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.

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.

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.

The first of July marks many things.  It is early summer, the kids are out of school, cook outs and firework outings are being planned.  Vacations are nearing, and thoughts turn to sun, sand, and swimming.  The hammock in the back yard swings invitingly, and the lemonade is in the fridge.  Time to sit back and dangle one's toes in the water . . .

But hold on - It is also campaign season.  As others are winding down, candidates all over Connecticut are out door knocking, lit dropping, and doing their best to make their case to the voters.  Connecticut's local conventions have been had, and most candidates have their place on the ballot and have filed their citizens election forms.  With all of this already done - is it too late to decide to run for office?  No, it is not!

Candidates can still use a petition drive to get themselves on the ballot, and can still participate in the Citizens Election Program.  In order to be listed on the ballot, candidates need to garner petition signatures equal to 1% of the number of votes cast in the last election for the office being sought.  But why stop there?  If the candidate keeps going and gets signatures equal to 10% of the votes cast, he or she can get a partial grant from the CEP program.  But heck, now that you have your team in place to get signatures anyway - go for broke!  Signatures equal to 20% of the votes cast in the last election will get a candidate the full Citizens Election grant.  This is really an unprecedented opportunity for petitioning and minor party candidates to be on equal footing with major party candidates.

So all of you folks who ever thought of running for office, get motivated and get out there! With such a great opportunity in front of you, now is not the time to dangle your toes in the water.  Now is the time to get a team together and get signatures and run for office!  There'll be plenty of time to sit back and have a beer in November.

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.

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?

Last week we in the Connecticut office were fortunate enough to have Bob Edgar visit our small state.  While planning his visit, we  knew we had to have at least one event with our activist community.  We are so lucky in Connecticut to have a large group of people dedicated to grassroots activity.  They've stood on street corners every Saturday for five years holding up signs to try and stop the Iraq War.  They came in droves to phone bank for campaign finance reform.  They door knock and lit drop and attend rallies and marches.  Connecticut Activists Rock!  And in August of 2006 they helped pull off a primary upset that sent signals around the nation when Ned Lamont beat Senator Lieberman. But as the war wears on, as our national government continues to be run my the money machine, as our media keeps on embracing its role as the corporate mouth piece, activists are getting tired.  Is their tireless work actually producing any fruit?

What better way to help keep these dedicated troops energized and to introduce Dr. Edgar to some of the best folks in the state then by hosting a forum with both Dr. Edgar and Ned Lamont?  Both of these men know first hand how important the grassroots are to any effort to speak truth to power - and so the plan was set in motion.  Follow me after the jump and I'll tell you how the evening went.

They say that one of the best ways of dealing with high blood pressure is to get more exercise.  I've been thinking about how this applies to the political sphere.  Every time I hear some political figure say something stupid on TV my blood boils.  Some people throw their shoes at the TV.  That is a little bit of exercise.  Others put up well thought out blog posts online.  That is a bit better, though less aerobic.  But, if you want a real workout that will make you feel a lot better, try this.  Try running for office.

Connecticut's public funding of campaigns makes it much easier to get started, sort of like one of those discount offers that gyms have to try and get you in the door.  This isn't to say that you won't have to work hard.  You will.  It remains a challenge to think out a strong persuasive message.  It remains a challenge to get the necessary small donors to give you enough to qualify for public financing.  It remains a challenge to get out and talk with as many voters as possible.  I know. I did it.  I did it before there was the public financing, so the fundraising was even more difficult.