Rally for VOICE on Wednesday in Des Moines
By Moveon.Org
The
Iowa General Assembly is debating a bill to adopt Clean
Elections—public financing for candidates in legislative and statewide
races. Clean Elections is a proven policy working in states like
Connecticut, Maine, and Arizona where campaigns are now contests of
ideas, not fundraising ability.1
There's less than two
weeks left to pass Clean Elections before this year's session ends.
Today is your chance to put this over the top.
Please call on your state legislators to support the Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections (VOICE) Act—HF 805/AF 553.
Senator Robert Dvorsky
Phone: 515-281-3371
Representative David Jacoby
Phone: 515-281-3221
Then, please report your call by clicking here:
Can
you imagine if Iowa's lawmakers owed nothing to corporate lobbyists and
owed everything to voters? Iowa could join the cutting-edge of truly
democratic elections. And if Iowa adopts public financing this year,
the presidential candidates will have to go on record about this bold
reform—putting the national spotlight on Clean Elections.
In 2005, MoveOn members in Connecticut joined state and national organizations in lobbying for public financing in their state, and Connecticut became the first state in which the legislature passed a full Clean Elections measure.
This year, we can help pass Clean Elections in Iowa.
Clean
Elections is a common sense reform that puts voters ahead of campaign
contributors. With Clean Elections, candidates qualify for public funds
by collecting a set number of small contributions and signatures from
supporters. Once qualified, candidates can no longer accept any private
contributions and must adhere to strict spending limits. Candidates
running for the legislature, governor, and secretary of state would be
able to spend their time talking to constituents instead of spending
countless hours meeting with lobbyists and wealthy donors.
Call your state legislators in support of the Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections (VOICE) Act—HF 805/AF 553.
Senator Robert Dvorsky
Phone: 515-281-3371
Representative David Jacoby
Phone: 515-281-3221
After you call, let us know by clicking here:
With
your help, we can put Iowa elections in the hands of regular voters
where they belong instead of big donors and powerful lobbyists.
Thank you for all you do.
–Noah, Joan, Karin, Jennifer, and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Monday, April 16th, 2007
P.S. To learn more about how Clean Elections work and the Iowa campaign, visit our friends at Public Campaign at:
Here's a supportive op-ed from Friday's Des Moines Register:
In
his leadership position, Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal raises
exorbitant amounts of cash and doles it out to candidates as he sees
fit.
According to the Institute on Money in State Politics,
Gronstal raised more than $500,000 in the 2006 election cycle. More
than 75 percent of the money raised for his committee during that
period, $426,250, was contributed to the Iowa Democratic Party.
Gronstal's
ability to raise and allocate campaign cash is how he retains his power
and influence in the Senate. He raised more money than any Senate
candidate in the 2006 cycle—and he wasn't up for re-election.
Now
Gronstal and his colleagues are going to create a 527 committee, named
for its designation in the IRS tax code. A 527 is created primarily to
influence elections through the use of “issue advocacy” ads that avoid
regulation by the Federal Election Commission. These groups raise
practically unlimited amounts of money from individuals and
corporations. Since a 527 is not required to report its source of funds
to the FEC, the industries and interests giving money to these groups
are seldom disclosed.
Gronstal told the Register that he doesn't
approve of 527s, but said, “Even though I don't necessarily like the
rules, I'll play by the rules as effectively as my competitors.” The
competitor he's referring to is Rep. Christopher Rants, the House
Republican leader who has successfully used his Iowa Leadership Council
to raise large amounts of money from the beer, tobacco and car-title
loan industries, among others.
Our elections don't have to be
this way—high-stakes shoot-outs between wealthy interests. A bill in
the Legislature, modeled on the successful Clean Elections programs in
seven states and two municipalities, puts the concerns of voters ahead
of well-heeled special interests.
Called the Voter Owned Iowa
Clean Elections Act, or VOICE, the bill is championed by Rep. Pam
Jochum and Sen. Mike Connolly. VOICE would implement a system of public
financing for legislative and statewide campaigns.
Modeled on
successful systems in Maine, Arizona and North Carolina, the VOICE Act
would provide public funds sufficient to run a competitive campaign to
candidates who qualify by showing broad-based community support. That
would require collecting a set number of $5 donations. Once qualified,
VOICE candidates must agree to adhere to strict spending limits and
forgo all private fundraising.
As of January 2007, more than 200
elected officials across the country hold office as a result of a Clean
Elections system, including 84 percent of the Maine Legislature and
nine of 11 statewide officials in Arizona. Gov. Janet Napolitano has
used the system for both of her gubernatorial campaigns.
Clean
Elections is also taking hold on the national stage. Last month,
bipartisan legislation called the Fair Elections Now Act was introduced
in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., and Arlen Specter,
R-Pa. It would bring full public financing of elections to all
congressional races.
Should the VOICE Act bring this opportunity
to Iowa, Gronstal and others could spend their time focusing on the
concerns and issues that matter to voters instead of dialing for
dollars and courting big-money contributors to fill both their
candidate and 527 campaign accounts.
Barb Kalbach is president of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement.
Source:
1. “States/Localities with Clean Elections,” Public Campaign
http://www.publicampaign.org/where
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