To: The New York State House and The New York State Senate
End the corrupting influence of money in politics: Pass Fair Elections Now!
It's time to put voters first in Albany. Pass a comprehensive campaign reform bill for all New York state elections based on public financing of campaigns, lower contribution limits, and stronger disclosure rules that will keep lobbyists and corporations from stealing our democracy.
Why is this important?
Yesterday, a State Senator and a City Councilmember were arrested. Their crime? Allegedly trying to buy an election.
There will surely be calls for the arrested officials to resign. But that won't solve the real problem here. We must end the corrupting influence of money in politics, once and for all.
Why did they think they could get away with it? "That's politics, that's politics, it's all about how much," the arrested Councilmember explained in a wiretapped conversation. "Not about whether or will, it's about how much, and that's our politicians in New York, they're all like that, all like that. And they get like that because of the drive that the money does for everything else. You can't do anything without the f***ing money."
But the problem goes much deeper than bribes. It's the legalized corruption of campaign contributions that really poisons our system.
We can't afford to let New York be bought by the highest bidder.
There will surely be calls for the arrested officials to resign. But that won't solve the real problem here. We must end the corrupting influence of money in politics, once and for all.
Why did they think they could get away with it? "That's politics, that's politics, it's all about how much," the arrested Councilmember explained in a wiretapped conversation. "Not about whether or will, it's about how much, and that's our politicians in New York, they're all like that, all like that. And they get like that because of the drive that the money does for everything else. You can't do anything without the f***ing money."
But the problem goes much deeper than bribes. It's the legalized corruption of campaign contributions that really poisons our system.
We can't afford to let New York be bought by the highest bidder.