CITIZEN ACTION OF NEW YORK AND LOCAL CIVIC AND COMMUNITY GROUPS SPONSOR FORUM IN QUEENS ON STATEWIDE CLEAN ELECTIONS PLAN New York – While the Governor and Legislative leaders debate campaign finance reform a broad coalition of Queens community groups and civic activists have joined with Citizen Action of New York to sponsor a Forum on Campaign Finance Reform and Full Public Financing, to take place in Ridgewood Queens on June 7th.
WHEN: June 7, 2007, 7:15-9:00 PM
WHERE: Hosted by Ridgewood Property Owners & Civic Assoc.
IS 93, Auditorium
66-56 Forest Avenue
Ridgewood, Queens
(One block from Forest Avenue M train stop)
"There has been a groundswell of interest throughout Queens in bringing attention to this important issue," said Pam Bennett, NYC Regional Director of Citizen Action. "The power of money in politics impacts everyone by undermining the ability of average citizens to have their voices heard in government."
Among the groups co-sponsoring the event are the Ridgewood Property Owners and Civic Association, Dutch Kills Civic Association of LIC, Liberty Park Homeowners Association, the and Juniper Park Civic Association and the Oakland Garden Terrace Community Council. Elected officials from Queens have been invited to participate.
"There are real life consequences to the influence of big donors in the political process,' said Sam Esposito, Community Board 9 member. "Right now too many of our elected officials are beholden to the big developers that finance their campaigns, and small property owners and renters are not included in important decisions about development and housing issues that directly impact their lives." The real estate industry contributed over 7 million dollars in campaign contributions in 2006 alone, over 3 million dollars in 2004 and over 6.5 million dollars in 2002.
Among the Clean Elections principles the sponsoring groups support are:
- FULL PUBLIC FINANCING OF ELECTION CAMPAIGNS
- CLOSING CORPORATE/WEALTHY DONOR LOOPHOLES
- LOWERING CONTRIBUTION LIMITS
- TIGHTENING RULES FOR PERSONAL USE OF CAMPAIGN FUNDS
- STRENGTHENING ENFORCEMENT POWER OF THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS
For more information, call Pam Bennett at 212-523-0180 ext. 23 or e-mail pbennett@citizenactionny.org
3 comments:
"Dutch Kills Civic Association of LIC"
Huh? What?
Sort of like having Zimbabwe chair a UN Human Rights Commission.
A forum on election reform?
Ha, ha, ha!
More talk....talk....talk....and nothing real ever gets done!
Just give the dopey electorate another placebo!
A public referendum is what's needed on the subject!
Put it on the ballot and let the voters decide on the measures of reform that are needed!
Gee.....but that would be real democracy in action.... not the ersatz variety crammed down Queens' residents throats by the Democratic Dictatorship Party of crooked machine politicians that run our borough for their own personal benefit!!!
I would just like to take time too Thank everyone for doing what you do and make this community great im a long time reader and first time poster so i just wanted to say thanks.
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