November 11, 2007
at University of Washington
Clean Campaigns Forum
Public funding of campaigns
for cities and local jurisdictions

  


Clean Campaigns Panel: Jim Street, Janice Thompson, Mark Miloscia, Nick Licata, Paul Loeb


The Kane Hall audience viewed this video by Frances Moore Lappe as an introduction.



Marcee Stone, WPC President, told us a huge ongoing bribery scandal in Alaska has provoked a public campaigns movement. We prefer not to let that happen in our state!

Jim Street, former Judge and Seattle City Council member, related the history of public campaigns in Seattle.
  



Janice Thompson of Democracy Reform Oregon described the bumpy road to public campaigns in her state. The group has been monitoring the effect of money on politics for a number of years.
Rep. Mark Miloscia says public campaigns may result in future tough races for him as challengers gain entry, but he wants that. "I want to save my party, the Democratic Party, from becoming a party for the moneyed interests."		  

Paul Loeb, author of Soul of a Citizen and editor of The Impossible Will Take a Little While, says the present system ensures that most U.S. citizens feel very little investment in their own political system.
Nick Licata of the Seattle City Council notes that much of campaign literature is interchangeable. He says it's tempting to make 5 phone calls to big donors and worry about pleasing them, rather than thousands of ordinary voters. 		 


Audience questions included: how to convince big labor unions to support public campaigns,
when they think they can influence elections by large donations? Answer: Relying on
money power, labor unions are losing the battle with huge corporations. They would be
better off building their membership and influence with voters in a public campaigns system.
Krista, WPC volunteer, greets guests in Kane Hall. Display by Dina Lydia
shows viewers the purpose and progress of Washington Public Campaigns.


Forum Panel: Jim Street, Paul Loeb, Nick Licata, Marcee Stone, Janice Thompson, Mark Miloscia

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