Taxpayer Financed Campaigns (but only for incumbents)
More incumbent legislators are re-elected in New York State than incumbents returned to office in Communist Cuba, North Korea or the old Soviet Union. In fact, getting re-elected in New York State is even easier because there is a clandestine system of state supported campaigning. Once elected, the legislator becomes part of this back door taxpayer sponsored re-election machine. The machine immediately kicks into high gear providing access to a broad range of special interest money, access to state operated radio and television studios to cut actualities for home town consumption, staff writers to make them sound and look good, slick political mailings they like to call "newsletters", local district offices usually staffed with campaign workers and other forms of political patronage paid for at state expense.
The system works very well. The majority leaders in both parties provide these campaign perks members to sustain their own positions. With the playing field so tilted, it is difficult if not impossible for any challenger to dislodge an incumbent. And that's just the way majority leaders like it. There has not been a major shift in either Democratic or Republican Party control in nearly 30 years. It's very nice arrangement. One party keeps the Assembly while the other party keeps the Senate. And, as you know, never the twain shall meet.
With this system so "in place", there are very few candidates who have the personal stamina or the financial resources to buck this state supported re-election machine. Jack Cheevers knows exactly how outrageous and counter productive this system of stealth financing has become. He knows difference between good government and powerful politics. As governor, he is determined to expose this system and bring it to a crashing halt.
Help Jack Cheevers Fix Albany and Save New York.
Support and vote Jack Cheevers for Governor in 2002.
|
