Send a letter to you Senator for Fair Elections

Example letter, email, or telephone conversation to Senator Davis. You can use this letter for Senators Stegner, Davis, Little, Geddes, McKenzie, Jorgenson, and Darrington.
Honorable Senator Davis:
I ask that you do all you can to assure that the Idaho Fair Elections bill gets a hearing in the State Affairs Committee. Then vote to send this bill to the Senate with a do-pass recommendation.
I am aware of the February 2 hearing of S1037. Kate Kelly has revised S1037 to better show that the bill’s intention is to allow each Idaho election to better reflect the wishes of its constituency.
Fair Elections allows candidates, who do not wish to accept money from corporations, PACs, or lobbyists, to run for office. This gives voters the opportunity to vote for a candidate, who may better represent the voters.
The Fair Elections Now bill is in the federal government, sponsored by Richard Durban and Arlen Specter in the Senate. John Larson will soon introduce a similar bill in the House. More than 60 million people - including the AFL-CIO, the NAACP, the League of Women Voters, the Dolores Huerta Foundation, the National Council of Churches and others - have announced their support of this legislation. This shows the nationwide number of people who want Fair Elections. In Maine, 81 percent of all candidates for state office ran public campaigns in 2006. Other programs are in Arizona, North Carolina, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Mexico, Vermont, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Portland, Oregon.
This is what critics and supporters of Fair Elections say:
· Critics say that candidates do not spend a lot of time getting money from corporations, PACs, and lobbyists.
· Supporters say that the time legislators do spend raising money is better spent communicating with their constituents.
· Critics say that the award of matching funds to publicly financed candidates chills the free-speech rights of groups that make independent expenditures and also coerce candidates into running with public funding.
· Supporters say that free speech in the current system may be affected by those who give candidates money, whether candidates realize it or not. Supporter’s perception is that funding sources may affect how a legislator votes. Supporters say that matching funds provide a level playing field, so that candidates can respond to attacks and ads made by independent groups.
· Critics say that the people should not pay for candidates' election.
· Supporters say that the people now pay for candidates’ election. Their perception is that they do not have representation in the current system, even though they pay for it by buying products and services from those companies that do give money to candidates.
· Critics say that Fair Elections is unconstitutional because it compels some citizens to pay for the speeches of candidates, whom they oppose.
· Supporters say that the law provides public funding that allows ordinary people to run for office and get their message out without becoming politically dependent on big campaign contributors. Supporters’ perception is that in government now, only the rich can decide what happens. Fair Elections is about taking special interest money out of the campaign, returning power to the people, having candidates participate in debates, and adding substance to issues, rather than just using slick advertisements.

Good Laws Caused by Fair Elections Are Evident in Maine
In 2000, the Maine Legislature approved a pharmaceutical program that gives families the chance to buy drugs at a discount. The law was upheld by the Supreme Court and went into effect in January 2004. In 2003, the legislature approved a health reform bill, known as the Dirigo Health Act, which provides health insurance to all Maine residents. Its primary features include controls on health care costs and initiatives to encourage high-quality care. It also subsidizes premiums for those who cannot afford to pay. Public funded legislators were free to support this legislation without any concern for the big-money special interests that might oppose such a law.

If I believed that the system we have now was working, I would not be asking you to pass the Idaho Fair Elections bill. When did you last talk with me about Fair Elections or any other issue?
If you want to learn more about those of us who want Fair Elections, please get in touch. Please get in touch with me before the hearing and tell me what you will do about Fair Elections and why you will do it.

Idaho Fair Elections Act: Action this time, not Reaction

The Idaho Fair Elections Act, on February 2, 2007, in the Senate State Affairs Committee failed. The seven Republicans voted NO and the two Democrats voted YES. I was reacting on that day, by testifying for Fair Elections to the Committee. Senator Bart Davis criticized the Whereas part of the bill, where the bill said legislators must spend time raising money. Senator Davis said he does not, much like an attorney, who tries to discredit a witness. Senator Stegner said the bill violates the one man one vote idea. That idea, which is from women's suffrage, where it was one person, one vote, also is immaterial, because it has nothing to do with the Fair Elections Act, because a candidate need not participate in Fair Elections and is free to run for election as he has been doing. Senators Jorgenson, Little, Darrington, Geddes, McKenzie voted No but said nothing at the hearing. Fair Elections is not a partisan issue in either Maine or Arizona, who have Fair Elections. Why it was in this committee is a question for the seven Republicans who voted No.

Will you help with Fair Elections this coming Idaho Legislature Session?
Last session the State Affairs Committee held the Idaho Fair Elections Act (S1037) in the committee, which stops Fair Elections in Idaho. I testified for Fair Elections and watched the 7 Republicans vote No and the two Democrats vote Yes. That vote stopped S1037, last February 2.
This session, Senator Kate Kelly has revised S1037, eliminating the objections of Senator Davis and Senator Stegner, who expressed their objections last session. The bill will not have a hearing in the State Affairs Committee, if people in the districts of Senators Stegner, Davis, Little, Geddes, McKenzie, Jorgenson, and Darrington do not demand that they give Fair Elections (S1037) a hearing. The districts are 3, 7, 11, 12, 27, 31, 33.
With Fair Elections, people can get elected based on their character, track record, and ideas, rather than their wealth or ability to raise large sums of money. Help make our country a nation of, by, and for the people, rather than of, by, and for the wealthy powerful interests.
Details of Fair Elections in Idaho is at http://fp1.centurytel.net/democracy/
Please tell me how many people in your district you will call, send email, or write to your Senator and ask him to give S1037, The Idaho Fair Elections Act, a hearing in the State Affairs Committee and send S1037 to the Senate with a do-pass recommendation.
I can send you an example letter and an example statement you can use to communicate your wish for Fair Elections to your Senator.

People helping people in a democracy

http://fp1.centurytel.net/lemdems/ is our effort of people helping people. We can effect change to the better if we work together. The vote that can change the republican color of Idaho is not even voting. The only reason republicans win is because most folks who would vote democratic don't vote. Some are not even registered to vote.

Want to work together with us? You can see our effort of showing facts about issues and elected officials on http://fp1.centurytel.net/lemdems/. Want to participate in our Discussion? So far the Lemhi Democrat Central Committee is a bunch of old folks. Do you know how we can get young folks to participate in our democracy? John Edwards is doing a good job of getting young folks to take action. We think our website can help, if we can get young folks to look at it and participate. After all, the young folks will have to pay the debt that we let the right wing of the Republican Party create from Clinton's surplus. They also have to pay the cost of gasoline like everybody else, price held high by the right wing corruption and oil men as president and vice president. No all of the high price for fuel is because of China's growing demand. How much did the still secret Cheney meeting with oil executives several years ago have on the price of gasoline now?

We think that if people take action and look at the issues and look at how our elected officials are voting (available on our website) then they can make informed decisions and will take action to effect change to the better.

We are working now within Lemhi County. We plan to work with all of district 35 and everybody else who wants to take action to effect change to the better.

We want to work with Republicans who look at the facts and make an informed decision. We believe that the right wing of the Republican party got us into this deficit, war, lack of health care for all, increased poverty, low minimum wage, high fuel prices, and agriculture subsidies that even the farmers think is wrong. The middle of the Republican Party makes sense as often as the middle of the Democratic Party. When the middle of the Republican Party votes with the right wing, without considering the facts, we are not in agreement just as we do not agree when the middle of the democrats votes with the left.

I am: Calvin Leman
516 Hope Avenue
Salmon, ID 83467
208-756-4104 phone or fax
661-600-7659 cell
8170 0419 Skypein Hong Cong
http://fp1.centurytel.net/lemdems/