My Proposals For

 CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

AND DEMOCRATIC PROCESS REFORM

It is only as individuals that we in the United States have the right to vote. We elect our representatives and they are charged with passing legislation on behalf of all citizens. Our forefathers did not intend that our individual actions, votes and involvement would be overshadowed by those of large and well financed organizations that are not allowed to vote.  I am committed to reform of our campaign finance systems and the process within which we make democratic decisions so as to increase individual citizen participation and confidence in our democracy.

I.  Actions Which I Am Now Taking or Will Take in Office

	Seeking contributions primarily from individuals.
	Refusing to accept contributions from PAC's (Political Action Committees)
	Striving to conduct my campaign in accordance with My Pledge To You
	Setting up interactive ways to communicate directly with me by e-mail and web site.
	Increasing contact with individuals in my Washington office by limiting the percentage of time I will allocate to organizational representatives.

II. Legislative Changes That I will Support in Office

A.  To reduce the importance of money in politics

Candidates For Federal Elections May Receive Money From Only 2 Sources

     1.   Contributions from individuals in amounts that are limited

     2.   From the public treasury 

• For primaries, qualified candidates will receive a ratio match for contributions up to certain minimum limits

• For general elections, qualified candidates will receive  public financing from general treasury revenues.

• Public funds will be allocated based upon population and media size, distribution and location.

• To qualify for public funds, a political party must receive 10% of the vote in the previous two elections and an independent must get signatures of at least 5% of all eligible voters.

Prohibit Soft Money in Federal Elections

• The national political parties and their congressional campaign committees will be prohibited from soliciting or receiving any soft money.

• State party committees will not be allowed to spend soft money on federal elections.

• Federal candidates and officeholders will be prohibited from raising, soliciting or directing any soft money.

Allow Free Broadcast Time for Candidates For Federal Election

• All broadcasting organizations, as a condition of receiving their license to use the public airways, shall be required to make time available to candidates in the period before the elections.

• All candidates receiving public financing or free broadcast time must participate in at least 2 public appearances with other candidates for the same office.

• Candidates that refuse public financing lose their free TV time privileges.

B.  To increase public participation in the democratic process

Make voter registration and voting easier

• Provide for same day voter registration by creating centralized computer databases of voter lists in each state. At the end of the election day the system would check to see if any voter had tried to vote twice. If so, both their votes would be cancelled.

• Provide for Vote-by-Mail programs tied to the same centralized computer database discussed above.

• Actively study and test the possibilities of voting over the internet.

Increase Disclosure for Issue Ads

• Amend the Lobby Disclosure Act to require that non-party committees and issue advocacy groups meet the same requirements as for party committees.

• Require disclosure of funding sources for all television and radio ads mentioning a federal candidate by name that are run by individuals and groups within thirty days of a primary and sixty days of a general election. With the exception of voter guides, prohibit corporations and labor unions from using their funds to pay for these ads and require lobbying groups to pay for these ads from sources which do not include funds from corporations or labor unions.

Increase public disclosure by candidates and corporations

• Require all candidates to file electronically with the Federal Elections Commission

• Require all corporations to indicate their political expenditures on Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

Expand and Strengthen the Federal Election Commission

• Require the FEC to enforce candidate requirements relating to use of free broadcast time.

• Increase coordination and enforcement by the FEC and the Justice Department of the criminal and civil laws governing public corruption by establishing an interagency task force.

• Provide for 7 FEC commissioners to bridge the usual partisan deadlock.