Rochester: Rally around Campaign Finance Reform

Yesterday’s Democrat and Chronicle featured an editorial and an op-ed stressing the importance of campaign finance reform.

The editorial board writes:

Give to the right party, or the right politician, and the right results will be had. That's the way things are done. That's how the game is played.

Sure, and that's also why special interests run the state Legislature, block good legislation, perpetuate the bad and keep the incumbency rate at plus-95 percent.

Nathan Jaschik of Citizens for Better Government in New York and Dorothy Borgus of the Rochester League of Women Voters get specific and argue that taxes remain high in New York because special interests have a stake in maintaining the status quo:

It's no secret that New Yorkers have one of the highest combined tax bills in the country. It's also no secret that special interests supply lots of campaign money to keep things as they are. The most effective attack we can make on high taxes is fairer elections through campaign finance reform. So what's the connection? Money!

These pieces come just in time for tonight’s forum on the subject. All Rochester-area state legislators have been invited to share with constituents their views on campaign finance in New York. Here are the details:

Brighton Memorial Library, 7pm
2300 Elmwood Ave
Rochester, NY 14618