2010-10-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

CLEAN ELECTIONS AND CLEAN REPRESENTATION 101

MONEY IN POLITICS is a problem !

This site is dedicated to the growth of the idea that WE THE PEOPLE deserve elected officials that are responsive to WE THE PEOPLE and not beholden (or even perceived to be beholden) to special interest money.

If you believe that WE THE PEOPLE deserve local, state, and federal governments that are truly of, by, and for WE THE PEOPLE - and committed to the public good not the special interests of a few elites - READ ON !

If you care about health care, education, the environment, energy independence, the economy, peace/justice, corporatism, election integrity, and other important issues; then you should care about the idea of CLEAN ELECTIONS and CLEAN REPRESENTATION. There is a major reason why our elected officials at all levels can't move off the dime to solve these problems, and that reason is BIG MONEY IN POLITICS.

Big money that buys access and influence for elite special interests, dominates our policies and corrupts our politics. The best way to get big money out of politics is to cut politicians' dependence on big campaign contributions and special favors while in office. It all comes down to one thing: the mother of all issues is CLEAN ELECTINS/CLEAN REPRESENTATION/MONEY IN POLITICS !

This site contains information from and links to groups that also think that Clean Elections/Clean Representation/Money in Politics is "the mother of all issues."

If you support the idea of "Clean Elections and Clean Representation", learn more about this important issue and take action to correct the situation.

(Feedback welcome at tomulrich41 @ gmail.com)
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GET INVOLVED, STAY INFORMED, AND TAKE ACTION ON THIS ISSUE

Place To Start - Watch these videos and read about the issue
1. Video "Clean Elections, Changing The Face of America" at http://www.publicampaign.org/video (15m)
2. Video "Bill Moyers on the Influence of Money in Government" at http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07102009/watch3.html (4m)
3. Videos from Money in Politics Conference (5/09) at http://www.brennancenter.org/content/pages/money_in_politics_2009_new_horizons_for_reform

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NATIONAL GROUPS THAT SUPPORT CLEAN ELECTIONS AND CLEAN REPRESENTATION - Many have information about the issue and a newsletter to help you Get Involved, Stay Informed, and Take Action!

1. Public Campaign at http://www.publicampaign.org/
2. Americans for Campaign at http://www.youstreet.org/
3. Common Cause at
http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=4764307
4. Brennan Center for Justice at http://www.brennancenter.org/content/section/category/campaign_finance_reform/
5. Public Citizen at http://www.citizen.org/congress/
6. Center for Voting and Democracy at http://www.FairVote.org
7. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Wahington at http://www.citizensforethics.org/
8. Center for Responsive Politics at http://www.opensecrets.org/
9. Democracy 21 at http://www.democracy21.org/
10. Change Congress at http://change-congress.org/
11. Democracy Matters at http://www.democracymatters.org/
12. Fix Congress First at http://www.fixcongressfirst.org/
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NATIONAL PROPOSAL - THE FAIR ELECTIONS NOW ACT

1. Fair Elections Now Act at http://www.fairelectionsnow.org/
2. Fair Elections Now Act Summary
http://www.FairElectionsNow.org/more/summary
3. Contact Your Representative Now About This Issue at http://action.citizen.org/t/6693/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1301

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STATE/CITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT THIS IDEA

1. Directory of State-based Government Watchdogs at http://citizensforethics.org/state-ethics#
2. Maine Citizens for Clean Elections at http://www.mainecleanelections.org/
3. Democracy North Carolina at http://www.democracy-nc.org/index.shtml
4. New Jersey Citizen Action at http://www.njcitizenaction.org/cfr.html
5. Connecticut Citizens Action Group at http://www.ccag.net/issues/good-government
6. California Clean Money Campaign at http://www.caclean.org/
7. Portland Oregon Follow the Money at http://www.oregonfollowthemoney.org/CampaignReform/Portland/portlandoverview.htm
8. Pennsylvania groups
- Common Cause PA - http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.aspc=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=4846315
- Committee of Seventy - http://www.seventy.org/COS_HM_Home.aspx
- Democracy Rising PA - http://www.democracyrisingpa.com/.
- PennPIRG - http://www.pennpirg.org/
- Election Reform Network - http://www.electionreformnetwork.us/
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FACT SHEETS ON CLEAN ELECTIONS

1. Public Campaign Fact Sheets on the Money's Effect on the Political Process at http://www.publicampaign.org/fact-sheets
2. Democracy North Carolina Info Sheets on Clean Elections at http://www.democracy-nc.org/nc/voeact/default.shtml
3. Democraty North Carolina Fact Sheets at http://www.democracy-nc.org/Factsheets.shtml
4. Maine Clean Election Fact Sheets at http://www.mainecleanelections.org/factsheets.html
5. Arizona Clean Elections at http://www.azcleanelections.gov/home.aspx
6. Minnesota Partial Public Financing at http://www.uvm.edu/~vlrs/PoliticalProcess/MinnesotaPublicFinancing.pdf
7. Web Site that connects the dots between money and votes at http://maplight.org/us-congress
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Clean Elections 101 (Plus)