Clean Money, Clean Elections

Clean Money, Clean Elections: A full public financing system for election campaigns under which candidates who agree to limit spending and collect only a limited number of small individual contributions, qualify for a set amount of public funds to run their campaigns. The system is a voluntary option to the current privately funded campaign finance system. Candidates first must qualify by collecting a set amount of small contributions from voters in their district. Once qualified, the candidate agrees not to raise or spend any private money. They also agree to strict spending limits. In return, they are given a fixed and equal amount of public funds to run first their primary campaign, and then their general election campaign. If a publicly funded candidate is being heavily outspent by a well-funded opponent or an outside organization, there are additional funds available to the publicly funded candidate to make sure they stay competitive.

Why Clean Money, Clean Elections?: Clean Elections levels the playing field and gives people from may different backgrounds a fair shot at getting elected without owing favors to special interest groups, their contributors, and lobbyists. We benefit from having good people from diverse backgrounds with new ideas helping to shape public policy.

Clean Elections is about focusing on the needs of all voters. If we want effective environmental policies, health care that works well for all of us, good schools in our communities or fair utility rates, we have to end the undue influence oil companies, pharmaceuticals, the insurance industry, and other big lobby groups have because they foot the bill for getting candidates elected to office.

Clean Elections is successful. Maine and Arizona have been using Clean Elections for four election cycles and the results are good. More people, including more women and people of color are running for office, voter turn out is up and the influence of big contributors in public policy is way down. Connecticut passed Clean Elections for their statewide and legislative races in 2005.

Clean Elections is a common sense solution to restoring Democracy. “Band-aid” campaign finance reforms just patch up a flawed and broken system. New York needs a new campaign financing system to choose from, for a reasonable cost and is proven successful

New York City’s Public Financing System is not Clean Money, Clean Elections: New York City’s system of public financing for city council and city-wide races is known as a “matching funds” or “partial” public financing system. Unlike Clean Money, Clean Elections, candidates in the City’s system must constantly fundraise private donations to get a match of public dollars (4 public dollars for everyone 1 private dollar for contributions from city residents that are under $250 dollars). Wealthy, private contributors dominate the system and therefore that kind of system doesn’t meet the goals above like a Clean Money, Clean Elections system does.

New York State needs Clean Money, Clean Elections: In his first State of the State Address on January 3, 2007 New York Governor Eliot Spitzer said:

“Full public financing must be the ultimate goal of our reform effort. By cutting off the demand for private money, we will cut off the special interest influence that comes with it.”

Now it’s time for the New York State Legislature to pass full public financing, Clean Money, Clean Elections for statewide and legislative races in New York.

04-18