’S ON; OPEN THE CASH REGISTERS. Last-minute talks in Sacramento to avert the Nov. 8 special election have broken down. Never mind the voters’ election fatigue and the legal clouds hovering over at least two of the eight initiatives that will be on the ballot, there are entrenched interests on both sides of the political aisle with a vested interest in perpetuating a state of political crisis in the state. The prime such vested interest, of course, is money.

The fund-raising sweepstakes threaten to be even worse than usual this time around. That’s because the Federal Election Commission ruled on Thursday that members of Congress will be able to raise funds in unlimited amounts to campaign for or against the upcoming ballot measures. That comes on top of an earlier state court ruling giving Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger carte blanche to solicit unlimited contributions to promote his three ballot measures. This will allow the governor to appear in commercials plugging the measures and, of course, himself. In effect, it’s a preelection campaign if the governor runs again.

The FEC ruling was sought by congressmen from both parties, led by Reps. Howard Berman (D-Valley Village) and John T. Doolittle (R-Roseville). They are intent on torpedoing Proposition 77, which aims to change the way the state’s congressional and legislative districts are drawn. Incumbent legislators dislike the initiative because it would take the district-drawing chore away from them and give it to a panel of retired judges. Under the cozy current method, legislators in Sacramento ensured that their seats would remain safe by redrawing their districts in 2001 to be made up overwhelmingly of voters from their own parties. That’s why not a single state legislative or California congressional seat changed party hands in the 2004 election.

The election commission voted 5 to 1, against the advice of its general counsel, to exempt members of Congress from the federal contribution limits of $5,000 each in the California election. Commissioners will write separate opinions explaining their baffling decision.

Vice Chairman Michael E. Toner said he agreed with Berman’s appeal that removing limits was only fair because Schwarzenegger isn’t constrained by them and can raise unlimited individual contributions. That’s sloppy reasoning that subverts the whole rationale behind federal campaign finance laws aimed at protecting the integrity of our government. And it ignores the fact that plenty of other opponents to Prop. 77 can establish a political committee in California to raise unrestricted contributions to take on the governor’s proposal.

California needs a redistricting system that provides fair representation for all residents. And there is no better sign of how much this is needed than the desperate lengths to which some politicians will go in opposing it.