Common Cause Blog

Cleaning up is hard to do

When Connecticut Common Cause helped to get the Citizens Elections Program passed in Connecticut, we always expected enemies of clean election reform to try and raid the fund. What we didn't expect to see was Leaders who helped pass the reform vote to use the fund as their own personal ATM machine. Yet last night law makers voted overwhelmingly to raid $5 million from the Citizen Elections Fund to help address the looming budget crisis here.

There were other options. $25 million in unclaimed bottle deposits could have been claimed instead. However, lobbyists for the beverage companies moved quickly to influence legislators and save the $25 million to line the pockets of the companies they represent. Instead, they took the untainted Citizen Election Funds that are designed to clean up Connecticut elections.

While the $5 million taken from the Citizens Election Fund represents 0.27% of the overall $18.4 billion budget, it is a major hit for the Citizen Elections Program itself. This program was created in order to remove the taint of corruption from Connecticut politics and restore public trust in their elected officials. How can trust be restored when Leaders who helped pass this program vote to raid it at the first opportunity?

As the old saying goes . . . if you're not outraged, you're not paying attention.

Connecticut's public financing program already making big waves

Small donors and public funding are powering 75% of the candidates running for state legislature in Connecticut this year. It's the first year of the state's new Citizens' Elections Program, and that's a fantastic start. The New York Times took note of this exciting progress today:

The big story about public financing of campaigns nationally has been Barack Obama's decision to opt out of the national system. But what's unfolding in Connecticut may end up being far more influential.

What's unfolding? Three-quarters of the candidates are not relying on wealthy donors and special interest money to run for office. They're raising small contributions, and those contributions are amplified by public funds to give them enough to run a competitive race -- which means elected officials who aren't accountable to wealthy campaign donors but to regular voters and small donors.

Connecticut's initial success is remarkable; the Times acknowledges, "Connecticut's initial experience has exceeded the expectations of even its most enthusiastic supporters." Yet the media have been largely missing or distorting this demand for reform around the country.

Election Day Registration: Bringing it to Connecticut

On Tuesday, about 40 activists turned out to hear a terrific round table discussion on bringing Election Day Registration to Connecticut. The event was held in beautiful Dwight Hall on Yale University campus. We discussed the ins and outs of EDR, and how we could get it passed in Connecticut this year.

When I started organizing the forum on Election Day Registration, I wondered if anyone would attend. Actually, in this case, "wondered" equals fretted, worried, obsessed, etc. After all, EDR isn't as compelling an issue as say, getting your favorite Presidential candidate elected, which is what folks are concentrating on at the moment. But it matters. A lot. Each presidential election year we see so many people work their hearts out on campaigns, which is a wonderful thing. We also see so many people bemoaning the state of voting rights in the United States, and worrying about voter suppression. Passion runs high - will the election be fair? Will we have to take to the streets? Do we really still live in a Democracy? Will the other side be able to steal the election?

All of this passion and concern is terrific. However, once the election is over, the fervor dies down. Sometimes it is slower to fade away, but it inevitably does. Activists who played such a big part in the GOTV effort go back to their daily lives and families. Concerned citizens vowing to take to the streets over voter fraud stay home and watch TV once more. Activism is hard. It is tiring and at times frustrating. People can hardly be blamed for wanting a breather in between big races. But in order for reform to candidate of the hour has been elected or defeated. That is a challenge.

Competitive Connecticut

One of the hopes of the Citizens Election Program is that more people will participate - more candidates, greater diversity, fewer unopposed races, more citizens getting involved in the process. Another hope is that the races will be competitive. Connecticut's primaries are over, and we can get a glimpse of how public financing is working. Connecticut is the land of steady habits. In our case, steady habits have meant that over the past several decades, incumbents in the legislature are among the safest in the nation. While that can work well in many cases where the incumbents do a great job, democracy thrives on competition. If incumbents feel too safe, they can lost their sense of being accountable to the people they represent. Healthy competition insures that candidates strive for re-election, and spend time with their constituents.

How has the Citizens Election program faired over the first batch of primaries? Quite well, it would appear. Normally Connecticut sees at most a dozen primaries in the legislative races. This year there were 18. While incumbents remained somewhat safe, one challenger prevailed in Bridgeport, and several party endorsed candidates were defeated. As well, the number of unopposed races has dropped fairly dramatically. According to numbers from the Secretary of State's office show the number dropping from 71 unopposed races in 2006, to 60 this year. At least 70% of the candidates running in Connecticut will use the program, and many of them have indicated overall satisfaction with the Citizens Election Program so far.

I've spoken with at least five candidates who said they never would have thought of running for office if CEP weren't available. From single moms and retired bankers, to a retired cop living in the poorest of neighborhoods, folks from all walks of life are stepping up and offering their skills and ideas to the people of Connecticut. Many candidates, incumbents and challengers alike, are thrilled with the time they have free from fundraising that they can spend attending community events and walking neighborhoods. People who are facing tight budgets can give five dollars to their candidate and know they made a real difference.

It's summer time and the living in easy. But not in Connecticut. In Connecticut, Democracy is hard at work.

From Corrupticut to a Leader in Ethics Reform - More Thoughts on Connecticut

Connecticut is a cute little state with lots to recommend it. We have miles of shoreline, the best pizza on the planet (honest!), fabulous universities, proximity to both New York and Boston (makes for some interesting baseball discussions at times), quaint white churches, and many other delights. Why then, did the "Land of Steady Habits" gain the habit of corruption? Mayors had problems with cocaine, sex crimes, taking bribes, you name it - and then Governor Rowland excelled in corruption and accepting hot tubs from contractors. So much went wrong in such a small state. Perhaps the corruption had its roots in the contrast of the extraordinary wealth of Fairfield County with the stark poverty present in Bridgeport and Waterbury.

The true reasons why may never be elucidated, but the entrenched corruption did no favors to Connecticut's residents. This is why the ethics reform passed last week is so remarkable. For Connecticut to become one of the leading states in ethics reform took major efforts on both the part of the legislature and the advocacy groups that strive every day to protect the citizens in our fair state. Both legislators and activists have wrestled for years to try and enact reform that would be fair and comprehensive. One issue that was especially difficult to grapple with was the issue of pension revocation. There were heated arguments on both sides of this issue which searched for middle ground. Finally, reform was passed that included pension revocation, but left it up to the court's discretion on whether to remove a pension in response to wrong doing by a state employee. With some wiggle room left for discretion and compassion, the legislation was able to move forward with supporters on all sides, but it took a great effort and much debate to get there.

Connecticut Common Cause played a major part in getting the ethics reform bill passed. For years we worked with GAE committee leaders on drafting pension revocation language that was both effective and judicious. This year, we tried to facilitate communications between the House and Senate in adopting a ethics bill that was acceptable to all. Finally, Common Cause held a joint press conference with legislative leaders on the legislation to shore up public support and ensure that the Governor would back the bill. Our efforts paid off, and Connecticut will face the future with a clean face and a fresh start.

Passing Ethics Where it Counts - Connecticut Steps Up to the Plate

Imagine getting a note from your bosses' go to guy requesting a donation - to a favorite charity, to the bosses' bonus fund, to his or her kid's school. The note said, "You'd better pony up for this!" What would you do? Well, in all likelihood, you would whip out your checkbook and start writing. In this economic climate especially, no one wants to put their job in jeopardy.

But how would it make you feel? Somewhat used, I imagine. Perhaps resentful. What if your boss was an elected official, and the chief of staff was hitting you up for a contribution to the bosses' campaign fund? You can't say no and expect to get a good job review ever again, and your boss gets a guaranteed flow of funds into his or her campaign coffers. Oh well, that's the way the game is played, right?

Citizens' Elections Program takes off in Connecticut

The Connecticut Citizens' Election Program handed the first election grants to qualified candidates at a press conference Tuesday that included some of the state's most prominent elected officials.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, House Majority Leader Rep. Chris Donovan, Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz and many other officials were on hand to celebrate the arrival of the long-awaited campaign finance reform.

"We expect that we will be changing the face of the elections in CT for good and yes forever. These reforms make Connecticut a national leader in electoral reforms and in fact I believe we are a model for the rest of the nation."

So far, according to the State Elections Enforcement Commission, 145 candidates have opted into the program, though that number is expected to significantly increase in the coming weeks. CT News Junkie wrote:

Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz said it's estimated that 70 to 80 percent of candidates will participate in public financing this year, which is historic when compared to Maine and Arizona where the participation rate was about 30 percent in the first year. She said a federal survey a few years ago found that over time both Maine and Arizona experienced significant increases in the amount of candidates contesting races in both primaries and general elections. And voter participation in these two states has risen about 10 percent since public financing was enacted, Bysiewicz noted. CT News Junkie, June 3, 2008