Some might call it chutzpah. State Sen. Mark Grisanti recently sent out mailers condemning sensible campaign finance reform. Grisanti boasted he will “protect your tax dollars” from being used “to fund political campaigns across the state.”
Earlier this week, the City Council unanimously passed an ordinance clearing the way for the public financing of council elections. This proposal is a major step toward ensuring everybody is able to participate in the democratic process.
The effort to end secret political spending by nonprofits received a major boost last week. Wednesday, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman adopted new disclosure requirements for charities.
Last Wednesday, a few hundred people rallied at the capitol and met with lawmakers, telling them not to leave Albany before the legislative session ends June 20 without enacting public campaign financing.
Even though the New York Senate is a cesspool of corruption, Majority Co-Leader Dean Skelos is fighting against reform. In between the misleading bluster and hyperbole, he makes three main claims that are easily debunked.
In a recent post, Ezra Klein said we got "too excited" over big money in the 2012 election. But it's about more than just election outcomes. Money still distorts public policy, as we've seen this year.
Nearly 70 percent of funds in 2012 state legislative races came from special interests. In New York City, with a public financing system, just 7 percent came from special interests so far in 2013. Clearly, campaign finance reform changes how candidate's run for office.
The New Mexico House passed a bill establishing a campaign finance system where participating candidates would receive an initial public finance grant from the state, and then get a four to one match for small donor contributions of up to $100.
America is the world’s leading democracy, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t improvements to be made. By modernizing registration, ending government dysfunction, and combating Citizens United, we can put the people back in charge of our democracy.
Good government groups have urged Albany to adopt real campaign finance reforms for years, but year after year, legislative sessions end in disappointment. Will this year be any different?
