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Slate mailers -- pay for play on CA Prop. 87

by silence

Tue Oct 17, 2006 at 04:50:34 PM EST

Any others out there who can add to the list? - standingup

(Cross-posted to Calitics)
Each year, around election time, my mailbox fills up with "slate mailers" -- glossy mailers endorsing a whole pile of candidates and propositions. These mailers are sent by groups with names like "Democratic Voters Choice" or "Citizens for Good Government"

Unfortunately, their names often have little to do with their real purpose. Instead of being sensible efforts to inform citizens, many slate mailers are actually extortion rackets -- pay us, or we'll endorse the other side. By producing an ostensibly "Democratic" ballot slate, but with reversed endorsements on a few races, these mailers trick voters into casting votes they wouldn't have done if fully informed.

commentary :: :: :: buzz-it!

Last year, the big buyer was PhRMA, trying to prevent Californians from passing a measure which would have cut drug prices and hurt their profits. This year, it appears to be the "no on 87" crowd, who want prevent Californians from taxing oil to pay for a renewable energy investment.

To date, I count the No on 87 crowd as having made the following expenditures:

Democratic Voters Choice, $60,000
Voter Information Guide, $180,000
Coalition for Senior Citizen Security, $28,963.80 (note: paid for by Californians Against Higher Taxes)
Continuing the Republican Revolution, $30,000
The Council of Concerned Women Voters Legislative Guide, 29,634.60(note: paid for by Californians Against Higher Taxes)
Independent Voters League, $24,000
Official Non-Partisan Voter Guide of California, $48,000
Orange County Firefighters Newsletter and Voter Guide, $18,600
Orange County Republican Leadership Voter Guide, $7,527
OUR VOICE,LATINO VOTER GUIDE, $18,037.80
PARENTS & TEACHERS FOR A BETTER CALIFORNIA, $24,000
PEACE OFFICERS RESEARCH ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA ("PORAC") OFFICIAL LAW ENFORCEMENT VOTER GUIDE, $120,000
Save Proposition 13 Segregated Fund Account $62,400
Team California$45,000
Voter Information Guide, $180,000
Your Ballot Guide, $30,000

The only "yes" endorsement I found on a slate mailer was on the Cops Voter Guide -- at the cost of $100,000.

Undoubtedly, there are other examples of pay-for-play endorsements in slate mailers going on out there. All you need to do to find them is to go look, and pay close attention to who sent that mailer which appeared in your mailbox.

Slate mailers -- pay for play on CA Prop. 87 | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 hidden)

Amount of revenue, and use (5.00 / 1) (#4)

Ok, lets take a careful look here: 1. we don't know the exact amount that 87 will bring in because we don't know what future oil prices will be, and because the measure is ambigious about exactly how the tax rate phases in. There most definitely will be some sort of revenue. 2. The bond-issuing authority enables the newly created agency to smooth that out, and is designed to leave bondholders on the hook (rather than the state) if oil prices tank. 3. The "bureaucracy" prop. 87 creates is basically a grant-and-loan making operation to fund non-fossil-fuel based energy research and installation. I agree that accountability could be better -- right now, there isn't anything more than a yearly audit in Prop. 87.

by silence on Tue Oct 17, 2006 at 06:05:38 PM EST

Got a system like this in your state? (none / 0) (#1)

Or is California unique in having pay-for-play slate mailers?

by silence on Tue Oct 17, 2006 at 05:02:46 PM EST

That may well be (none / 0) (#3)

But I still find the whole pay-for-play slate mailers to be really gross.

by silence on Tue Oct 17, 2006 at 05:40:28 PM EST

Silence... (none / 0) (#5)

Can you explain a little bit for me?

Is the scam here that the "mailer" really has nothing to do with voting (or encouraging the vote) on the measure, and everything to do exhorting money from groups?

Sorry... I am just a tad slow here. Thanks!

by Cho on Tue Oct 17, 2006 at 07:10:56 PM EST

Both (none / 0) (#6)

The mailers generally do ask people to vote, but the decision about who they ask people to vote for, and what ballot measures get endorsed by the mailer, is often based entirely on who pays.

by silence on Tue Oct 17, 2006 at 07:31:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]

: So a money maker (none / 0) (#7)

first (like $200 staplers) and voter advocacy second...
I think I got it.
Thanks!

by Cho on Tue Oct 17, 2006 at 07:38:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]