This past week was National Sunshine Week, a period dedicated to furthering open government and discussion. So I guess this announcement is fitting.
I’ve spent years advocating for Maine’s public financing laws, because I feel our campaign finance system needs fundamental changes. So in my campaign for Congress, I’m putting my money where my mouth is. I’m banking my campaign on the support of individual voters, not the support of special interest lobbyists or federal PACs.
Today, I’m taking my commitment to clean elections one step further.
I’m proud to announce that moments ago, even though my internal polling shows that I am neck and neck with my opponent, I signed on with the Change Congress Movement, a plan to start eliminating the influence of big-money contributors in politics, and to restore our government to the people.
The Change Congress plan is based around a four-part pledge:
- I will not accept contributions from PACs or registered lobbyists;
- I will support the abolition of budgetary earmarks;
- I will support reform to increase transparency in Congress; and
- I will support a national system of public financing of elections.
You can read more about the Change Congress plan at www.Change-Congress.org.
I’m running my campaign on the radical notion that the people who live in Maine should be the ones choosing our representative. Relying on the same old big-money political donors is the easiest path to more of the same-old, same-old in Congress. We need a change in Washington, and the same kind of big-money politics is not going to bring us any closer to achieving it.
I’m pledging to fight for a better campaign system, and a better government. Please join me by taking the pledge yourself at www.Change-Congress.org, and encouraging Congressional candidates in your state to sign on as well.
Obviously, refusing PAC and lobbyist money will make contributions from individuals that much more important for this campaign’s success. So if you believe that we need a real break from the big-money politics that now control Washington, I’d be honored if you’d help me show that a people-powered campaign can still compete: http://www.actblue.com/....
The stronger our campaign grows, the more likely other candidates across the country will find the courage to stand for a cleaner Washington. And the more candidates that join our fight for a cleaner Washington, the stronger we’ll be in pushing for these long-overdue changes.
I hope that progressive candidates across the country will join me in taking this difficult but critical step towards fixing our broken elections system. If November is going to truly be an election for change, let’s change more than just the names on the doors on Capitol Hill. Let’s change the way Washington does business, and return the People’s House to its rightful owners.
Thanks,
Ethan Strimling
Candidate for Congress, ME-01
(Cross-posted at TurnMaineBlue)