On April 25, 2007 the membership of Democrats For New Politics passed the following resolution:

Democrats For New Politics Resolution Regarding Clean Elections in New York State

WHEREAS, Democrats for New Politics is an independent Democratic organization established in 1968 that believes that our state government should be “by the people, for the people” and that our elected officials should not be beholden to special interests and should be accountable to the citizens of New York State;

WHEREAS, In his first State of the State Address on January 3, 2007 New York Governor Eliot Spitzer stated:

“Full public financing must be the ultimate goal of our reform effort.  By cutting off the demand for private money, we will cut off the special interest influence that comes with it.”

WHEREAS,  “Clean Money, Clean Elections” would institute a full public financing system for election campaigns under which candidates, who agree to limit spending and collect only a limited number of small individual contributions, qualify for a set amount of public funds to run their campaigns; and

WHEREAS, “Clean Money, Clean Elections” levels the playing field and gives people from many different backgrounds a fair shot at getting elected without owing favors to special interest groups, their contributors, and lobbyists, and the public benefits from having good people from diverse backgrounds with new ideas helping to shape public policy; and

WHEREAS,“Clean Money, Clean Elections” focuses candidates and elected officials on the needs of all voters and not just deep-pocketed special interests; and

WHEREAS, “Clean Money, Clean Elections” has proven to be successful. Maine and Arizona have been using “Clean Money, Clean Elections” for four election cycles and Connecticut passed a “Clean Money, Clean Elections” bill for their statewide and legislative races beginning with the 2008 elections; and

WHEREAS, while there will be a public cost to funding elections, such cost would transparent; and

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,that Democrats for New Politics strongly endorses the principles of the “Clean Money, Clean Elections” and pledges to urge our elected officials to enact legislation for full public financing of campaigns in New York State.