Watching the recent protests in Hong Kong, our election day is remarkable. The protestors don’t want a ruling elite to make their choices — they want free and fair elections, with candidates they choose. It’s what we’re supposed to have here, but evidence shows that money in politics increasingly warps our elections and the decisions of those we elect.
Fortunately, we don’t have to take to the streets. We can act with a pen. After you’ve voted on Nov. 4, you can sign a petition to strengthen Maine’s Clean Elections law.
Maine was the first state in the nation to embrace public finance of legislative races. Our Clean Elections program allows regular people to run for office, without taking money from special interests. Because of Clean Elections, younger, working, middle class people — many of them women — have served in elective office. But, thanks to the Supreme Court, and notorious rulings like Citizen’s United, Clean Elections candidates are much less competitive against privately funded campaigns.
Money can make all the difference between winning and losing. It likely made a difference earlier this year. My Clean Election campaign was outspent more than 5 times over, and lost by just 10 votes.
A strong majority of Americans from all political leanings wants to take private money out of political campaigns, even as more special interest money than ever floods in. In the virtually unlimited spending that now accompanies our elections, those with the most money exercise the most influence.
That’s wrong, and that’s why I’m working with Maine Citizens for Clean Elections to collect signatures at area polls this Election Day. Please call 729-6327 to help out.
It’s time for Maine to lead again. Our nation, still, sets an example to which other nations aspire. Let’s show them how it’s done.
Jackie Sartoris
Brunswick
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