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The Recall's Broken Promise: How Big Money Still Runs California Politics

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Consultant and founder of the nonpartisan watchdog organization TheRestofUs.org Derek Cressman offers his unvarnished insights in The Recall's Broken Promise: How Big Money Still Runs California Politics, a no-nonsense denouncement of the increasingly blurry ethics of California's partisan politics. Chapter cover the events of California's historic recall election, Arnold Schwarzenegger's rise to power, and the ultimate disappointment as big money politics continued as usual. A bitingly insightful look at the corruption weakening California's governmental system, and the reforms that are needed immediately.

For anyone interested in California politics or campaign finance reform, this is a great read. Cressman approaches a complex topic in a very readable way. I was fascinated to learn more about how our campaign finance system really works, along with all the problems that accompany it. The author makes a great pitch for why we need some real reform, and he concludes the book with some practical ideas of how to fix the system.

As this book comments, "Donors Sign Checks, Arnold SIgns Bills." It is a thoroughly researched look at how Arnold raised money for his campaigns, and the favors that he did for his contributors.
I was quite amazed that this book was written while Arnold is still in office- usually a book like this would take many years to research and assemble.
I enjoyed it because I am interested in California politics and also campaign finance reform, and corruption.

This was an incredibly thorough and well documented book on how big money continues to dominate politics on both sides of the aisle, always to the detriment of ordinary citizens. The non-partisan approach was rare and refreshing for a book of this kind. If every citizen read this book, we might just get our democracy back.