Campaign Finance Suit in San Diego

It's only a month ago that a <a href="http://ethics.lacity.org/pdf/pressrelease/press_112409_SpecialBulletin_…; target="”_blank”">federal
court
in California rejected</a> a PAC's attempt to prevent the Los
Angeles ethics commission from enforcing contribution limits in the
city's ethics laws. And yet, according to <a href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/dec/23/campaign-financing-laws-…; target="”_blank”">an
article
in the San Diego <i>Union-Tribune</i></a>, this week the Republican
Party of San Diego County, a former City Council candidate, a
pro-business group, a union PAC, and a pollster have sued "to allow
campaign contributions from individual donors to exceed the
$500 limit imposed by city law and lift a prohibition on political
groups donating to city campaigns, among other things."<br>
<br>

Besides the L.A. suit, the timing is interesting, because the
contribution limit was raised substantially just this year. In
addition, it was only four years ago that the pro-business group sued
San Diego over its then-$250 limit on
individual contributions for independent expenditures. The ruling was
that the city’s contribution limits did not prevent the group from
effectively advocating for a candidate.<br>
<br>
In light of these two court decisions, the suit seems to be more
promotion and harassment than an attempt to change the law. Would the plaintiffs prefer a public campaign financing program in San Diego?<br>
<br>
Robert Wechsler<br>
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br>
<br>
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