Hawaii Clean Elections

From dKosopedia

Hawai'i Clean Elections (HCE) is a non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)(4) that lobbies Hawaii's policy makers and organizes voters in order to pass a Voter-Owned Elections program through the Hawai`i State Legislature and other bodies of Hawai`i government.

According to the HCE website,

"Voter Owned Elections (VOE), is a new method of funding political campaigns that reduces the influence of special interest money and allows candidates and elected officials to be accountable to the public - rather than to big donors. Publicly funded campaigns -- called "Clean Elections" in Maine and Arizona -- allow citizens with demonstrated community support the opportunity to run for elected office and receive adequate funding to get their message out to the voters."

Also stated in the website,

"In the fall of 1997, a group of advocates formed Hawai`i Clean Elections to legally lobby elected officials. The growing list of state and municipal governments which have indeed passed some form of comprehensive public funding have done so through voter initiative - which Hawai`i does not enjoy. We must pass the program through the State Legislature and it is now clear that many elected officials simply do not want the perceived competition the new system might bring. There is also great opposition from the corporate and business lobbyiests and myriad other vested special interests who enjoy the control and access that significent campaign contributions bring. The status quo is not easily moved. HCE advocates began lobbying the city councils and legislature, and in 2003 and 2004 the organization received grants to hire experienced political lobbyists to help advance our legislation.

Hawai`i Clean Elections' mission is to restore the democratic principle of one-person, one vote by (1) Reducing the escalating cost of campaigning; (2) leveling the electoral field so that any qualified candidate has the opportunity to run for office regardless of wealth or access to it; (3) eliminating the undue influence of large contributors; (4) breaking the connection between the influence of special interest money and elections; and (5) freeing the candidate and public official from the burdens of fundraising and allowing them more time to serve the public interest. "

External Links

Voter-Owned Hawaii
Brannon, Johnny. Few takers for 'free' public campaign money Honolulu Advertiser, November 20, 2006.

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This page was last modified 17:16, 20 November 2006 by dKosopedia user Jbet777. Based on work by dKosopedia user(s) BartFraden, Patrick0Moran and Allamakee Democrat. Content is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.