labor support for fair elections

7/31/2019 Labor Support for Fair Elections

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MemoranduminSupport of theFairElections

VoluntaryPublicFinancingforStateElMay 11, 2012

2012 Campaign Finance Reform Act: S3584‐B (Adams)

2012 Fair Elections Act: A9885‐C (Silver), same as S7036‐A (Sampson)

We are writing to express strong support for the Fair Elections Act, which would enact a vo

financing system for New York State legislative and statewide candidates.

SEIU 32BJ represents over 120,000 working families, 70,000 of whom live and work in New

and supers, office and school cleaners, handypersons, and security officers, 32BJ member

role in maintaining the homes, workplace and security of New Yorkers, and are invested in

their state.

While 32BJ participates in the current campaign finance system and regularly contributes

campaigns, we strongly support a Fair Elections system because voluntary public financing

political power towards average New Yorkers—and away from wealthy donors—serving o

more effectively

than

big

checks.

Specifically, a strong system to publicly finance elections would:

• Allow elected officials to make progress in addressing the many problems that affe

people of the State of New York. Currently, legislators’ efforts are often blocked or water

corporate donors.

• Free candidates and incumbent legislators from the arduous task of raising large am

money every two years in order to ensure they can be competitive in an election.

• Promote civic participation and increase the impact of the local activists who knock

phones and organize house parties during election season



2012 Campaign Finance Reform Act: S3584-B (Adams)

2012 Fair Elections Act: A9885-C (Silver), same as S7036-A (



LEGISLATIVE MEMO: May 3, 2

Support Fair-Elections:

Create a Public Financing System


2012 Fair Elections Act: A9885-C (Silver), same as S7036-A (

What is a System of “Public Financing”?

Instead of candidates running for office by raising large contributions from corpinterests and wealthy donors, publicly-financed elections allow candidates to run for ofsmall donations from people in their community and receive public funds to run a comcampaign.

Background: Why do we need Public Financing?

Big money corporate special interests and their lobbyists hold too much sway ogovernment. Voter-owned elections would empower small donors and reduce the influwealthy interests in Albany. CWA lobbies and makes campaign donations. But we arillusions: we are hugely out-gunned by the rich and the powerful, whether it’s corporatVerizon or wealthy people who can hire connected lobbyists and write large campaign

CWA members are no different from the 99% of New Yorkers: they cannot wricampaign checks or hire lobbyists to make their voices heard. Each year, the arms race

and insider lobbying makes the problem worse. Disclosed lobbying reached $220 milland State-level election spending reached $246 million in 2010.

What would a strong system of public financing allow?

Elected officials could work more consistently on the many problems that affecand low-income people of the State of New York. Currently, legislators’ effortblocked or watered down by corporate donors and wealthy people who dominat

Candidates and incumbent legislators would not have to spend so much time raamounts of private money every two years from the rich and special interests.

Citizen activists who are not wealthy could have more impact on the system thrdonations and by knocking on doors, working the phones and organizing houseduring election season.



MemoranduminSupportofFairElections

May 3, 2012

TheHotelTradesCouncilstronglysupportsavoluntarypublicfinancingofelectionssystem

legislativeandstatewidecandidates.ThelegislatureshouldactnowtopassasystemofFa

includesmatchingfundsforsmalldonations,reasonablecontributionlimitstoallcandidate

administrationandenforcementoftheprogram.

Astrongsystemtopubliclyfinanceelectionswould:

• Allowelectedofficialstoworkconsistentlyonthemanyproblemsthataffectworking

families,includingthe30,000membersoftheHotelTradesCouncil.

• Freecandidatesandincumbentlegislatorsfromthearduoustaskofraisinglargeamou

everytwoyearsinordertoensuretheycanbecompetitiveinanelection.

• Promotecivicparticipationandincreasetheimpactofthelocalactivistswhoknockon

andorganizehousepartiesduringelectionseason

• Blunttheimpactofcorporationsandultra-wealthyindividualswhocaninfluencepolic

inmultiplesofhundredsandthousands.

Apublicmatch,liketheonethat’sofferedinNewYorkCity,wouldbeagamechanger.Candi

spendtimelisteningtoworkingfamilies,likeourmembers.Historicallydisenfranchisedcomm

opportunitytomakeagreaterimpactonelectionoutcomes.PublicfinancingofelectionswopoliticalpowertowardsregularNewYorkers—exactlywhereitbelongs.

We,therefore,supportGovernorCuomo’scalltopasspublicfinancingofelectionsthisyear

legislaturetodoso.


2012 Fair Elections Act: A9885-C (Silver), same as S7036-A



Memorandum in Support of Fair Elections

2012 Campaign Finance Reform Act: S3584-B (Adams)2012 Fair Elections Act: A9885-C (Silver), same as S7036-A (Sampso

June 4th 2012

The RWDSU encourages the passage of the Fair Elections legislation topublicly financed Fair Elections system for New York State legislative anstatewide races before the end of the 2012 legislative session.

Our organization understands the value and necessity funding a robust avibrant electoral system in New York. Indeed, our members participate helections. And those campaigns must be funded adequately. We can leplaces like New York City, and the states of Maine, Arizona and ConnectThere, public financing of elections systems with a small donor focus incgrassroots participation. Public financing also helped candidates focus tand energy on regular voters instead of on the need for large money fund

A voluntary, public matching funds system, similar to New York City’s womuch needed change New York’s elections and policy making. The city’program empowers small donors and encourages political participation bproviding a 6 to 1 match for small dollar contributions of $175 or less fromresidents. And it gives legitimate candidates with local support an alternrelying on big money contributions. Such a program would pay for itself b

the state money from wasteful public contracts and public policies that re Albany’s current “pay to play” environment.

Your support for this effort will not go unnoticed. A system of Fair Electiofinally begin to truly restore the public’s trust in our state gover nment andthat Albany can be accountable and responsive to New York’s 99%.

Support enacting Fair Elections for New York during the 2012 legisl

session.




2012 Fair Elections Act: A9885-C (Silver), same as S7036-A (Sampson)

labor support for fair elections

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