Section 81001 Of Chapter 1. General From California Government Code >> Title 9. >> Chapter 1.
81001
. The people find and declare as follows:
(a) State and local government should serve the needs and respond
to the wishes of all citizens equally, without regard to their
wealth;
(b) Public officials, whether elected or appointed, should perform
their duties in an impartial manner, free from bias caused by their
own financial interests or the financial interests of persons who
have supported them;
(c) Costs of conducting election campaigns have increased greatly
in recent years, and candidates have been forced to finance their
campaigns by seeking large contributions from lobbyists and
organizations who thereby gain disproportionate influence over
governmental decisions;
(d) The influence of large campaign contributors is increased
because existing laws for disclosure of campaign receipts and
expenditures have proved to be inadequate;
(e) Lobbyists often make their contributions to incumbents who
cannot be effectively challenged because of election laws and abusive
practices which give the incumbent an unfair advantage;
(f) The wealthy individuals and organizations which make large
campaign contributions frequently extend their influence by employing
lobbyists and spending large amounts to influence legislative and
administrative actions;
(g) The influence of large campaign contributors in ballot measure
elections is increased because the ballot pamphlet mailed to the
voters by the state is difficult to read and almost impossible for a
layman to understand; and
(h) Previous laws regulating political practices have suffered
from inadequate enforcement by state and local authorities.