What the "L"

MEASURE L - which was approved by the voters on March 7, 2007 - was the only part of the mayor's plan for school reform he trusted the voters with. L set term limits, adjusted compensation and limited campaign contributions for School Board Members.

One of the signatories to the VOTE YES arguments for Measure L was Monica Garcia.

Following is part of the text of Measure L (the whole wretched thing is at http://www.smartvoter.org/2007/03/06/ca/la/meas/LAUSD-L/

Section 803 of the Charter of the City of Los Angeles is amended to read:

Sec. 803. Election of (School) Board Members.

(b) Campaign Contribution Limitations.

(3) No person shall contribute a total of more than $1,000 to any candidate for the Board of Education and to his or her controlled committee for a single election. A candidate for the Board of Education shall not accept any contribution or contributions totaling more than $1,000 from any person for a single election.

(4) No person shall make to any committee (other than the candidate's controlled committee), which supports or opposes any candidate for the Board of Education, and no such committee shall accept from any such person, a contribution or contributions totaling more than $1000 in any calendar year.

Here is a recent fundraising appeal from Ms. Garcia:

click here for the whole thing/full size (Thank you Mayor Sam!)

...and here's some detail:

Note the maximum legal contribution limit is noted - but also note the not-very-veiled appeal for Co-chairs and Co-sponsors to raise Ten Thousand Dollars and Five Thousand Dollars for the reelection campaign kick-off reception.

• Legal? Probably.
• Ethical? Probably - if ethics gets to be decided by hair-splitting attorneys tap-dancing on the ethical fringe!
• What the Voters voted for? You tell me.

… and another sharp attorney might argue that those Co-chairs and Co-sponsors are creating de-facto partnerships of donors — and from there the slippery slope rapidly slides right into the ol' quagmire!