Unsurprisingly, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s decision to include funding for comprehensive campaign finance reform in his budget – including public financing of state elections – has drawn fire from special interests that thrive under the current system. They’re willing to ignore Albany’s toxic aura of corruption as long as they retain the power to drive policy decisions through big donations to our elected officials. More surprising is that this critical reform – with a record of success at cleaning up government in New York City and nearby Connecticut – should draw the ire of a reform advocate who pins his hopes exclusively on a constitutional amendment. Rolling back the heinous Citizens United decision via amendment is a worthy goal, but could take many years, and can happen only with the cooperation of 37 other states and two-thirds of Congress. Public financing provides an immediate and effective opportunity to greatly increase the voice and influence of average New Yorkers, at the cost of less than a penny a day each. Legislators are so dependent on a few big donors that those donors frequently dictate government priorities...
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 14:42:42 +0000
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