Cleaning up
The folks at Democracy North Carolina - you know, the guys who filed the original complaint that lead to the downfall of former House Speaker Jim black – have a new website up. From their news release:
The group that sparked the investigation into Jim Black's campaign financing is launching a new website -- CleanUpRaleigh.com -- to rally support with a petition calling for fundamental reform.The new website of Democracy North Carolina, the Carrboro-based watchdog group, says, "It began with video poker and ended with revelations about secret cash payoffs in bathrooms. It's more than a sick joke. The scandals swirling around ex-Speaker Jim Black have exposed the stench of dirty money, dirty deals, and dirty pay-to-play politics."
"We hope to get several thousand people to sign the petition," said Antony Khamala, a field organizer for the group. "E-organizing can be an effective way for people to express their outrage about the mess in Raleigh and support for a clean campaign finance system."
Click here to link to the site, worth the trip if only to giggle at the sad little inmate stuck behind bars shaped like a dollar sign.
Once there, you can sign a petition that reads:
I'm sick of the dirty money in NC politics. We need to put power in the hands of voters, not wealthy special interests. We should create a "clean" source of campaign funds for candidates who focus on voters, not fundraising. A public financing program will allow average people to run for office and reduce the influence of big-money donors. It's time to CLEAN UP RALEIGH!
Public financing, for those who don’t know, basically involves spending tax dollars on campaigns. In most systems, would-be officials have to raise enough small donations from multiple sources to qualify for help. The legislature has been pretty resistant to the idea, with fire coming from budget hawks who don’t like spending tax dollars on anything to folks who gripe that such systems impinge on donors’ freedom of speech.