Why? With the economy in meltdown, the Iraq and Afghanistan war ongoing, a broken health care system and below par education system, and numerous citizens losing jobs and housing – Why spend time talking about Campaign Finance Reform and Public Financing?     Following are some of the benefits of Public Financing. (At a cost of about $5.00 per voter per year)                                                                                    ·        Meet the acute need in politics      today for MONEY! ·        End fundraising beg-a-thons ·        Free candidates from the endless      money chase ·        End indebtedness to lobbyists ·        Reduce influence purchased ·        Rekindle lost idealism in politics ·        Let anyone run for public office          who wants to      ·        Level the lopsided fund-raising      playing field ·        Increase the influence of under-     represented voters ·        Provide representatives time to      concentrate on the job ·        Increase democratic representation      in small political parties ·        Fight voter election fraud ·        Energize the disenfranchised,      disenchanted voters ·        Inspire student interest and      participation   WHAT       do the participants themselves say about Clean Elections? As for campaign time-management benefits Republican Senator Peter Mills of Maine said it was refreshing not to have to spend so much time raising money, or spending his own. Rep. James Spallone, a Connecticut Democrat seeking re-election, said his state’s new program allows him to engage his constituents directly without being preoccupied with raising dollars. Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano of Arizona likes spending more time talking with voters instead of “being on the phone selling $250 fundraiser tickets.” Maine Rep. Deborah Simpson, with no prior fundraising experience, said it seemed less daunting to run knowing that she could depend on money provided by her state’s election fund. A female colleague of Simpson’s, a working single mom, believes “public financing is great for those otherwise too busy for fundraising.” On freedom from interest groups Democratic State Rep. Tom Cristiano of Connecticut said “I appreciate that now big-money contributors have less control over my destiny.” And Arthur House, candidate for Senate in Connecticut, states that the Citizens Election Program there changed his focus from courting lobbyist contributions to making his approaches directly to voting citizens. Arizona Rep. Robert Meza said: “I don’t owe anyone any favors after a race.”  His colleague, Rep. Leah Landrum Taylor, finds that voters are excited about public financing because they feel their lawmaker isn’t tied to special-interest dollars. A candidate for Connecticut state representative, Marc Garafalo, went door to door asking for donations of no more than ten dollars. He feels he wouldn’t have run for office otherwise because it’s so difficult to beat incumbents under the old system funded by lobbyists. Re: benefits of getting more people into the process, Cicero Booker of the Working Families Party, running for Connecticut Senate, feels the poor and people of color should have more of a voice. He said even disadvantaged voters can now get involved and know their five-dollar donation can be significant. A successful Republican candidate for State Senate in Connecticut, Vincent Marino, said he decided to primary against a popular incumbent after learning that public funding would allow him to qualify by getting small donations from as few as 300 people. He used the qualifying process as a way to build a grassroots network of supporters. It’s a positive campaign issue that works for most participants, including Maine Senator Ed Youngblood, who said he was rewarded with election by identifying himself as a publicly funded candidate. “I wanted to be able to say I’m not accountable to anyone but the voter.” Clean Elections works the same for municipal candidates, too. The executive director of the City Ethics Commission in Los Angeles, Lee Pelham, observed that grassroots candidates who run clean “feel they have a shot at actually being a legitimate candidate” for city office.      California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said it best:   "Special interests have a stranglehold on     the capital. Here's how it works.     Money comes in. Favors go out.The people lose."