The push for enacting publicly financed voter owned elections in New York is growing every day. On Saturday, the New York Times made their opinion very clear:
A strong ethics package would be a start, but not nearly enough. New York also needs a fair campaign financing system, including public financing — the only way to end the culture of pay to play. It needs an independent redistricting commission to finally end gerrymandering and make elections more competitive.
They’re right. The push for ethics reform has gotten a lot of attention in the past year. But disclosures and transparency simply aren’t enough. We need to attack the systemic problem – the system that requires candidates for public office to raise massive sums of private money.
So, take a minute right now and send a message to your Assemblymember. Tell them that you and a lot of your fellow New Yorkers want them to be accountable to you again – instead of their big money campaign donors. Tell them to pass voter-owned elections.