| Fair Elections Now! Elections should be about voters and volunteers, not donors and dollars. |
The recent Presidential fundraising headlines speak for themselves. Candidates are crisscrossing the nation scooping up thousand dollar contributions hoping to meet the $100 million dollar entrance fee for the 2008 elections. In the first six months of this year, the candidates have raised $277 million—more than doubling the record setting pace the 2004 candidates set. Instead of focusing on us and how they can make our lives and America better, campaigns spend almost all of their time trying to figure out how they’re going to hit the $100 million benchmark.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
In the seven states and two cities that have enacted Clean Elections reform, politics as usual is now about door knocking and house parties. The big money political game is almost non-existent where Clean Elections is in effect.
Under Clean Elections, candidates qualify for a public grant by collecting a set number of small contributions—usually $5. Once qualified, politicians forgo all private fundraising and must adhere to strict spending limits.Help us bring Clean Elections to the rest of the country. Click here to become a citizen co-sponsor.
It’s worked so well around the country it’s become a model for federal races. This spring, with Congressional campaign fundraising also shattering past records, Assistant Senate Majority Leader Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) introduced the bipartisan Fair Elections Now Act (FENA). It will provide full public financing for qualified congressional candidates. Similar legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives.
Become a Citizen Cosponsor and let your elected officials know you want elections to be about all voters instead of big money special interests.
It’s going to take an army of citizens to take on the big money interests who pull the strings in our nation’s capitol. In fact, it will probably come as no surprise that the big broadcasters have already sent out word that this legislation means less advertising –and less profit –for them and they’re lobbying behind the scenes against us.
We need you today: Please add your name to the growing number of Citizen Cosponsors.
Our fight won’t be an easy one but if we stand together and demand an end to pay to play politics we will make it happen.
Sincerely,
Nick Nyhart
Executive Director
Public Campaign Action Fund
