Senate Candidate Loni Hancock Hit with Smear Campaign by Tribal Gaming Interests Hiding as Education Leaders in Massive and Deceptive Independent Expenditure Campaign

“This state's dropout rate has been the focus of Hancock's work as chair of the Select Committee on Bridging the Achievement Gap.

“California needs legislators who approach the big issues with vision, tough-mindedness and practical solutions. Hancock gets our endorsement in the 9th District primary.” [Emphasis added]

Local elected officials, including Alameda City School Board member Tracy Jensen, Oakland City Councilmember Jean Quan (who has spent most of her years in public service on the school board) and Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia (who led local opposition to proposals to build three side by side casinos in his district) and others assembled for an impromptu press conference to condemn the mailers. They received support from California State Senator Dianne Feinstein, who issued this statement read at the press conference:

"Loni Hancock has been a great partner in the fight against the expansion of the San Pablo Casino. She should be commended for this effort, not criticized.

“She’s led the way in the effort to turn back the attempt to bring Las-Vegas style gaming to the Bay Area. This effort was an end-run -- an effort to circumvent the regular IGRA process and take new lands into trust for the establishment of a mega-casino.

“She’s shown courage and backbone, and has persevered – and that’s what leadership is all about.

“I strongly support her candidacy, and I believe she will make a great California State Senator.”

Independent expenditures and last minute hits is a big and growing problem. The California Fair Political Practices Commission, the state watchdog group on campaign expenditures last week set up a web site where you can find information on independent expenditures on a daily basis. They have also issued a report documenting how special interests avoid contribution limits, Independent Expenditures: The Giant Gorilla in Campaign Finance.

Said Hancock at yesterday's event:

“We knew when we took on a powerful and wealthy interest group, gambling casinos, that we were taking a risk. Now it’s payback time. I’m running for the State Senate and there has ben an independent expenditure committee set up to defeat me.

“The independent expenditure committee was formed in the day of night a couple of days ago. It is called Education Leaders, but it is paid for by Indian gambling casino interests. The first attack came over the weekend and has tried to paint me as opposed to high standards for school children. Now you know that I have worked for the last 6 years to improve education. I have passed ground breaking legislation to keep our kids in school—to lower our high school drop out rate fo 30% and to vie our young people the skills they need to go on to college or into the good jobs of the 21st Century. That’s why real education leaders are supporting me in this race—the school board members, the parents—and I’m grateful. The Tribal Business Alliance, the group behind these mailings has never shown an interest in education and they are certainly not education leaders.

I understand why groups interested in promoting gambling casinos in urban areas don’t want me in the California State Senate, but they ought to be honest about their reasons for it. And I say this not only for me and my race, but because I’m very concerned that if voters can be fooled by tactics like this, sham committees set up to run message that nothing to do with their true purposes, democracy is at risk and any other legislator that dares to question gambling compacts is at risk and will be intimidated—because people know very well that gambling casinos have resulted in some very, very rich people and some very deep pockets. If they can do these kinds of independent expenditures m my fellow legislators who are already intimidated by the massive mailings will be ever the more reluctant to speak out.

“I hope people are talking about this all over the East Bay. I hope they will tell their friend, their neighbors, their connections, because it is extremely important that tactics like this don’t succeed.”

Not a bad idea. When this happens, we need to get the word out to those who otherwise may be duped.