Woodrow and Murphy for Assembly
WHY YOU SHOULD FAVOR PUBLICLY FUNDED ELECTIONS
Our statements about Campaign Finance Reform, also known as Clean Elections or Clean Money, are on the Home page of this website. We have also included links to other people’s articles on the subject.
We will add some additional thoughts here, directed especially towards those who balk at spending taxpayer money to finance campaigns.
a). Democracy is at stake. Corporate interests are backing both major parties so that whichever candidate is elected is beholden to them. We effectively have government by big moneyed interests at present.
b). Free enterprise is also at stake. The largest and richest corporations are the ones influencing legislation via their campaign money. They are receiving tax breaks, bidless government contracts, a lack of regulation, and other forms of corporate welfare. Smaller businesses cannot compete against these advantages. That is why the giant corporations keep getting bigger and their competitors keep disappearing.
c). The public financing of elections will eventually pay for itself many times over. Because when we have lawmakers who are not financially tied to corporations they will be free to put an end to the various forms of corporate welfare that are draining money from all levels of government.
WHY YOU SHOULD VOTE GREEN
Many voters are concerned that voting for Green Party candidates will “spoil” the chances of Democrats and result in elections being won by Republicans in 3-way races. We have some responses to that.
a). These days the Democrats are just as tainted by corporate money as the Republicans, so that their differences on the issues are minor. The Democrats are holding on to their traditional base of support (labor, minorities, women, working families, folks on fixed incomes, environmentalists, etc) by their reputation alone. They have done virtually nothing for these groups for many years now, other than spouting the traditional rhetoric. The laws being passed in congress, with bipartisan culpability (for example the de-regulation of various industries over a number of years and capital-friendly international trade agreements), are steps backward for these groups.
b). The Democrats bank on the support of the above-mentioned groups, knowing that they will not vote Republican because the Democrats’ positions on the issues have “historically” been better for these groups. The Democrats have no fear of losing these voters, there-for they can take them for granted, ignore them, and pass legislation which serves their corporate financiers.
c). Voting for Democrats just because the Republicans are deemed worse results in a vicious cycle of backsliding.
In order to end this vicious cycle, something has to change. Clean Elections are the one change which can cut the corporate strings. Cutting these financial ties will free lawmakers of all parties to serve the people they represent.
But the conundrum is this… how do you motivate legislators who are benefiting from corporate money to pass Clean Election laws? Answer… only by threatening to vote for someone else. And how do you convince them that the threat is real? Only by actually voting for someone else. And to keep voting for someone else unless and until your “traditional” party supports Clean Elections in both word and deed.
It may take a few near losses to bring the Democrats to a point where they support Clean Elections. It may take a few actual losses to Greens. It may take a few losses to Republicans in 3-way races. It may even take a lot of losses before they come around and do the right thing. But the importance of achieving Clean Elections is immeasurable for all the reasons noted above.
Once the Democrats are serious about Clean Elections the Republicans will be forced to come clean as well in order to compete politically. We can get this enacted into law. This will be a huge advance for our society and our democracy. It may even be the salvation of both.
We urge you to begin “convincing” the Democrats now, during an odd-year election. In addition to telling the lawmakers in Trenton how you feel, a strong showing by the Green Party now could spark a serious national debate on the Clean Election issue for next year’s presidential and congressional elections.
(Naturally, Republicans and independents who place a high value on Clean Elections are urged to help us get the debate started as well).
That is why you should vote for us. Thank you.
Please help us spread our message. Neither we candidates nor the Green Party itself accept money from corporations, PACs, or special interests.
Contributions may be made to:
Murphy and Woodrow for Assembly
P.O. Box 566
Sewell, NJ 08080
Daytime phone: 856-468-1000 extension 2463.
Website:https://www.angelfire.com/nj4/greenparty
