Advocates for
the public financing of political campaigns on Tuesday released letters sent to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the top legislative leaders in the Assembly and senate urging them to include a public financing program in the state budget.
That gave the Senate GOP, which has blocked
public financing of political campaigns on the grounds that it costs too much money, an opening to attack, citing the recent Q - poll that found New York voters oppose the system 51 percent to 39 percent.
Not exact matches
He told Syracuse.com he opposes Cuomo's calls for the Legislature to approve
public financing of political campaigns, is undecided
on closing the LLC loophole that lets wealthy donors contribute almost unlimited amounts to politicians, and is against the governor's call to limit the outside income
of lawmakers to 15 percent
of their $ 79,500 base salary as legislators.
Susan Lerner, Executive Director
of Common Cause / NY, noted that «Hydraulic fracturing has been one
of the most polarizing issues in recent history, with no shortage
of political money invested by pro-fracking interests to achieve a favorable outcome... New York State needs comprehensive
campaign finance and lobbying reform to assure New Yorkers that
public policy is based
on their interest, not the special interests.»
The governor is already running smack into a wall
of opposition in the Senate, where Republicans (and at least one Democrat) don't want to hold a vote
on a measure to strengthen abortion laws or allow for the
public financing of political campaigns.
NYPIRG formally protested the decision to block advocates for
public financing of political campaigns from room in a letter to the Committee
on Open Government.
Sources Friday evening said Cuomo and the leadership
of the party had reached a tentative deal for the incumbent Democrat to take the labor - backed line in exchange for pushing
on key progressive issues such as the Dream Act, the
public financing of political campaigns and the women's agenda.
A
political action committee associated with Jonathan Soros is prepared to spend millions
of dollars against Republican state senators
on Long Island if state lawmakers don't approve a system
of public campaign finance.
Cuomo
on Saturday was endorsed by the labor - backed WFP and at the same time announced his support for a Democratic takeover
of the Senate, as well as a package
of liberal measures including the
public financing of political campaigns.
She is writing a book
on political corruption, and became involved in the
campaign to create a system
of public campaign finance several months ago.
Cuomo, to chants
of «four more years», promised to deliver in his next term
on a mostly progressive agenda, including enacting a number
of items that were stalled in the State Senate over the past couple
of years, like an abortion rights provision as part
of a women's rights agenda and
public financing of political campaigns.
But while Cuomo was able to get several Republican Senators to vote to enact same sex marriage in 2011, he could not get them to budge
on several issues that the Democratic left was pushing for, including, further increasing the minimum wage, allowing children
of undocumented immigrants college aid known as the Dream Act, and
public financing of political campaigns.
The ads, which begin with Cuomo speaking directly into the camera, focus
on the governor's pitch for his tax cut plan and an ethics package that includes
public financing of political campaigns and a crack down
on bribery.
Cuomo has been sympathetic to the push for a salary hike, but has said he wants lawmakers to take up sweeping
campaign finance and ethics reform in the process, including the
public financing of political campaigns and limits
on outside income for lawmakers.
Senate Republicans are laying into Stewart - Cousins, elected the Senate Democratic conference leader
on Monday, for her comments
on Fred Dicker's Talk - 1300 show this morning in which she endorsed the
public financing of political campaigns, listing it as a top priority for her in the coming legislative session.
Liberals remain skeptical, however, Cuomo is truly
on their side, pointing to what they see as half - hearted attempts at
public financing of political campaigns and flipping control
of the Senate to his own party.
In addition to support from labor unions and supporters
of public financing of political campaigns, Senate Democrats are expected to receive strong organizational support from groups that focus
on women's health and workplace rights issues.
A letter from the House Progressive Caucus
on Thursday to Gov. Andrew Cuomo urges him include the
public financing of political campaigns in the state budget.
Senate Co-President Jeff Klein issued an appreciated statement
on Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's proposal to introduce a system
of public financing for
political campaigns, but added the measure introduced today doesn't go far enough.
Tkaczyk's victory two years ago was attributed in part to a concerted effort by organizations backing the
public financing of political campaigns, which launched a paid advertising effort as well as field operation
on her behalf.
The seven commission members who broke with the 25 - member panel
on the
public financing recommendation pointed to that Common Cause report as a sign that
public financing of political campaigns can be easily undermined thanks to IE groups.
Cuomo said that he wanted a special session to tackle sweeping ethics and
campaign -
finance reform changes, including the
public financing of political campaigns as well as a cap
on outside pay and banning employment
of state lawmakers from firms that have business before the state.
As for the claim that is widely made by good government groups and left leaning reformers that establishing a
public campaign finance system would go a long way toward getting big money out
of the
political system and reducing corruption, New Yorkers aren't really
on board.
Syracuse.com asked 14 state legislators from Central New York where they stand
on two
of the reform proposals: capping the outside income lawmakers can earn and creating a system
of public financing of political campaigns.
Look at Cuomo's statements
on public financing of political campaigns, or the Dream Act.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says he'll know in a couple
of weeks whether two key items
on his end
of session agenda will become law - an abortion rights bill and
public financing of political campaigns.
Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos would rather spend money earmarked for the
public financing of state
political campaigns go to education, reiterating his opposition to a measure introduced by Speaker Sheldon Silver in the Assembly
on Tuesday.
Cuomo's stated agenda during the
campaigns included
public financing of political campaigns (no specifics
on that, as yet), limits
on the outside income for legislators, raising the age
of criminal responsibility and extending
public tuition assistance programs to undocumented immigrants.
Speaking at the Democratic Rural Conference this month, Cuomo called
on lawmakers to approve the package, along with the Dream Act and
public financing of political campaigns.
On one side is the Democrats» minimum wage push, abortion rights,
public financing of political campaigns and college tuition assistance for students in the U.S. illegally.
Democratic Sen. Mike Gianaris
of Queens stopped by Capital Tonight
on Monday to tout his conference's ethics proposal that includes
public financing of political campaigns, restrictions
on using
campaign dollars for criminal defense and stripping those convicted
of public corruption
of their pensions through a constitutional amendment.
Several Move
On and Occupy members braved a chill wind and snow to demonstrate outside the State Capitol in favor
of the state's adopting a
public small donor matching fund to
finance political campaigns.
They have
public financing of campaigns in New York City and it has not created competitive
campaigns or
political diversity
on the council.
A statewide
public financing system to elevate average New Yorkers» voices in our elections, buttressed by other comprehensive reforms — like lower limits
on how much one person can contribute to a
political candidate (now at an outrageous $ 60,800 for statewide candidates per election cycle) and strong independent enforcement
of campaign finance laws — will reduce the power
of big money special interests.
Until we insist
on political party
finance reform or at least boycott the parties that are the greatest beneficiaries
of the theft
of public funds, we will be fooling ourselves for believing the anti-corruption
campaigns of our experienced politicians.
New Yorkers also gave a thumbs up to other items
on the governor's agenda, including the raising the minimum wage, at 83 % to 15 %, and
public financing of political campaigns at 59 % to 36 %.
Good government groups see the pension forfeiture measure as a token reform and have pressed for the closing
of the «LLC loophole» that allows businesses to create multiple limited liability companies to donate virtually unlimited amounts
of campaign cash;
public financing of candidate campaigns; the end of lump sum appropriations in the budget; limits on political contributions by companies with business before the state; limits on legislators» outside income; and a renovation of Albany's ethics watchdog, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (J
public financing of candidate
campaigns; the end
of lump sum appropriations in the budget; limits
on political contributions by companies with business before the state; limits
on legislators» outside income; and a renovation
of Albany's ethics watchdog, the Joint Commission
on Public Ethics (J
Public Ethics (JCOPE).
During the first week
of January, the Massachusetts Office
of Campaign and
Political Finance announced it had levied a $ 31,000 fine on Strong Economy for Growth (SEFG), charging the group violated finance laws in 2016 by not making public its contri
Finance announced it had levied a $ 31,000 fine
on Strong Economy for Growth (SEFG), charging the group violated
finance laws in 2016 by not making public its contri
finance laws in 2016 by not making
public its contributors.