URGENT ACTION: Stand Up Against Landlords Breaking the Law

April-28-BTU---02

Tonight the Fair Campaign Practices Commission meets (7 pm, North Berkeley Senior Center) to consider the stipulation offered by members of Tenants United for Fairness (TUFF)—a slate that ran for Berkeley’s Rent Stabilization Board in the November election—and the landlords who illegally funded their campaign.

The proposed stipulation would fine the TUFF slate members $300 each, and their backers under $3000 total.

In comparison, at the same meeting the people who raised money to defeat the street-sitting prohibiting Measure S and who failed to properly report $500 in late contributions in a timely manner are proposed to pay a penalty of that amount—$500, the amount they received. Nothing illegal about the contributions, they’re just paying the amount of the contribution for failing to report it on time.

TUFF raised and spent over $50,000 from landlords, over $30,000 from one PAC alone. Berkeley has a $250 per candidate donation limit and bars business donations, the vast bulk of those donations.

Read the entire article here:

http://berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2013-05-13/article/41068?headline=Berkeley-s-Fair-Campaign-Practices-Commission-Meets-Tonight-To-Consider-Light-Penalties-for-Flagrant-Election-Law-Evaders-News-Analysis—By-Dave-Blake-and-Dean-Metzger