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What People Are Saying

In Humboldt County

"I was impressed to learn that the effort to qualify Measure T was an all-volunteer, all-local undertaking, and that they turned in more signatures in a shorter amount of time than any other initiative in Humboldt County history. That should tell you something about how strongly Humboldt voters feel about this. Last year I co-authored SB 36, which would prevent secret donations to stealth campaigns. This year I am co-author of AB 583, the California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act of 2006. Measure T is the same kind of reform I’ve been supporting."
- Patty Berg, California State Assembly

"The working class could never compete with outside corporate interests who have bottom-line profits as the driver of their decisions. I am glad to see a ballot initiative put forth that will bolster worker's voices in Humboldt County politics."
- Bob Borck, Secretary and treasurer of the Building and Construction Trades

"The Fair Elections and Local Democracy campaign is in the best interest of all the working people in Humboldt County. We steadfastly endorse this initiative and encourage everyone's support and involvement."
- Central Labor Council

"We think that the folks who live in this county should be the ones deciding who is elected and we think that large corporations from outside our community should not have the ability to dictate what happens in our local elections. I was born and raised here and I want to preserve the way of life I grew up with - the people who live here should determine our future."
- Yvonne Doble, Eureka resident

"Let's be perfectly candid - large out-of-county corporations are attempting to hijack our local elections. These corporate donations are not made in the interests of our community. Indeed, corporate political donations are at best understood to be investments - and the corporations expect a healthy return on that investment. The return usually comes at the expense of the public interest. Indeed, corporate political contributions have literally become a type of legalized bribery. It is time "We the People" exercise our legal and moral authority to protect the integrity of our local elections!"
- Sheryl Esparza, Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee

"Such a demonstration of civic determination truly reflects the best spirit of Humboldt County. Out-of-county corporate political donations are a real and persistent problem in Humboldt elections and the Humboldt Coalition for Community Rights is providing a clear and straightforward solution."
- Paul Gallegos, Humboldt County District Attorney

"I think this will go a long way to level the playing field. Large corporations like Walmart have been forcing themselves on communities by way of the initiative process - communities are helpless against their deep pockets and so called 'rights' - this will really help protect our community and will be good for the local businesses that are here."
- Larry Glass, Local business owner

"It is absolutely a Green value to challenge the ability of outside corporations to influence local elections. Under Key Value No. 5 of the Green Party it states, and I quote: 'Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all citizens.' If corporations from outside our county are influencing our elections, we need to take a stand as Greens to preserve local control over our elections."
- Harmony Groves, Arcata City Council

"The members of the Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee believe it is critically important to return control of this country to the hands of the people. That is what democracy is all about. This initiative, by eliminating the influence of wealthy corporate entities, is an excellent way to strengthen democracy in our community. We wholeheartedly support this initiative."
- Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee

"For me, it's just a matter of fairness. Should a corporation have the ability to spend limitless amounts of money to influence local elections?"
- Chris Kerrigan, Eureka City Council

"My interest in this initiative really is to ensure that local people have a voice in their own local government. One of the things I personally like about living in a small community like this is we are closer to our government and I want it to stay that way."
- Peter LaVallee, Eureka Mayor

"I was proud to co-chair the "Think Twice Committee"
with Patty Berg when we stopped Wal-Mart from locating on our waterfront in 1999. If Eureka had Measure T, Wal-Mart could not have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to circumvent our local zoning laws. Measure T would allow Humboldt citizens to exercise local control over our own elections, that's good for democracy."
- Bonnie Neely, Humboldt County Supervisor

"I am proud to stand with organized labor, the Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee, District Attorney Paul Gallegos, and the numerous peace and social justice groups working to allow local control over our elections."
- Paul Pitino, Arcata City Council

"This campaign is what democracy is all about - regular people engaging their fellow citizens in the process and making sure that the system works. When this law passes in June, our elections will be more just and our community will be better off. The vast support this campaign has received so far just shows what a solid initiative this is."
- Patrick Riggs, Chair of the Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee

"Measure T gives me greater confidence that our public servants can continue to represent the people of Humboldt without intimidation from outside corporations."
- Connie Stewart, Former Mayor of Arcata

"Research has shown that 78% of Humboldt voters believe that corporate participation in elections makes political corruption more likely.  The community has identified a problem and we're trying to fix it. We not only have the legal right to protect our elections, we have the moral responsibility to do so."
- Nezzie Wade, Eureka resident

View the full list of public endorsements.

At the HCCR Press Conference

Bob Borck, Secretary and treasurer of the Building and Construction Trades - Press conference statement

Sheryl Esparza, Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee - Press conference statement

Paul Gallegos, Humboldt County District Attorney - Press conference statement

Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, Campaign Manager for Measure T - Press conference statement

For more information, read the press release about the 7000+ signatures submitted by HCCR to the Humboldt County Elections Office.

In the Legal Community

"The Supreme Court has always recognized that preserving the integrity of the electoral process, preventing actual or perceived corruption, and preserving citizen confidence in government is an interest of the highest importance in ballot measure elections."
- Paul Gallegos, Humboldt County District Attorney

"In the case of Measure T, a compelling state interest is shown. When you have a relatively small democratic unit like Humboldt County being swamped by out-of-state corporate campaign contributions that simply cannot be matched by the local ordinary citizens, you have exactly the situation that the Supreme Court was seeking to draw an exception for." - Peter Gabel, Professor of Law, New College of California School of Law, San Francisco

"Citizen activists play a vital role in our society when they challenge the courts to justify judicial doctrines that have lost touch with fundamental democratic values. Measure T does just that. If I lived in Humboldt County I would proudly vote for it."
- Robert Benson, Professor of Law at Loyola University, Los Angeles

"The real issue at stake is whether Humboldt voters support community rights or the idea that Wal-Mart and other large corporations should be able to distort the political process. This initiative is critical to ensuring local democratic control of elections."
- John Bonifaz, Founder of the National Voting Rights Institute and recipient of the MacArthur "Genius Award" for his innovative litigation and organizing strategies on behalf of campaign finance reform

Read more legal information about Measure T.

Humboldt Coalition for Community Rights
Mailing Address: PO Box 610, Eureka, CA 95502-0160
(707) 269-0984 | info@VoteLocalControl.org