Talking Points on Public Financing

Problems with the current system:

• Politicians spend more time begging for money from wealthy interests than serving ordinary constituents.
• Large donors expect and receive access to politicians, tax breaks, and subsidies at taxpayers’ expense.
• Qualified people are hesitant to run for office unless they are independently wealthy or willing to fight for dollars.
• Voters lack good information for judging candidates.

Advantages to public financing:

• Candidates can focus on the issues that matter to voters instead of dialing for dollars.
• Representatives can make decisions based on constituent needs rather than fund-raising concerns
• Taxpayers can avoid footing the bill for special interest groups’ legislation

How it works:

• Candidates qualify for Clean Money by demonstrating broad public support. Although Clean Money bills vary from state to state and at the federal level, candidates generally qualify by meeting ballot access requirements, raising a specific amount of money in small (e.g., five dollar) donations, and collecting a set number of signatures.
• Once they opt in, candidates can spend their time on the campaign trail speaking with and listening to real voters.
• Candidates choose to be part of the Clean Money system. This is important because as a voluntary system, it meets the constitutional guidelines set out by the U.S. Supreme Court.
• Clean Money Campaign Reform builds a financially level playing field on which all candidates can compete fairly, and it maintains this level field.
• Clean Money candidates who are outspent by privately financed opponents or targeted by independent expenditures are entitled to a limited amount of matching funds to make sure the race remains competitive.
• Clean Money Campaign Reform also includes a ban on soft money, mandates free and discounted television and radio advertising (for federal candidates), requires candidates to participate in debates and strengthens the enforcement of campaign laws.

Much of the material in this package were put together by Public Campaign, and the Service Center would like to thank this organization for leading the way and offering a map to the High Road.

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