(Syracuse, NY – April 4, 2013) Central New York residents and community leaders banded together in strong support of bold and transformative campaign finance reforms at a community forum. Held by Fair Elections for New York, residents and community leaders argued that publicly-financed elections are urgently needed to fix our state’s broken campaign finance system and empower everyday New Yorkers to take back our democracy.
At the forum, Syracuse residents expressed dismay at the growing influence of money in politics and the narrow political agendas of wealthy donors. They insisted that only a small donor matching system could amplify the voices of ordinary people and restore their trust in New York’s campaign finance system.
Attending community leaders agreed wholeheartedly and indicated that they too want real campaign finance reform that put the people first. With publicly-financed elections, community leaders said that voters would finally be heard on the issues that they care about, including the environment, housing, and the need for a living wage. They also said that lawmakers could build stronger relationships with voters and ignore big money from CEO campaign contributors, but only if they enacted a small donor matching system.
Combined with lower contribution limits and stronger rules for the disclosure of contributions, residents and community leaders agreed that publicly-financed elections would put the people back in charge of campaign financing and curb the power of wealthy elites. Their push for reform has been greatly strengthened by clear support for publicly-financed elections from Governor Andrew Cuomo and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.
“Publicly-financed elections are a game-changer for environmental protection and public health,” said Jennifer Tuttle, Sierra Club Organizer. “By ending the monopoly big polluters have on campaign finance, lawmakers will no longer fear crossing oil and gas companies because they need contributions. Instead, they can proudly stand up to protect our planet and our families.”
The Voting Rights Act gave people of color political access and political influence, but it did not give them political power,” said Larry Parham, Upstate Campaigns Manager of Citizen Action of New York. “To get political power we need to get open up the political process and give ordinary New Yorkers the ability to run for public office with publicly-financed elections.”
” A huge and growing coalition of groups and individuals in New York supports the public financing of campaigns in order to get big money out of politics and people back in,” saidJoan Mandle, Executive Director of Democracy Matters.
“Government will never truly be of the people, by the people, and for the people until we get the big money out of electoral politics,” said Reverend Kevin Agee, Pastor of the Hopps Memorial CME Church.
“The present political system prevents citizens from seeking office due to a lack of access to funds and has created an atmosphere of apathy about how a democratic society should be governed,” said Joan Johnson, Public Relations Director of the League of Women Voters.