Stand Up America Applauds Oakland City Council for Putting ‘Democracy Dollars’ on November’s Ballot, Working to Make Ordinary Citizens Heard
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
JULY 12, 2022
PRESS CONTACT:
Monica Garcia, [email protected]
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last night, Oakland’s City Council passed an ordinance to include a “Democracy Dollars” ballot initiative on November’s ballot to be voted on by Oakland’s citizens. The initiative would lower campaign contribution limits, increase transparency, and provide Oakland residents with vouchers to contribute to local candidates of their choice. In 2017, Seattle implemented a “Democracy Dollars” program, the first of its kind in the country.
Stand Up America’s Managing Director for Policy and Political Affairs, Brett Edkins, commented on the ballot measure’s passage in Oakland’s City Council:
“Oakland’s City Council took a major step to amplify the voices of working Oaklanders in local races and encourage candidates to engage with all residents regardless of income. At a time when half of all Oakland campaign funds come from outside the city, it’s clear the interests of the affluent few are being heard louder than the voices of working class residents. At least 87% of local contributions raised by Oakland candidates come from less than 1% of the population.
“Fair Elections Oakland will help combat this power imbalance by turning every resident into a potential donor, while increasing transparency and cracking down on lobbyists and special interests. A true democracy must work for everyone and all voices should be heard–that right doesn’t just belong to wealthy donors. Oakland could soon become a model for how to reduce the impact of big money in our elections.”
To speak with a Stand Up America spokesperson, please contact [email protected].
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About Stand Up America
Stand Up America is a progressive advocacy organization with over two million community members across the country. Focused on grassroots advocacy to stand up to corruption and voter suppression and build a more representative democracy, Stand Up America has driven over 1.7 million calls to lawmakers, registered over 100,000 voters, mobilized thousands of protestors, and contacted tens of millions of voters.
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