A new op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle by the chairman of Californians for Clean Elections and the executive director of the Consumer Federation of California details the need for the California Fair Elections Act."The California Fair Elections Act is based on the simple notion that elected officials should be accountable to the voters, not donors and special interests. Authored by Sen. Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley, and signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the measure asks voters to establish a voluntary pilot project for California's secretary of state races in 2014 and 2018, allowing candidates to qualify for public financing if they agree to strict spending prohibitions and show they have a broad base of support by raising a large number of $5 contributions from Californians. The pilot program would be funded primarily by fees on lobbyists, lobbying firms and lobbyist employers, with no taxpayer dollars going to candidates."