Author: Bill Bloomfield
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LA Times: Why the Harris-Sanchez Senate race is a good argument for California’s top-two system (Oct. 8, 2016)
The LA Times recently published an Op Ed challenging the merits of the top-two election system. My letter to the editor in response was published today and follows below: Why the Harris-Sanchez Senate race is a good argument for California’s top-two system Larry N. Gerston is correct that our state is heading toward one-party rule, but his…
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The Lesson of Paris (November 20, 2015)
Peggy Noonan, three years before 9-11, practically predicted the very tragedy that was to unfold. In a Forbes magazine article titled “There is No Time, There Will Be Time” published in the fall of 1998, she lamented the fact that a terrorist attack was going to occur in New York or Washington DC, our elected officials knew…
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Great-grandchildren, Iran and 2016 (July 16, 2015)
It will be some time before I have great-grandchildren – my eldest grandchild just turned six. But I know that my great-granddaughter won’t like the Iran nuclear deal for the same reason I don’t like political deals that trade unsustainable pensions for labor peace, nor corporate deals that lay people off in order to meet…
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A Victory for the Good Guys (June 3, 2015)
Last Thursday, Steve Glazer was sworn into the California State Senate to represent the San Francisco Bay Area’s 7th Senatorial District. The state’s pundits and insiders had originally predicted this dramatic political event would never happen. Steve’s election is considered a game-changer by many. Although a life-long Democrat and political ally of Governor Brown, Glazer dared…
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I’m Asking for an Important Favor (Mar. 24, 2015)
Friends, I don’t normally do this, but I want to ask you for an important favor. There is a remarkable and courageously independent reformer named Steve Glazer who is running in a major special election for a California State Senate seat. This contest is considered by many – including me – to be the single most…
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Are Open Primaries Working? (Feb. 23, 2015)
Recently the Los Angeles Times editorialized that although the jury was still out on California’s top-two primary, they were encouraged with the results thus far. My letter to the Times, which was published last Saturday, follows below. I believe that our top-two system of Open Primaries is transforming this state for the better – and providing every…
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Getting Serious with North Korea (Feb. 09, 2015)
There was a lot of press over the holidays about the cyberattack on Sony Entertainment and the effect on their Christmas day release of the Hollywood movie “The Interview.” Most of the press focused on the celebrity gossip aspect of the released private emails. But the very important story should not be overlooked: We are at risk…
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LA Times: Political donor Bill Bloomfield aims to be altruistic counterweight (Dec. 11, 2014)
Excerpted from the Los Angeles Times Political donor Bill Bloomfield aims to be altruistic ‘counterweight By Jean Merl December 7, 2014 Ask Bill Bloomfield why he lavished…on an assortment of candidates in this year’s elections and the retired businessman brings up the billboard he and his dad had erected on Santa Monica Boulevard back in…
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Huffington Post: The Campaign Finance Game (Nov. 1, 2014)
Often times, I have talked about the need for campaign finance reform to prohibit special interests’ influence over our elected officials. Until that reform happens, we have spent some of our resources to help get the message out for some highly ethical and intelligent candidates who will put the public’s interests ahead of special interests. We…
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Why We Do This (Oct. 27, 2014)
I am sometimes asked – usually by reporters or newspaper columnists – why Susan and I are spending so much of our personal resources on political campaigns – especially when it comes to helping two individuals in particular. Here’s why: Our current system discourages good people from running for public office. I think many of…