Timeline

• 2002 - Democrats nominated Gray Davis for governor of California, Republicans nominated Bill Simon. Few voters wanted either with the lowest voter turnout for a gubernatorial election in California state history (about 30%). Over 10% of those voting chose third party candidates, the highest percentage in California state history. Despite the voter disinterest, over $100 million was spent campaigning for the election.


• 2003 - Disenfranchised voters overwhelmingly approve a recall election. [opinion: this suggests that both parties failed their consitutents, relying more on internal politics to choose the candidates than the needs and interests of Californians.] Over one hundred individuals indicate an interest in running in the special recall election (including this webmaster).


• 2004 - With 60% voter turnout, Arnold Schwarzeneggar takes office after winning the election by a wide margin on a platform of change and removing the influence of special interests.


• 30 October 2005 - This Principles for Politics web site goes live.


• November 2005 - All 8 initiatives in a California special election fail with 50.1% voter turnout despite campaign spending in the neighborhood of one quarter of a billion dollars plus about $50 million in election expenses born by the People.


• December 2005 - Famous for his mocking "Golden Fleece" awards and once running a U.S. Senate campaign for under $150, Former Senator William Proxmire (D-WI) died 15 December at age 90.


• 24 December 2005 - Site upgraded to enable visitors to suggest relevent links.


• 23 January 2006 - A small but diverse group (by gender, age, race and party affiliation) participated in an open meeting to discuss this reform effort and web site.


• November 2006 - After the 2005 special election brought a stinging public rebuke, Governor Schwarzeneggar regrouped his policies to match those of the California majority and won re-election. Did his policy changes involve keeping his principles or changing them?


• December 2006 - (attributed to Newsweek) Political campaigns and special interest groups spent $2.8 Billion on November 2006 elections


• 8 January 2007 - The Governor acknowledged the growing healthcare crisis and released a healthcare solution. Most suggestions were grounded in rational principles: insurance companies should actually pay for care for which they accept payment; if the State wants physicians to treat Medicaid recipients electively Medicaid must pay physicians more than what it costs to treat the patient. One suggestion violates most rational principles in a capitalist society based upon our constitution: when government does not have enough money to buy the services it wants, force the individuals providing the service to pay for the service. If this principle holds, we will next ask police to pay a 2% tax so we can hire more police, libraries to pay a 4% tax so we can open more branches, and real estate agents to give back 2% so that homes will be more affordable. [This was ultimately dropped from the bill which passed the Assembly in December but died in the Senate in 2008.]


• January 2007 - Reports of bonuses to the Governor's staff for campaign activity
  

  Staff person	State salary	Campaign income
  Susan Kennedy	$131,000	$192,500
  Adam Mendelsohn	$123,000	$88,000
  Daniel Zingale	$123,000	$50,000



• 17 August 2007 - First candidate link added (for Patrick Murphy) after this campaign met most of the P4P site criteria


• November 2007 - Patrick Murphy maintained his campaign without accepting financial donations. He polled at 4% just days before the vote. The vote broke down as follows: Niki Tsongas 51%, Jim Ogonowski 46%, Patrick Murphy 2%, two others 1% total. Patrick is planning to write a book about his campaign. [Editorial: People who want change in campaign finance and special interest influence must step forward and speak up to support those who will enable change. If a pollster contacts you and you like the candidate for change, say so. You can still change your own mind on election day and vote for someone safe. However, if the candidate for change polls well, based on your honest opinions, it tells other voters that that candidate has a chance to win. Rising poll results might change elections. The choices we make in each election impact whether we get necessary change or just a new face and a cosmetic change.]


• December 2007 - California Governor calls emergency budget session after budget deficit as high as $14 Billion is identified, despite assurances in 2006 that California debt had been tamed.


• 6 January 2008 - site comes back after Domain glitch in October enables sale of the original domain principles4politics.org to an unethical business, forcing relocation to current address (and losing number one rank on Google searches held for 2 years)


• January 2008 - AP news item states that California's population of independent voters has grown to 3 million and is growing at the expense of the two major parties.


• January 2008 - according to eweek.com, 16% of Americans have "sent or received an e-mail from a friend or family about presidential candidates or the campaign". [ed: That sounds like progress.]