Massachusetts Clean Elections Law
The voters of Massachusetts passed by a 66% majority a Clean Elections proposition that would provide public funding for all state wide politicians that agreed to strict spending and contribution limits. The state legislature passed the Clean Elections Law as required by the proposition. But most incumbents see the law as aiding those that might run against them in future elections. Their solution to this 'dilemma' was to refuse to fund the law.
Citizens who fought to have the Clean Elections Law proposition placed on the ballot, went to court to force the legislature to provide funding. The Massachusetts State Court has ordered that the legislature either provide funding or repeal the law. The governor has said she will veto any repeal of the Clean Elections Law that comes to her desk.
The fact that the Massachusetts State Legislature would attempt to thwart the will of its citizens is hard to phathom. That they believe they can block implementation of the Clean Elections Law and then expect the very same voters to re-elect them at the next election is galling. I can only hope Massachusetts voters remember which representatives 'blew' them off and return the favor by doing the same in the upcoming election.
02/08/02 ( 611 )
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