California must adopt public financing of elections to ensure our elected officials work for all Californians and not just those with big money. Today, there is no greater obstacle to honest, open, and responsive representative government than the current campaign finance scheme. This funding system requires candidates to raise millions of dollars to run for office. The result is candidates spend much of their time trying to raise money rather than meeting with constituents and addressing the critical issues impacting residents’ lives.

Special interests are only too happy to give candidates the money needed to compete in their races. In return, these same candidates are obliged to look favorably on contributors’ interests once they are elected to office – despite claims to the contrary. It’s called buying influence and, sadly, this influence is often diametrically opposed to the best interests of the constituents these same candidates were elected to represent.

We need to enact full public financing of campaigns and elections to eliminate this buying and selling of our public officials. Our democratic form of government is certainly is worth a few dollars each year to ensure the People of California are the only “special interests” our elected officials represent.

Public financing not only levels the playing field among candidates, it helps attract the best and brightest people to run for public office rather than just those who can raise the millions of dollars required to compete. Arizona and Maine are Clean Money states and examples of how public financing has worked well where implemented.

I take great pride in being a co-author and long-time advocate for Assembly Bill 583 – The California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act – which will bring public financing of campaigns to California. With your help, we can ensure California finally has significant campaign finance reform.