«Two weeks ago at the State of the State, Governor Cuomo said that «when government has the public trust it has the ability to do good work,» and today he's taken a major step toward that goal, by including
public financing of elections in the state budget.»
«By
including public financing of elections in the budget, Governor Cuomo has demonstrated national leadership,» said Karen Scharff, the executive director of Citizen Action, in a statement that was released by the group Fair Elections.
Funiciello has called for
full public financing of elections at all levels of government, and for enacting strict transparency laws that force campaign committees and PACs to disclose all of their donors.
To
support public financing of election campaigns in the state of New York, modeled after New York City's system, and to join coalitions, including Citizens Action of New York, to support this reform.
«They can start by enacting the Moreland Commission's number one recommendation: passing
statewide public financing of elections to level the playing field between wealthy donors and working families.»
But Cuomo failed to go all - in on other major progressive issues
like public financing of elections, The DREAM Act, the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, and proposals for larger minimum wage increases.
These proposals include tough new anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws, a test of
public financing of elections at the state level using the 2014 Comptroller's race, the establishment of an independent enforcement counsel at the Board of Elections, increased transparency of political contributors to independent expenditure committees and disclosure of the outside clients or customers of State Legislators who had been referred by registered lobbyists.
Gov. Cuomo
Proposes Public Financing of Elections in State of the State Address In his annual State of the State address on Wednesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo outlined his vision for New York, including a bold proposal for comprehensive ethics reform.
Moreland Commission
Endorses Public Financing of Elections On Monday, the Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption released a preliminary report on its findings and recommendations regarding the state's election, campaign finance, corruption, and transparency laws.
A grass - roots movement to abolish secret government, to bring the CIA and other illegal spying operations and private armies out of the closet of imperial power and into the light, to break the hold of the military - industrial complex, and to establish
genuine public financing of elections may be at least theoretically conceivable.
The Governor's proposal to limit minor parties is a distraction from the real problem in our political system, which is the influence of big money, and that's something
only public financing of elections can fix.»
Common Cause / NY is an active member of the Fair Elections Coalition, working for the passage of a broad package of campaign finance measures, built around a core of small donor matching
fund public financing of elections.
When asked about publicly financed Fair Elections, Senator Klein said that people in Upstate New York might not
want public financing of elections - that people don't understand all the proposals for campaign finance reform.
Malliotakis has said she
opposes public financing of elections but she will be participating in the Campaign Finance Board's public matching funds program, which matches small dollar contributions up to $ 175 at a 6 - to - 1 ratio with public funds.
This results in a conflicted approach to public integrity measures, explaining why Cuomo is poised to sign off on a new budget that only superficially beefs up powers to police public corruption or
install public financing of elections — while agreeing to dismantle the Moreland Commission he ostensibly created to overcome legislative resistance to cleaning up Albany.
Scharff said she'd like to see Cuomo take to the bully pulpit on
public financing of elections even knowing that he won't win this year, but ready to take a loss and do it to build political momentum.
For its part, the Legislature agreed to some changes to campaign finance reporting requirements, bribery laws and to
try public financing of elections in this year's race for state comptroller.
Nor does the solutions section of his website feature the specific demand for
full public financing of elections, another of Nader's key issues, (although Anderson has mentioned the idea in passing in a blog interview).
Many of the topics he's raised, such
as public financing of elections and changes to the LLC loophole, have been near - perennial topics in every annual address the governor has given.
In a video message, the governor informed WFP delegates that he is firmly committed to passing progressive priorities
including public financing of elections, a higher minimum wage, the Dream Act, and women's equality initiatives.
But since votes on contentious matters
like public financing of elections and the DREAM Act — a proposal to extend state tuition assistance to undocumented immigrants — would likely split along party lines, Perkins» departure would make their passage all - but impossible.
«The political realities are such that this bill probably won't advance in the Congress this year or probably next year,» said David Donnelly, co-director of Friends of Democracy, a Washington group that advocates
for public financing of elections.
«With the public's faith in Albany rapidly eroding, now is the time for Governor Cuomo to enact the Moreland Commission's number one recommendation: pass
statewide public financing of elections to level the playing field between wealthy donors and working families,» Lipton said.
Gov. Cuomo
Proposes Public Financing of Elections in Budget In his executive budget proposal to the legislature this week, Governor Andrew Cuomo included legislation advancing reforms to the state's campaign finance, disclosure and election laws.
The Buffalo News strongly
endorsed public financing of elections as a key aspect of any reform package to «encourage participation by potential candidates who are now intimidated by a system that costs millions of dollars to access and that tilts dramatically toward incumbents.»