Votes For Sale Or Clean Elections! Arizona’s Gov., A Democrat, Elected With Max $5 Donations - Public Financing Growing – CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 89 - RI10

Votes For Sale Or Clean

Elections! Arizona’s Gov.,

A Democrat, Elected With

Max $5 Donations - Public

Financing Growing –

CALIFORNIA

PROPOSITION 89 - RI10

To read about California’s Proposition 89, go to:

http://proposition89.blogspot.com/

http://www.kcrw.com/news/programs/ww/ww060926proposition_89_calif

http://www.cleanmoneyelections.org/






10.20.06
Votes for Sale?
       
    
About the Show

The run-up to this year's midterm election smells of scandal and corruption, which raises the question: Can anyone stop the influence of big money and big influence on political campaigns?

Before, you say "of course not," check out our special hour-long investigation into the fight to keep American elections free and fair across the country. Airing less than three weeks before Americans go to the polls, "Votes for Sale?" will spotlight the so-called clean elections movement, a radical public-funding experiment adopted in Maine and Arizona to revolutionize how campaigns are conducted. It works like this: candidates for public office receive a flat sum of money from the government to finance their campaign. In return, the candidates agree to use almost no private funds to run their elections.

Pushing special interest money out of the election process may do more than clean things up. It could also open the door for a variety of people who care about democracy to run for office with realistic hopes of winning. Case in point: Arizona State Representative Doug Quelland, a conservative Republican who supports clean elections by his own example. With a background in public school teaching and running a handful of neighborhood businesses, including a lawnmower repair shop, Quelland captured voter interest door-to-door armed only with his passion and point of view. He's now running for his third term in the state legislature and still sports his trademark handlebar moustache. "I don't want to owe anybody anything. I don't want to have to have the special interests. I just want to do it and not beholden to anybody," Rep. Quelland told NOW.

Quelland's state of Arizona is one of the biggest clean election battlegrounds, where the nation's only "clean-elected" governor, Janet Napolitano, sits in the statehouse. Governor Napolitano talks to NOW's David Brancaccio about her strong convictions regarding clean elections. "I think what Clean Elections allows you to do is be a better candidate and a better office holder, because you're not all the time having to raise money," Napolitano said.

In California, a very contentious debate is underway over Proposition 89, a clean election initiative about which voters will have the final say on November 7.

Although the clean election movement has many allies, it has also generated intense opposition on both the left and the right. The Goldwater Institute says that the system is invasive and overly complicated, and that giving candidates money is a form of free speech and should not be restricted. The ACLU maintains fair play and free speech is about fewer restrictions, not more.

Will "politics of the people" be a clean democratic step forward or a messy economic step backward? NOW travels across the country to find out.

Related Links:

Americans for Campaign Reform
A group in support of public-funding for all federal elections

Public Campaign: A group supporting 'clean elections'
Clean Elections in your State

Arizona-Specific

Arizona - Citizens Clean Elections Commission
List of 2006 Candidates

Clean Elections Institute

Goldwater Institute
"Campaign Promises: A six-year review of Arizona's experiment with taxpayer-financed campaigns"

California-Specific

Californians for Clean Elections - Yes on 89
This group supports so-called clean elections. They believe "prop 89 is the antidote to negative ads paid for by rich special interests." It limits the amount corporations can spend on initiatives. It limits the amount everybody can give to candidates.

Californians to Stop 89
This group is against the clean elections movement and believe that the initiative "works to shut certain groups like small businesses, non-profits and some unions, out of the political process" thereby creating an "unlevel playing field."

Maine-Specific

Maine Citizens for Clean Elections

Maine Commission of Government Actions and Election Practices
List of 2006 Candidates

Program Resources:

» Video
» Listen to this show [mp3]

http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/242/index.html

Click on your state to find out how much money candidates have raised, as well as the sources of this funding, for their election campaigns.

Also, view an interactive map to learn more about publicly financed elections in your state, from Public Campaign, a group supporting "clean elections."

 
For Public Financing Interactive Map: Go To
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/242/campaign-finance.html

Source: Opensecrets.org



Web-Extended Interview: John Rauh on His "Just $6" Campaign

John Rauh, is the Founder and Chair of Americans for Campaign Reform, a group that supports public funding for federal elections—the House, Senate, and Presidency. This is an edited, extended transcript of a conversation he had with NOW for this week's show.

 
       John Rauh

NOW: Why do you believe that elections should be publicly funded?

RAUH: This nation and this world faces huge challenges. I believe challenges greater than ever experienced in the history of this country. The risks are tremendous, whether it's risk of nuclear war, global warming, and what have you. And, I believe, as we look to the future, we're going to need the finest leaders this country can elect to meet those challenges.

We can't guarantee with public funding of elections that we will elect those leaders. But, we have one heck of a lot better chance than we do with this private system. The private system limits the pool from which we can elect our leaders to those who have the financial resources, those who have the contact to raise those financial resources, or those who have a famous name ... It will cost us about $6 a citizen a year. You know, what court costs? Two hundred dollars a citizen a year. We won't save all that $200, but we'll save one heck of a lot more than the six.

NOW: Is this about cleaning up a system that is somehow dirty or corrupt?

RAUH: Well, clearly we're seeing some corruption today. And, one can't be as sure that we will not see some corruption in the years ahead even with public funding. But, let's be frank. When we eliminate private contributions to most of the candidates—the candidates take public funding—we eliminate a lot of the opportunity—not all—for corruption ...

Let's back up for a moment and take a look at the current private financing system ... Under this system of few Americans in this great democracy. A few Americans are funding our political elections. That makes no sense. Our Forefathers would all roll over if they knew that. This is a democracy. We all need to be involved. The only way we all need to be involved is to get rid of this private financing system on a voluntary basis and go to public funding which would come from an expenditure of the Congress.

But, to allow a few Americans to fund political campaigns, to buy access, and in some cases influence? It's unacceptable. We are the only democracy in the world that relies to the extent that we do on private financing. We can make adjustments. We've made them before. You realize it wasn't too long ago women couldn't vote? You realize this nation began with slavery? Let's be frank about the problem. It's a very clear and understandable problem. It's limit to the few who can write the checks to fund these campaigns.

And, let's change it. And, we will. There is no question in my mind as to whether or not we will publicly fund our elections. The only question is when.

NOW: Your organization is looking at the issue of public funding of elections on the federal level. Do you think the time is right for this or should this be worked out on the local or state level first?

RAUH: I would not have founded Americans for Campaign Reform if it was not for the excellent work that's been done at the state level. And now, in some of our cities too, publicly funded state and local elections, that's begun the movement. But, I believe now the American people are so concerned, so dissatisfied with their Congress on both sides of the aisle. This is non-partisan ... So, yes. I think it's time.

Will we get public funding passed by the Congress, signed by the President next couple years? I would think probably not. But, if you don't start somewhere, you never get there. And, let's remember, when Abraham Lincoln came into office and took a look at the opportunity to abolish slavery, what happened first? The American public, the opinion leaders got there first. And, Lincoln followed. Lincoln ultimately became a tremendous advocate for abolishing slavery. But, where did it begin? It began with the people. And, that's is where this is going to happen.

NOW: A number of high profile former senators have signed up for your cause.

RAUH: We have four, very well known, very respected former@ United States Senators. Two Republicans—Alan Simpson of Wyoming, and Warren Rudman of New Hampshire. And, Bill Bradley of New Jersey and Bob Kerrey of Nebraska. What has brought them to the point of verbally supporting this, going out and speaking on this issue is from their experience ...They understand the problems with the private financing system. They understand what it's like to dial for dollars ...

@Tabacco memory quote from ‘Yes, Prime Minister’, Brit Sitcom:

”No government is going to change the format that got it elected in the first place.”

That’s why all 4 are ‘former’ Senators, who have nothing to lose themselves, but know it’s a GREAT IDEA!

I've dialed for dollars. I was a candidate for the United States Senate. And, you know who sat next to me? Senator Paul Simon of Illinois. I'll never forget it. Paul Simon, United States Senator, me, just a candidate from New Hampshire, for the United States Senate. Each of us dialing for dollars. Paul would dial three days a week for three hours. And, at the end he'd look at me. He'd say, "John, that was repulsive." He'd slam down the phone. And, you know what he did? Which many others have done. Got re-elected and left and went home to teach.

I'm not saying we don't have some awfully good members of the Congress today. We're going to need to have more. And, they're going to have to learn to work together. And, this private financing system where they have to appeal to market segments to get the special interest money divides them and you see them going at each other. We're going to have to work together to meet with these challenges. I think public funding gives us a better opportunity to do that.

NOW: What is the Just Six Dollars campaign?

RAUH: It points out how inexpensive it is to publicly fund the Congress and the White House. Specifically what it means, for a little less than $2 billion a year divided by all of our citizens, 300 million citizens, one arrives at a number of $6. This is what it would take from the federal budget to publicly fund our elections.

Would we have a tax increase? Absolutely not.

NOW: Why did you decide to engage in this cause?

RAUH: Why do I get up in the morning and spend more than full-time doing this? The people of New Hampshire gave me that honor. I was their Democratic nominee for the United States Senate and almost won in 1992. But, what I had was an opportunity to get inside the political system. And, I was appalled.

What appalled me was how the pool was so small from which we could pick our leaders, that it just wouldn't work. I come from the corporate world. Leadership I believe is extremely important. And, this system just limits the opportunity to run for office. Wonderful people across this country could help make a difference, help us meet those challenges.

So, when I came back home after that losing experience and started to reflect on the system, I went on the Board of Common Cause. I learned a lot about public funding. And, decided it was time.

NOW: Did you consider engaging in approaches to election reform that were more measured, such as putting a cap on election contributions?

RAUH: There is no way to regulate the private financing system in a way that will work specifically in a way that will broaden that pool so we can run for office those leaders that we wish. It will not work. We're going to have to completely change the system to a voluntary public funding system ...

We're not going to accomplish this alone. The other reform organizations are not going to accomplish this alone. It's going to take all of us together to light a fire across America, to educate America about the solution to a problem the Americans already understand.

I believe in order to attract bipartisan support, one needs to talk about this in fundamental terms, what it means for our democracy. What it means to the American people to have control again of their system. And, for us at ACR, very important, what it means in terms of the opportunity of who we can run and elect to office.

We begin with the challenges this world and this nation faces. We know democracy is not static. And, we need to move it forward with this particular change.
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/242/elections-funding.html




Read:

Capitalism or Socialism? Or Both! Neither One, By Itself, Can Succeed! UPDATED
http://tabacco.blog-city.com/capitalism_or_socialism__or_both__neither_one_by_itself_can_.htm
Published August 6, 2005


Steve Israel, Tabacco’s Congressional Representative Writes “Letter to the Editor” – Am I Proud To Be Represented By Him!
http://tabacco.blog-city.com/steve_israel_tabaccos_congressional_representative_writes_le.htm
Published February 8, 2006


Crude Awakening: Clinton & Bush Give Oil Industry Billion $ Breaks - Only 1 Solution: Public Financing Of National Elections - RI10
http://tabacco.blog-city.com/crude_awakening_clinton__bush_give_oil_industry_billion__bre.htm
Published June 17, 2006


Tabacco: I consider myself both a funnel and a filter. I funnel information, not readily available on the Mass Media, which is ignored and/or suppressed. I filter out the irrelevancies and trivialities to save both the time and effort of my Readers and bring consternation to the enemies of Truth & Fairness!

In 1981's 'Body Heat', Kathleen Turner said, "Knowledge is power".

 

T.A.B.A.C.C.O.  (Truth About Business And Congressional Crimes Organization)

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