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We care, We Count, WE VOTE!
What a Concept – Government Of, By and For the People!
"Most of all, I want a government that ..." How would you complete this sentence? In a recent survey by Public Campaign, a national organization working for campaign finance reform, most voters said they want a government that serves the interests of all citizens. They want a government that is honest, open, and accountable to the people.
The way we currently pay for election campaigns works against this desire. The pressures on candidates to raise large sums of money promote corruption and lead to special favors and sweetheart deals for campaign contributors. Elected officials are not accountable to the voters, but to the special interests that helped elect them.
The influence of money also leads to a closed and stagnant system, in which well-qualified people are prevented from running for office because they lack personal wealth or connections.
Elections have become less a contest of ideas than a race to amass the largest campaign war chest. If we want sound policies on environment, health care that works for everyone, good schools in our communities, and other laws that benefit all citizens, we need to eliminate the undue influence of special interests.
Public financing of campaigns allows the voters to take back control of the electoral process. Clean Elections level the playing field, and the process allows people of many different backgrounds who do not have wealthy connections a fair shot at being elected.
West Virginia would benefit from having more good people with fresh ideas running for office. Publicly financed candidates are responsible only to the voters, feel obligated to keep promises, and can help us, as citizens, get what we want and need from government.
The cost of public financing for elections is only about $6 per household – a very reasonable amount to pay for a system that will result in voter control and more beneficial public policy. Of course, there are always other pressing needs for public funds, but the state will actually save millions of dollars as expensive deals and subsidies for special interests are eliminated.
Sound too good to be true? It isn’t! Other states like Maine, Arizona, Connecticut and Vermont already have Clean Election laws and they are delivering on its promise of more voter control and sounder policies.
Read two testimonies from Arizona voters:
"When public financing first came out in Arizona, I was opposed to it because I didn’t want my tax dollars going to pay for politicians getting elected. Now I support it because I see that politicians are spending more time paying attention to voters like me and less time listening to special interest groups and wealthy donors. Voters have more power under this system."
"I voted for Janet Napolitano for governor because she promised to do something about prescription drugs. Her campaign stressed that public financing meant she did not have to take contributions from the pharmaceutical drug industry. She kept her promise. Her first act as governor was to require that the state buy its prescription drugs in bulk, lowering costs and saving all of us money."
It’s time for West Virginia voters to take back control of our state legislative races by adopting the Public Campaign Financing Act! For more details about how the Clean Elections process works, and for ways you can get involved, check our website, www.wvoter-owned.org, or contact Carol Warren at peacelovemom@gmail.com.
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