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For The Mountains: Call For Clean Elections!
Soon we will post to our website photos taken at West Virginia Environmental Council’s E-Day! Congratulations again to all the award winners, and many thanks to Denise Poole for once again organizing this showcase event for the environmental community.
FOR THE MOUNTAINS: CALL FOR CLEAN ELECTIONS!
As we push to end mountain-range removal, we recognize the need to clean up the system that fosters the coal industry's outlaw behavior and reckless disregard for the land and people.
That’s why we work for real campaign finance reform. OVEC’s Janet Fout is the coordinator for Citizens for Clean Elections, which had success with the Clean Elections Act during the interims. We now have an opportunity to build on that success—with your help!
On Monday, Feb. 23, the Senate Judiciary is poised to vote on Clean Elections--Senate Bill 270 (the Public Campaign Financing Act). We were told that the committee will meet at 3 p.m., but that could change. Regardless of the meeting time, NOW is the time to get phone calls and e-mails to key legislators. Committee members who really need to hear from folks are Senators Fanning, Harrison, McKenzie, Minard, Oliverio, Smith and Snyder.
Of the above, we only need 2 votes to get this bill out of Senate Judiciary. That would be a great victory for Citizens for Clean Elections!
Your calls can make the difference. See the Clean Elections talking points below.
Please also call sponsors of the bill to let them know their support for Clean Elections is appreciated. Sponsors on the committee are Senators Caldwell, Hunter, Jenkins, Kessler, Rowe and White.
Also, ask others, especially those who live in the districts of the key Senators above, to make the calls. Clean Elections can help us all in the long-run.
Please attend the Senate Judiciary meeting this Monday, Feb. 23--we think at 3 p.m. If you plan on going, check in with us (by replying to this e-mail) Monday morning and we’ll try to get you the latest info.
To Contact your Representatives on Issues:
Legislative Reference & Information Center
MB-27, Building 1
State Capitol Complex
Charleston, WV 25305
304 347-4836 toll free: 1 877 565-3447
On Line: www.legis.state.wv.us
Another option to find the contact information for your legislators is to use the form in the sidebar: type in your zip code and press "go" to obtain your legislators' contact info.
CLEAN ELECTIONS TALKING POINTS
Under our current funding system it is increasingly difficult for the average West Virginian to effectively participate in our democracy and to make their voice heard above the special interests that finance campaigns. Comprehensive campaign finance reform is needed to reduce the influence of special interests in our political process.
Fewer than ½ of one percent of voting age West Virginians contribute to campaigns leaving the door wide open for wealthy, special interest contributors to influence public policy. In West Virginia, many issues like better education for our children, greater environmental protection, and better access to health care for all our residents, take a back seat to the big special interests that currently fund many legislators’ campaigns.
As a taxpayer and voter, I would rather have my tax dollars subsidize elections instead of projects that largely benefit special interests.
Public financing of campaigns in West Virginia will decrease the public perception of corruption in our political system.
Public financing will decrease the amount of time that a candidate needs to spend raising money and provide more time for a candidate to talk with voters in his/her district about issues that matter most to them.
Clean Elections has the potential to reinvigorate democracy. This system would provide a candidate public funding through collecting many small qualifying contributions from registered voters within his/her district, making the candidate accountable to voters instead of special interest contributors.
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