CALPIRG gets voters rolling
By Daily Bruin Staff
Nov. 4, 1996 9:00 p.m.
Tuesday, November 5, 1996
ELECTION:
Giant kitchen gadget designed to draw support for Prop. 212,
campaign finance reformBy Hannah Miller
Daily Bruin Contributor
Like a reformist Klingon spaceship, a 1-ton, 46-foot rolling pin
occupied Westwood Plaza for half an hour Monday afternoon. The
behemoth utensil, emblazoned with the words "YES ON 212, Flatten
the Fat Cats on November 5," was mounted on a big rig and escorted
by chanting CALPIRG members.
"The whole symbolism is, we’re rolling the fat cats out of
politics," explained CALPIRG member Jason Schroeder. The rolling
pin, constructed by CALPIRG members out of largely donated
materials, has been travelling around the state, making appearances
at other UCs and state political conventions.
"Prop. 212 is campaign finance reform. It limits contributions
and requires that 75 percent of all donations come from within a
candidate’s area," commented Robin Pendoley, CALPIRG’s Project
Coordinator on Proposition 212. "Currently, about 80 percent of
campaign funding comes from nonlocal sources."
The 18-wheeler hauling the rolling pin was accompanied by a
dozen CALPIRG members holding "YES ON 212" banners and regular-
size rolling pins, handing out leaflets to the somewhat bewildered
passersby.
"I think it’s kind of silly. I’m voting no on 212 now," said
second-year student Dan Pierce.
Proposition 212, authored by CALPIRG, is one of two campaign
reform measures on the November ballot. It explicitly prohibits
donations from corporations, unions and lobbyists, and limits
individual donations to $100 per local race or $200 per statewide
race.
UCLA graduate Kevin Rudiger portrayed the controversial Fat Cat
himself, sweating profusely in a costume of black faux fur, top hat
and plastic cigar.
"This is kinda fresh," said first-year student Michelene Hooper.
"It’s a moving advertisement."
Over at the Bruin Republican table, first-year student Daniel
Rego registered doubt.
"You’re not going to stop money from buying power until you get
the power out of politicians’ grubby little hands," he said.
On this particular day, the rolling pin competed for Plaza space
with some Nation of Islam members. "It’s very interesting and
different," commented Nation representative Nick Muhammad.
The on-campus CALPIRG group, which counts 5,000 contributing
members, finds Proposition 212 to be quite relevant. "In the Bruin,
there are a lot of editorials about why students don’t vote,"
Pendoley said. "That’s due to the fact that it’s the lobbyists that
affect the politicians."
"212 is the toughest campaign finance law ever proposed in
America," said Christy Leavitt, a CALPIRG staffer. "And this may be
the longest rolling pin in the world, but we haven’t checked with
the Guinness Book of World Records."
CALPIRG is expecting support for Proposition 212 from both
far-right and far-left constituencies, but some spectators felt
that the rolling pin had not changed their minds. To a large
extent, the traffic through the Plaza continued at its routine
pace.
PATRICK LAM/Daily Bruin
CALPIRG (California Public Interest Research Group) placed a
giant rolling pin in Westwood Plaza to promote Proposition 212.
