LIHU’E—In the smoky back rooms of politics as usual, Brian Schatz is like a breath of fresh air.
“Publicly funded elections would create a level playing field and give more candidates the opportunity to run for office on the basis of programs, ideas, ability—not money” Schatz said during an appearance on Kaua’i.
The O’ahu legislator who serves as the executive director of Hawaii Clean Elections, is working to educate the public about campaign finance reform. He spoke at meetings here last week at the invitation of the League of Women Voters of Kaua’i.
“Leveling the playing field will attract more people to pursue public office, and there are many qualified citizens who would like to serve,” Schatz said.
The difficulty of fundraising keeps some people from running for office. “We all loose some of our brightest and best because they lack the money necessary to put on a campaign,” Schatz said.
Clean Money Campaign Reform offers a new approach to financing elections. The concept provides candidates with public campaign funds if they agree to limit spending.
Last year, the state Legislature passed a bill that directed the Campaign Spending Commission in cooperation with the League of Women Voters, Common Cause, Hawaii Clean Elections and others to conduct a comprehensive study on how much money would be needed to fund a pilot clean elections project for elections in 2002 and 2004.
The intent of the legislation is to address the idea that clean elections can create a political arena where public policies can be debated more fairly, which could have a positive effect on the ability of legislators to develop and pass legislation that is in the public interest, Schatz said.
Tony Baldomero, associate director of the Campaign Spending Commission, said the commission plans to present the report to the Legislature by January 2000.
Schatz, a state representative from the Makiki District on O’ahu, said some public officeholders agree with citizens that campaigns have become too expensive and that chasing money to conduct campaigns undermines elections.
The 27-year-old lawmaker holds a degree in philosophy and is know for his work with the Youth for Environmental Services Project. When he ran for office, he had to take out a personal loan to finance his campaign.
After speaking on Kaua’i, Schatz said, “the discussions were lively and the questions cogent. The public’s interest on the issues related to election reform was dynamic. The Kaua’i League is working hard to get the public informed on campaign finance reform.”
Carol Bain, LWVK president on Kaua’i, said that citizens perceive that elected officials are compromised by their acceptance of contributions from special interests.
“It’s time to break the link between special interest contributors and elected officials. This is what the LWV is calling for from Washington D.C. to Lihu’e, Kaua’i.”
This issue should matter to everyone who wants to revitalize democracy and ensure that views of average Americans have an equal footing in public debate, Bain said.
Schatz was joined by Rep. Mina Morita and Sen. Jonathan Chun at some of the discussions.
Chun, a freshman senator, was one of the 49 candidates who received public funds in the 1998 election.
