xposted at DKos where it got little attention but I think it is worthy….
What if candidates ran for public office on public money? Wouldn’t that tick people off to have these parasites running on taxpayer $$? Voters would reject such a system out of hand wouldn’t they? Conservatives and liberals would agree that funding campaigns with taxpayer $$ is the ultimate rip-off.
Or would they? Maine voters passed a Clean Elections law in 1996 and it’s been in effect for two elections and easily fought of an attempt to gut it this year. What is it, how does it work, and more importantly, how can you get it in your state? Below the fold we go…
I’m going to quote liberally from
http://www.mainecleanelections.org/
cause why re-write what they already wrote clearly:
There is a common perception that in politics, only people
with money matter. Mainers decided in 1996 that they did
not want that to be the case in Augusta, and overwhelmingly
passed the Maine Clean Election Act by citizen initiative.
The Maine Clean Election Act is a voluntary full public funding
system for candidates for all state offices. The idea behind
it is to sever the connection between private money
and public office. It allows candidates to run for office without
engaging in extensive fundraising or spending their own
money, thus making a run for office accessible to the
broadest array of Maine citizens.
So far so good eh? Not so bad. So how does it work? What’s the process. How can I run for office on chump change?
Candidates who voluntarily choose to participate in
Maine’s Clean Election system follow three simple steps
to qualify for public funds:
1] Demonstrate their grassroots support by collecting
$5 Qualifying Contributions from voters in their district
(50 for House, 150 for Senate).
2] Agree not to raise or spend any private money.
3] Limit spending to the amount received from the Maine
Clean Election Fund.
Candidates who qualify successfully receive an equal and
limited amount of public funds with which to run their
campaigns. If they are outspent by their opponents or by
others trying to influence the campaign, they will receive
more funds to keep them competitive.
Are you kidding me? If a person raises fifty $5 checks they can run for the legislature? And if their opponent raises more private funds they in turn get more public funds. Damn, pigs at the trough I can see it. So how has it worked?
Candidates for the Maine Legislature had their first chance to
use Clean Elections in 2000. One-third of candidates
participated, and more than half of them won their races. In
2002, twice as many candidates opted to use Clean Elections – a
majority of all candidates who ran for legislative seats. For the
first time, gubernatorial candidates also had a public funding
option, and two of them used it.
Maine is the first state in the nation to have a majority of legislators
in office who took no special interest money. Clean
Election legislators make up over half of the Maine House, and
three-quarters of the Senate. In 2004, more candidates are
using Clean Elections than ever before.
Maine Clean Elections has also increased voter choice by making
the playing field more level. The number of contested races in
both general and primary elections is up and the total number of
candidates has increased.
Many candidates say they never would have been able to run if it
were not for Clean Elections. More people and different kinds of
people are using the Clean Elections program to run for office.
Voters and candidates agree: The Maine Clean Election Act is
good for democracy.
Are you kidding me? It works? Voters like it? You gotta be kidding me. But this can only work in some true blue state like Maine. It’s all controlled by the Dems and all those Dem voters. Actually, members of both parties have run on Clean Elections and members of both parties like it and Maine is hardly all Dem. We’re a swing state with ares of the state solid Dem and others solid Repub and that’s reflected in the legislature.
Now you might be thinking, well that’s great for Maine but how the heck can I get something like this in my messed up state. Luckily for you, you can. It will take a committed group of people, it will take some time and effort but what a prize once you get it. Google Clean Elections or Go here for more info: http://www.publicampaign.org/
A new kind of politics is taking root in America called Clean Money, Clean Elections (CMCE) campaign finance reform. CMCE reduces the influence of special interest money and provides a level playing field by offering qualified candidates a limited and equal amount of public funds. It’s a bold, new experiment in campaign finance reform, seeking to restore democracy and the principle of one person, one vote.
If you’re looking for real solutions to clean up the campaign finance mess in this country, you’ve come to the right place.
So there you have it. Take this project please. Go with it, work on it, spread it around.
