2008 Woodie Awards
Op-Ed: A solution for the real issue
Daryn Cambridge '03, Regional Field Coordinator, Democracy Matters Institute
Issue date: 12/7/06 Section: Opinions
In this system, also known as "clean elections," individuals who are able to demonstrate broad popular support by raising a large number of small, five dollar donations, would qualify to receive full public financing for their campaigns. Once they start receiving public funds they are then referred to as "clean candidates," and are not allowed to use or raise any private funds, freeing them from having to make any legislative promises in exchange for large campaign contributions. Therefore, the only people they are accountable to in office are their constituents, the way it's supposed to be.
Clean elections have already been successfully implemented at the state and local level in Maine, Arizona, North Carolina, Connecticut, New Mexico and Vermont, and have restored these voters' faith in their government. To implement clean elections at the federal level for all congressional and presidential campaigns, it would only cost six dollars per citizen per year (see www.just6dollars.org) and that's a small price to pay to secure real representation and equality in our democracy.
You can be part of the solution by helping to get private money out of politics and by helping to put the voter's voices back in. You will also be contributing to the fastest growing youth movement in the country. The Democracy Matters Institute (www.democracymatters.org) is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that coordinates campaigns on over seventy college campuses and communities across the country, working to build popular support for, and put pressure on, elected officials to implement pro-democracy reforms, especially clean elections at the state and federal level.
You can make immediate progress by writing a letter to your new and re-elected officials. This letter should remind these politicians that they represent the voters, not the money, and insist they support clean election reform because it will create more choices for voters and politicians, a more equitable and accountable campaign system, and a stronger, healthier democracy.
If you would like to start a Democracy Matters chapter on the Middlebury campus and pursue a paid internship opportunity, please contact Daryn Cambridge, Regional Field Organizer, at darync@democracymatters.org.
Clean elections have already been successfully implemented at the state and local level in Maine, Arizona, North Carolina, Connecticut, New Mexico and Vermont, and have restored these voters' faith in their government. To implement clean elections at the federal level for all congressional and presidential campaigns, it would only cost six dollars per citizen per year (see www.just6dollars.org) and that's a small price to pay to secure real representation and equality in our democracy.
You can be part of the solution by helping to get private money out of politics and by helping to put the voter's voices back in. You will also be contributing to the fastest growing youth movement in the country. The Democracy Matters Institute (www.democracymatters.org) is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that coordinates campaigns on over seventy college campuses and communities across the country, working to build popular support for, and put pressure on, elected officials to implement pro-democracy reforms, especially clean elections at the state and federal level.
You can make immediate progress by writing a letter to your new and re-elected officials. This letter should remind these politicians that they represent the voters, not the money, and insist they support clean election reform because it will create more choices for voters and politicians, a more equitable and accountable campaign system, and a stronger, healthier democracy.
If you would like to start a Democracy Matters chapter on the Middlebury campus and pursue a paid internship opportunity, please contact Daryn Cambridge, Regional Field Organizer, at darync@democracymatters.org.
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