For immediate release: January 4, 2012
Contact: Dave Palmer, Executive Director, Center for Working Families // Cell: (917) 482-7251
Statement from Dave Palmer, Executive Director,
on Governor Cuomo’s State of the State Address
“The Governor’s commitment to submit a bill to create a system of public financing of elections is a bold and critically important proposal, and Governor Cuomo will be a candidate for good government knighthood when it passes. The Center for Working Families, along with our state and national allies, stand ready to help him get it done.
“It’s no secret: big contributors too often get big policy results—even if they aren’t in the state’s best interests. Matching small campaign donations with public dollars is the single best way to reduce the reliance of politicians on big money and give the rest of us a voice.
“This isn’t just rhetoric. Michael Malbin, executive director of the Campaign Finance Institute, an organization mentioned in the Governor’s written Annual Message, recently spoke at our annual policy conference and provided compelling evidence. Malbin noted noted [see slide 32] that if a public financing system similar to New York City’s were applied to New York State, the percentage of dollars coming from small donors would increase from 3 percent to 54 percent, while the percentage of large donors would drop from 31 percent to 15 percent.
“Less reliance on big donors via public financing would mean less corruption, less fiscal waste and better policies for the 99 percent.”
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