Murmurs 1/18/2006

BY WW EDITORIAL STAFF

The group trying to kill public financing of city elections has turned in 14,000 signatures more than it needs to put the repeal question on the May ballot. The First Things First Committee needs 26,691 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot and handed 40,988 signatures over to the city auditor's office on Tuesday to verify by Feb. 16. The juicier info comes on Feb. 1, when the committee must disclose who paid for the signature gathering. Meantime, local League of Women Voters president Carol Cushman calls the repeal effort a "cynical attempt by special interests to grab back power they have lost."