Watchdogs Launch TV Ad on Fair Elections

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2010

Contact: Damien Filer
850-212-1858
Damien@ProgressFlorida.org

TALLAHASSEE — Progress Florida and the Campaign for Fair Elections launched a new television ad airing in the Tallahassee media market today aimed at educating Floridians about the Fair Elections Now Act, legislation that would make elected officials accountable to voters, and not corporate campaign donors. The ad can be viewed at www.fairelectionsnow.org/behinditall.

The television ad will run on Tallahassee-area cable stations from Thursday to Sunday of this week, along with a similar ad run in Washington, D.C. next week as Congress returns to work. It is the beginning of a national $8 to $15 million multi-faceted campaign to educate Americans about the need to replace corporate-funded elections with Fair Elections.

“It’s time we return to government of, by, and for the people—not government of, bought, and paid for by the likes of BP and Goldman Sachs,” said Mark Ferrulo, executive director of Progress Florida. “Congressman Allen Boyd should cosponsor the Fair Elections Now Act and show that he supports meaningful election reform.”

“We need a government that works for working Americans, not for big corporations and their lobbyists,” said David Donnelly, campaign manager of the Campaign for Fair Elections. “Congress must pass the Fair Elections Now Act to put voters first in our political system.”

The Fair Elections Now Act (H.R. 1826, S. 752) would allow members of Congress to pay attention to the interests of their constituents, instead of the special interests who pay for their campaigns. Under Fair Elections, candidates would be able to run competitive campaigns for office on a blend of Fair Elections Funds and small dollar donations.

The legislation has the broad, bipartisan, and cross-caucus support for 157 co-sponsors in the U.S. House and 21 in the U.S. Senate. Florida co-sponsors of the legislation include Reps. Alan Grayson (D), Kendrick Meek (D), Ted Deutch (D), Alcee Hastings (D), and Suzanne Kosmas (D).

New bipartisan research conducted by Lake Research Partners, Westen Strategies, and McKinnon Media shows that public support for Fair Elections-style reform is strong and a majority of every subset of Americans—regardless of demographic and political identities—supports the measure.

The Campaign for Fair Elections has launched a national campaign to advance the debate to fix the problem of money in politics, and to pass the Fair Elections Now Act. Activities include paid media to educate the public, online action, and grassroots mobilization across the country.

Learn more at www.fairelectionsnow.org.

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Progress Florida is a non-profit, statewide organization supporting progressive solutions for Florida. Visit us at www.ProgressFlorida.org.