This is in response to Al Diamon’s recent editorial regarding Maine’s Clean Elections. We can all agree that our democracy isn’t working as well as it could for ordinary Americans. Wealthy special interests have far too much power in deciding who can run for public office and what public policies our representatives will consider when they are elected.
We pay the price when corporations spend millions of dollars electing “our” representatives.
We need to restore balance to our system and make it possible for local citizens to run for office. That’s what Maine’s Clean Elections does – levels the playing field and makes sure candidates listen to the voters, not big donors.
Maine voters passed Question 1 last November, and strengthened the Clean Elections Act, because we know there is a better way to have a democracy.
I urge you to find out if your candidates (Democrat, Republican, Green or Unenrolled) for State House and State Senate support full funding of Clean Elections, and ask them if they will vote to close the loophole that lets traditional candidates raise unlimited money into their own PACs.
Our democracy can work – but we have to fight for it.
Gary McGrane
Jay
Since Maine enacted the original clean election act our legislators have grown steadily more competent, industrious, honest and principled. They are taller, slimmer, wiser, prettier, thriftier, and healthier. It’s been a total transformation and that’s so obvious that nobody needs to document it.
Like those other huge success stories, tougher gun laws and pulling our troops out of Iraq!