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One of the most important
things you can do is to contact your state legislators.
Locate
your legislator
Anyone
can call the LEGISLATIVE HOTLINE, toll-free:
1-800-562-6000. Operators will assist you— even
if you don't know your legislators' names. If you give your address,
they will find your legislative district, then take a message from
you, and deliver it to your legislators.
You can also contact them by calling their
office, or by email or written letters. A personal message from
a voter in their district is more influential than hundreds of pre-printed
emails or cards.
Our
top priority for 2008: Local
Option Bill (Word doc)
The
House approved HB 1551 on January 25th, and adopting
the identical language of the House bill, the Senate approved
SB 5278 on February 13th. It allows local cities and jurisdictions
the freedom to enact their own local programs, if local
voters and elected officials so choose. It's not a mandate;
it costs the state nothing; it's overdue!
Now
the two chambers must reach agreement on which bill
to send to the governor for signing!
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Let
your legislator know that you are concerned about the problem of
politics being controlled by big money. Ask them to support public
financing of campaigns — a solution that is working in several
other states (Arizona, Maine, North Carolina, and others).
If
your legislator is a Democrat, mention the Resolution passed by
the Washington State Democratic Party and recent letter from the
state party chair Dwight Pelz, urging that public campaign legislation
be enacted.
Letter from State Chair Dwight Pelz
Use
your own words. Here is a typical message you might give:
"I'm
a constituent concerned about the growing influence of
big money on politics and public policy. I strongly support
publicly funded campaigns as a means of restoring democracy
to ordinary citizens.
As
a state legislator, how do you plan to address this issue?
Will you support public financing of campaigns?"
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In our experience talking with legislators,
many are not very knowledgeable about what has happened in Maine
and Arizona. The 2008 legislative session is an opportunity to educate
them on solutions that are actually working, and alert them that
there is support for this in their districts.
Below
are some key points to make.
With
public financing of campaigns:
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Incumbents
and candidates no longer need to spend time "dialing for
dollars." Instead, there is more time to talk with voters
and discuss important issues.
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Legislators
are freed from seeming indebted to big donors. They can vote
according to constituents' desires, without worrying that big
campaign contributors won't fund their next campaign.
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Public
financing truly gives us "government of, by, and for the
people."
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In
Arizona and Maine, states where substantial numbers of legislators
are elected through public financing of campaigns, they subsequently
have enacted tough laws bringing down the price of prescription
drugs, expanding affordable health care, and closing unnecessary
tax giveaways to special interests. These are benefits we need
in Washington!
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Public
financing of campaigns is affordable. We can do it in Washington
State for as little as $4.00 or less per resident per year.*
Even if it was $5-10 per year, isn't it worth it? - to restore
balance - and citizen voice - to our democracy.
*
The amounts spent on all statewide,
legislative and judicial campaigns, averaged for each race over
two election cycles.
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