Recently on Jon Fleischman’s blog, the Flash Report, the chairman of Protectmarriage.com posted his piece on why he believes donations to his side should be secret. Here is a response to his article by blogger Matt Munson:
It is hypocritical that the proponents of Proposition 8 have sued to restrict the rights of individuals to find out who donates to fund their effort. The proponents do not have clean hands on the charge of harassment of donors as they claim that the No on 8 supporters have harassed them.
In October, the Executive Committee of Yes on 8 harassed donors of No on 8 on official letterhead right before the election, using the same public disclosure records they now want to seal. However, the Yes on 8 campaign is now trying to tell the California public, “Do as I say, not as I did.”
The chairman of Yes on 8, Ron Prentice, wants campaign disclosure laws in our state to be tossed out, but accountability brings forth a healthy democratic process. We should know who was responsible for funding initiatives and political candidates. Mr.Prentice wants corporations to be able to hide donations to their causes, without political backlash helping to provide a financial advantage when the Proposition 8 repeal campaign happens. People on both sides of the issue should have the right to take their business elsewhere if they do not want to support the sponsors of either cause.
Yes on 8 does not want the sunlight of public disclosure to show that they have many things they want hidden, such as the fact that the campaign was formed through a mutual benefit corporation that was suspended for failing to pay their taxes. That the brain trust of Protectmarriage.com is tied to a millionaire, Howard Ahmanson, a reclusive man who dedicates his life towards the total integration of biblical law into public law. Ahmanson donated $995,000 to Yes on 8. He believes that we should stone adulterers and homosexuals. Since Mr.Ahmanson is reclusive and media shy he has Wayne C. Johnson of Johnson Clark and Associates to do his work for him, and of course they led the consulting work for Protectmarriage.com.
The influence of the Latter Day Saints was also a contentious issue in the Proposition 8 campaign. The Latter Day Saints have been traditionally the biggest sponsors across the nation in funding initiatives against marriage equality. In Alaska and Hawaii they blatantly donated outright. Since they did not want to be criticized here in California, they funneled the money through their members. The problem is, the church has been one of the leading organizers of GOTV and fundraising and clearly did over $100 in non-monetary contributions, which they have not reported yet.
LGBT Americans have risked their livelihoods and their safety fighting against intolerance throughout the years and it is just simply ironic that the Protect Marriage collation wants special rights. Let the sunlight of transparency keep the secrecy out of our government. People should know who helps fund the campaigns for candidates and the issues involved.
Matt Munson was the former Republican nominee for State Assembly District 61 in 2002, and currently is the editor of the Inland Utopia blog since 2006.
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