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\f0\fs24 \cf0 >> DEMOCRACY IS AT IT'S BEST\ WHEN PEOPLE KNOW HOW THEIR\
TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE SPENT,\ SPECIAL INFLUENCE OVER\
GOVERNMENT IS SCRUTINIZED AND\ LAWMAKER ACTIONS ARE\
TRANSPARENT.\ A NEW INVESTIGATION OF ALL 50\
STATES SHOW STATE GOVERNMENTS\ GET POOR MARKS FOR BEING OPEN\
AND ACCOUNTABLE.\ "CAROL GOODHUE SHULL IS HERE TO\
TALK TO ME ABOUT THE SITUATION.\ HOW DOES CALIFORNIA SCORE IN THE\
CORRUPT ABILITY?\ >> NOT THAT BADLY.\
IT RANKED AS FOURTH A MONDAY THE\ STATES.\
>> IT RANKED AT FOURTH.\ IS THAT TO THE STRENGTH/ACCOUNT\
ABILITY OF LAWS ON THE BOOKS OR\ THE ACTUAL APPLICATION OF THE\
LAWS?\ >> I THINK SOME IN CASES THE AP\
I WILL CASE IS GOOD.\ WHERE IT SEEMS TO BE STRONGEST\
IS GOOD LAWS ON THE BOOKS AND\ DIFFERENCES ON HOWIE EFFECTIVE\
THEY ARE.\ >> LET'S BREAK SOME OF THE\
CATEGORIES DOWN.\ CALIFORNIA HAS SOME OF THE MOST\
TRANSPARENT OR STRONG CAMPAIGN\ DISCLOSURE LAWS ON THE BOOKS,\
YET BIG MONEY IS RUNNING STATE\ POLITICS.\
HOW IS THAT?\ >> THE DISCLOSURE LAWS ARE\
AWESOME AND VERY WELL ENFORCED.\ THE LIMITS IN FACT ARE PRETTY\
\page MEANING LESS.\ THEY'RE HIGHER FOR A GOVERNOR,\
IF YOU WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO A\ GOVERNOR THAN FOR A FEDERAL\
CAMPAIGN.\ THEY'RE VERY GENEROUS LIMITS TO\
BEGIN WITH AND THEN THE\ LOOPHOLES ARE MANY AND WELL\
USED.\ >> NOW CALIFORNIA VOTERS HAVE\
MADE IT CLEAR THEY WANT TERM\ LIMITS FOR STATE LEGISLATURES.\
HOW LONG DO THESE LEGISLATURES\ HAVE TO WAIT BEFORE THEY CAN\
BECOME CONSULTANTS AND VAT GIFTS\ AND INFLUENCE THEIR FORMER\
COLLEAGUES ONCE THEY LEAVE\ OFFICE?\
>> THEY CAN WALK RIGHT OUT THE\ DOOR TO BE A CONSULTANT.\
TO BE A LOBBYIST AND DIRECTLY\ INFLUENCE FORMER COLLEAGUES,\
THEY'RE SUPPOSE TO WAIT A YEAR.\ THE STRATEGY OF BECOMING A\
CONSULTANT CONTINUES TO ALLOW\ THEM TO HAVE SOME EFFECT.\
>> IS THAT LONG ENOUGH ?\ >> MAYBE NOT.\
IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THEY'RE\ PAYING ATTENTION TO THE ONE-YEAR\
LIMIT AND WONDERFUL A TWO-YEAR\ LIMIT WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE.\
>> CALIFORNIA HAS A ON GOING\ BUDGET CRISIS THAT EVERYONE\
KNOWS ABOUT.\ LAST YEAR THEY SPENT\
4 BILLION-DOLLARS TO PLUG A\ PENSION BUDGET HOLE.\
YET YOU FOUND PENSION DECISIONS\ FOR STATE WORKERS ARE NOT BEING\
MADE IN TAXPAYERS INTERESTS.\ WHY?\
>> ONE OF OUR SOURCES OR SEVERAL\ OF OUR SOURCES EXPLAIN THAT THE\
SYSTEM IS SET UP BY CONSTITUTION\ THAT THE PENSION BOARD HAS TO\
PUT THE INTEREST OF THE\ PENSIONERS FIRST.\
THAT CAME ABOUT BECAUSE OF AN\ ATTEMPTED RAID BY FORMER\
\page GOVERNOR PETE WILSON WHEN TIMES\ WERE VERY GOOD AND THE PENSION\
FUNDS WERE FAT.\ >> NOW THERE APPEARS TO BE\
CONTRADICTIONS ALSO.\ CALIFORNIA GETS HIGH MARKS FOR\
GATHERING PUBLIC INPUT BEFORE A\ BUDGET IS PASSED.\
YET THE ACTUAL DECISION MAKING\ FOR BUDGETS DOESN'T TAKE IN THE\
PUBLIC'S INPUT.\ EXPLAIN THAT.\
>> OUR SOURCES EXPLAIN WE'RE\ QUITE GOOD AT INVITING PEOPLE TO\
COME IN AND SPEAK TO THE\ LEGISLATURES.\
THEN WHEN IT'S TIME TO MAYBE A\ DECISION THEY GO BEHIND CLOSED\
DOORS.\ THERE ARE FOUR MEMBERS OF THE\
LEGISLATURE WHO MEET WITH THE\ GOVERNOR, THEY MAKE THE\
DECISIONS.\ THAT IS NOT AN OPEN PROCESS.\
THAT'S PRETTY COMMON.\ >> WHAT DID YOU FIND IN THE\
INVESTIGATION THAT SURPRISED\ YOU?\
>> ONE NICE SURPRISE IS\ REDISTRICTING WAS PULLED OFF AS\
WELL AS IT WAS.\ THE FIRST TIME THE PUB LIB\
REDISTRICTING COMMISSION SCORED\ VERY HIGHLY WITH OUR SOURCES IN\
TERMS OF OPENNESS.\ THEY HAD 34 HEARS.\
THEY RECEIVED MANY, MANY, 20,000\ WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS.\
LOTS OF SHUTED MAPS.\ THEY SET UP PLACES WHERE PEOPLE\
COULD GET HELP IN DRAWING THEIR\ OWN MAPS TO SUGGEST TO THE\
COMMISSION.\ IT WAS QUITE AN OPEN PROCESS.\
IT WAS NOT GEARED TO PRESERVE\ SAFE SEATS FOR THOSE ALREADY IN\
OFFICE.\ THAT WAS NOT THE MISSION.\
WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF HUB-BUB\ AS A RESULT OF THAT.\
\page >> VERY QUICKLY NOW.\ THE INVESTIGATION WAS DONE,\
INFORMATION WAS GATHERED.\ HOW IS IT GOING TO BE USED?\
>> I THINK OUR SPONSORING\ ORGANIZATIONS HOPE THE GOOD\
GOVERNMENT GROUPS THAT ARE\ ACTIVE IN LOBBYING, FOR A\
CHANGE, WILL TAKE THE RESULTS\ AND USE THEM TO TRY TO PLUG THE\
HOLES AND FILL THE GAPS.\ >> CAROL GOODHUE SHULL, THANK\
YOU FOR SPEAKING WITH US.\ >> THANK YOU, SO MUCH.\
}