TIMES CHANGE

Our Results
Don't Have To

We give opportunities for candidates to highlight their experience, expertise, and ideas to enhance and help our communities thrive. We also give the public an opportunity to listen and assess the viability of those seeking public office.

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CIT4AL

The Mission

Citizens for Accountable Leadership (CAL), is an unincorporated association. Our dual mission is to provide a platform for candidates, elected officials, and CEOs of businesses to discuss issues that are relevant to the community, thus promoting political engagement and empowerment. Secondly, our mission is to provide financial support to viable candidates seeking public office whom we deem as compelling to our organization.

The organization gives opportunity for candidates to highlight their experience, expertise, and ideas to enhance and help our communities thrive. We also give the public an opportunity to listen and assess the viability of those seeking public office. We focus on the financial needs of viable candidates, and are committed to these efforts on behalf of candidates who present a compelling reason for seeking office. As President of CAL, Dr. Gail Willis has stated, “CAL is about helping viable candidates shine and in doing so, helping our communities thrive.”

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CIT4AL

Candidate Assessment

Assessing candidates for public office can be a very straightforward process if group assessing candidates agrees in advance on the procedure to judge credibility of the candidate. Citizens for Accountable Leadership (CAL) review qualifications; a candidate’s platform; their campaign organization; and endorsements. Candidates are invited to address these issues in a meeting with CAL members.

Guidelines for Endorsement

1. Qualifications

a. Personal Experience

b. Involvement in the Community

c. Candidate Platform

d. Personal Achievements

Bottom line question: Why are you running for this particular office? What makes you more qualified than other candidates?

2. Campaign Organization

a. Money Raised

b. Campaign Management Team

Campaign Manager

Campaign Fundraiser

Campaign Treasurer

c. Has a poll or survey been taken

Bottom line question: Have you organized a professional campaign team that provides competent financial support, a campaign team that can organize volunteers and professional support where needed, understands polling and research?

3. Endorsements

a. Political

b. Community

Bottom Line: Is candidate truly known in the community and therefore garnered good local support? Local support garners local campaign volunteer workers.

Top 7 Things to Think Through

When Assessing Ballot Propositions

Although the initiative process can be an effective way to embed important and just policies into state law, like all mechanisms for social change, ballot initiative campaigns are costly and time consuming. They are often hard to understand; and numerous propositions on a ballot are often too cumbersome for citizens to understand. For CAL to successfully evaluate ballot initiatives there is certain information we must receive from ballot initiative proponents.

Following is a list of 10 things that CAL looks at in evaluating the worthwhileness of a ballot proposition.

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1- Does your initiative have voter appeal?

If approved by voters, how would it affect the lives of the majority of the people in the state? As much as possible, ballot initiatives should be structured to appeal directly to voter’s emotional or financial self‐interest. Voters who do not have a personal stake in the outcome of a ballot measure are much more likely to be influenced by misleading information from opponents.

2- Is it simple and straight forward?

Structuring too complex of a ballot measure—often by attempting to do too much in one law— is the death knell of a ballot initiative. Successful initiatives can always be explained in one succinct statement and often times focus on populist themes. Simple ballot initiative concepts also lend themselves to effective advertising campaigns. These measures are easy to understand—with a message emphasizing economic justice and fairness.

3- Does it have strategic or tactical value?

CAL would want to know if the Proposition brings the most benefit to most people. Explain in easy to understand terms. What are the implications of the proposed ballot measure if approved by voters?

4- Can Proposition attract the necessary resources and endorsements?

Can proponents attract the necessary resources to run an effective campaign? Are endorsers(individuals, organizations) known to the general electorate and offer positive inspiration.

“There will be a resistance to your ambition, there will be people who say to you, 'You are out of your lane'. They are burdened by only having the capacity to see what has always been instead of what can be – but don’t let that burden you.”

Vice-President
Kamala Harris

5- Is the political climate right?

Why do the ballot proponents think the time is right for such an initiative to be placed on the ballot for a vote by the people? Has there been polling or surveying to ascertain the thoughts of the electorate on the matter.

6- Does it help or hurt candidates?

Does the presence of a ballot initiative motivate a progressive base or drive a conservative one? Does it help or hurt candidates that initiative proponents care about? CAL would be most interested in the minority community and the effect the proposition would have on minority candidates.

7- Is there a strong social media campaign associated with Proposition campaign?

Social media has become such an integral part of campaigns. Propositions often are not the top priority of voters in an election; so what comprises your social media program.

These are the broad issues that Citizens for Accountable Leadership assess when deciding on endorsing certain propositions.

CIT4AL

Experienced
and Trusted

A highly diversified group working cohesively in California as an unincorporated association under the name of Citizens for Accountable Leadership, better known as “CAL. The membership is comprised of business people, professionals in the fields of medicine, law, and education, and longtime community activists.

Strategy

Use information Systems to better share info.

Cooperation

Set-up informational system easily accessible – purpose of our website.

Solution

Circulation of information that is more widespread.

“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes the fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.”

Rosa Parks

https://cit4al.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/RParks3.jpg

Reach Out

We Can't Wait To
Hear From You

We are located at

444 Flower Ste. 3200
Los Angeles, CA 90071

Working hours

Mon-Fri
8AM-6PM

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Use the form below to contact us. Citizens For Accountable Leadership(CAL) is here to facilitate a more informed public and we look forward to hearing from you. Please be as detailed as possible.