Letter To The Editor: Make Campaign Finance Reform Happen

To the Editor

Campaign Finance Reform is not a sexy issue. It’s not Gun Control, Reproductive Rights, or Voter Reform. Many are unaware of what it even means, myself included, until I attended a public forum sponsored by CCoHOPE INDIVISIBLE. The speaker from The Brennan Center for Social Justice gave a crash course in Campaign Finance Reform 101.

Big money donors give to their candidates making them beholden to them. These contributors can influence their decisions and often get them elected. If these candidates' agendas don’t represent my interests in the betterment of our country, Campaign Finance Reform must become a reality.
Small donor candidates have an uphill battle on their hands.

Big money dominates New York elections. We rank among the worst states in the country for small-donor participation. A solution: To have a multiple match public financing system.
Consider: If there was a 6-to-1 match, and I give $10 to my candidate and another $60 comes from public finds, it makes my donation worth $70!

Some benefits: Increases the importance of small donors, encouraging candidates to hear concerns from their constituents. It’s an alternative so candidates don’t have to rely on big checks from special interests.

With my new knowledge as an activist, it is my responsibility to get the word out.
Please help to make Campaign Finance Reform a reality so we can change the leadership in this country.

You don’t need to be an activist to become active.

Respectfully,

Karen Sevell Greenbaum

Croton-on-Hudson, NY