WV Citizens for Clean Elections launches video contest. Cash prizes to be awarded. Click here for more information.

Video: "Clean Elections, Changing the Face of America"

May 2008 In the Trenches newsletter

Top Democrats and Republicans just announced a groundbreaking bill to make our elections more democratic with public financing.

Can you imagine if people could be elected to Congress without massive wealth and without begging for campaign cash from big donors? Congress wouldn't owe corporate lobbyists any favors. That's why those very lobbyists will work overtime to kill this exciting reform.

Let's work to make Congress answer to the people. The first step is to gather 200,000 signatures for this petition: "Congress must pass public financing to make our elections fair."

Can you help out by signing this petition to Congress? It's really easy -- just click the here.

Read an interview with West Virginia Clean
Elections supporter Senator Dan Foster

Download the Clean Elections Brochure
and more from our Resources Page

Children's Health or Big Money Donors? 
Watch the ad for Big Money Mitch

Challenge Grant Goal of $15,000 met 

Thanks to the generosity of our partners and supporters, the coalition's $15,000 goal for our challenge grant was met by the April 30 deadline! Thank you so much for your assistance! These challenge grants are a primary source of funding for our work on public campaign financing and are very important to the continuation of the effort. We could not reach these fundraising goals without your support and commitment!
 

Fixing Democracy: The Clean Election Movement

Look Who's Signed the Clean Election Pledge!

Dems Must End Legalized Bribery of Campaign Finance

Our political system is broken. The officials we elect to represent us instead spend their time chasing big campaign checks and using their votes to do political favors for big-money special interests and lobbyists.

It's time to do something about it – and we can.

By enacting a system of public financing for elections we can cut the ties between politicians and the big-money special interests and lobbyists who currently fund their campaigns. It's called Clean Elections, and it's already working in seven states and two cities across the country.

Click here now to sign the petition to enact real campaign reform  at the National Level by passing the Clean Money, Clean Elections Act.

Under Clean Elections, qualified candidates who agree to forgo all private contributions and follow strict spending limits receive public financing for their campaigns, freeing them from having to chase campaign donations from big money special interests and lobbyists.

It's a system that's proven to work. Clean Elections has been in place in Arizona since 2000 and has already reshaped the state's politics. Ten out of 11 statewide officials in Arizona - including Gov. Janet Napolitano - ran and won "clean" by accepting public financing.

Under a Clean Elections program, voters can go to the polls knowing that candidates will answer to them, not big-money, special-interest contributors. 

We are working to establish the Clean Elections system here in West Virginia. Visit this website often for updates on ways you can advance Clean Elections here. And remember to sign the national petition to:

"Ethics Liquidators" - a Mark Fiore animation

The success of Maine and Arizona's Clean Election system is documented in a short video, "The Road to Clean Elections" narrated by journalist Bill Moyers. If you would like to receive a copy to share with your friends, neighbors, or others please contact us at ohvec@ohvec.org or call 304-522-0246.