Quick summary: The Clean Elections systems of Maine and Arizona
are proving to be models for the rest of the nation. But, the
model in Arizona is making some wealthy special interests very
unhappy, so much so that they’re financing a devious ballot
initiative that could undermine the system if it passes this
November. To help prevent that from happening, click here.
In the very first AAHH message that we sent
out three years ago, we described some shifts in legislative priorities that
were taking place in Maine, including a strengthened interest
in health care reform and expanding access to affordable prescription
drugs. Those have continued and expanded thanks, in part, to
Clean Elections.
While Congress was passing a Medicare prescription drug bill
that pours tens of billions into the pockets of pharmaceutical
companies, HMOs and doctors—without doing anything to limit
their price gouging—Maine was putting the finishing touches
on Maine Rx+, which went into effect this past January. Under
this program, all but the wealthiest families in Maine, and anyone
with high drug costs, will be able to buy any drug on the Medicaid
list for the Medicaid price, saving as much as 60% off market
prices. The state is also negotiating for price rebates from
drug manufacturers. If a company refuses, Maine will require
doctors to get prior approval before prescribing that company’s
medication. The state also recently passed laws requiring prescription
drug manufacturers to disclose how much they spend advertising
their products in Maine and requiring retail prices on receipts
to show the actual costs of drugs.
Senate Majority Leader Sharon Treat gives three reasons for
the passage of Maine’s far-reaching prescription drug plan,
which she has been fighting to implement and expand. First, because
Maine’s districts are small, “Campaigning is hugely
grassroots oriented.” She adds, “Because of campaign
finance reform, we’re spending more time door to door,
rather than fundraising.” She continues, “that means
you’re out there hearing from people about what they care
about—health care and prescription drugs, especially the
prices.” all its legislators “get very direct contact
with the public” when they campaign, “and the public
is desperate.” A second reason is that severe budget pressures
are prompting legislators to reduce Medicaid costs by limiting
drug prices. “And the third reason is campaign contributions.
Look at how much money the pharmaceutical companies have given
to people running for Congress. In Maine, campaigns for state
office are largely publicly funded, so you don’t see that
same level of direct contributions from the pharmaceutical industry
to state legislators.”
It looks like change is also coming to Arizona politics as well.
Two years ago, Arizonans had a unique choice on Election Day:
a candidate for governor funded by wealthy special interests
vs. a candidate for governor who had run with Clean Elections
full public funding and not taken a contribution of more than
$5 from any voter. They chose the Clean Elections candidate,
Janet Napolitano. In addition, 45% of the state assembly and
17% of the state senate was elected running ‘Clean’ as
well.
The first fruits of this transformed leadership have begun to
appear. On the day she was sworn into office, Gov. Napolitano
issued an executive order establishing low-cost prescription
drug subsidies for seniors, something her opponent wouldn’t
have done, having run the old-fashioned way, depending on big
money from special interests like the pharmaceutical companies.
A few weeks ago, a coalition of Republican moderates and Democrats
in the legislature over-rode conservatives who hold the leadership
of the state assembly and enacted a budget that guarantees all-day
kindergarten for more than 150 of the state’s poorest schools
this fall, raises subsidies to community colleges, and provides
financial help to thousands of working families in need of child
care—provisions long opposed by top lawmakers indebted
to private contributors. Twenty-six of the thirty-one votes needed
to pass the budget in the state assembly came from Clean Elections
candidates and supporters.
In a typical state legislature, any such maverick tendency would
be cut off by leadership threatening to turn off the campaign
money spigot, by going to influential lobbyists and PACs if necessary.
But in Arizona, when a candidate runs Clean she is no longer
subject to that kind of dirty dealing.
Unfortunately, this story doesn’t have a perfectly happy
ending. Perhaps responding to the changes underway in their state,
big money givers in Arizona and their national cronies have mounted
a devious and dangerous effort to undo the effect of Clean Elections
by putting a constitutional amendment on the state ballot this
fall that would ban “taxpayer money” from going to
politicians. A small but powerful group of bankers, developers,
insurance companies and lobbyists, some with ties all the way
to Tom DeLay and Bush’s fundraising machine, have opened
their wallets to finance this bid to bring back the bad old days.
In response, a broad coalition of civic leaders and organizations
called “Keep it Clean” has formed to defend the new
system. It has been endorsed by many of the state’s top
elected officials, including Governor Napolitano, Senator John
McCain and Congressman Raul Grijalva, and is backed by over five
dozen local groups, including the state AARP, the League of Women
Voters and the firefighters union.
If you want to help Keep Arizona Clean, consider making a contribution
of $5 or more and tell your friends as well. Our colleagues at
the Public Campaign Action Fund are working to rally support
nationwide for Arizona. They’re starting at $5 because
that’s all a Clean Election candidate in Arizona or Maine
can raise in private contributions from individual donors—unlike
everywhere else in America where elections are turning into auctions.
If you agree that we need to make sure this beacon of reform
isn’t snuffed out, take a minute and click
here.
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AAHH! is an occasional e-mail bulletin on how Clean
Money in politics can help average citizens, published by Public
Campaign,
a non-partisan, non-profit organization devoted to comprehensive
campaign finance reform. Every day, we pay more as consumers
and taxpayers for special interest subsidies and boondoggles
because of our system of privately financed elections. It's time
for a change.
Want to take action? Help “Keep
Arizona Clean”
(https://secure.ga3.org/03/az_friendraising_ouch)
and stave off an effort by big money special interests to undo
that state’s Clean Elections system. And help spread the
word! Send copies of this message to your friends and join the
growing movement for real campaign finance reform. If you would
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