In September, La Jolla Town Council received a pitch from a nonprofit group advocating clean elections.
Former San Diego City Councilman John Hartley, coordinator for San Diego Neighborhoods for Clean Elections, told the Council the group’s goal is to “put an initiative for clean elections on the ballot for the City of San Diego.”
Neighborhoods for Clean Elections was formed in 2005 as a grass-roots coalition of groups coming together in a renewed campaign to initiate clean elections in San Diego. The coalition has fashioned a Clean Elections Ballot Initiative, the goal of which is to build support for the initiative and qualify it for the November 2016 general election ballot.
Hartley spoke briefly and showed a video on the organization, detailing its mission and goals. He said special interests “have too much clout and influence in our neighborhoods,” adding that “people need to get behind their own neighborhood candidates.”
“We’re fighting for our neighbors and for clean elections,” said Hartley, who noted that momentum for elections not dominated by campaign spending or special interests has been building since 2000.
“Clean elections calls for public financing of elections,” Hartley said. “It would level the playing field for women, and people of color, who don’t have the wealth to run for office.”
Hartley claimed passing legislation for clean elections would “empower neighborhoods to get behind their own candidates, giving neighborhoods more of a say.”
To learn more about clean elections, visit sdcleanelections.org.