Laserfiche WebLink
RESOLUTION URGING THE HAWAII STATE LEGISLATURE TO <br /> ADEQUATELY FUND BOTH THE HAWAII CAMPAIGN SPENDING <br /> COMMISSION AND A STATEWIDE COMPREHENSIVE PUBLIC <br /> FUNDING SYSTEM FOR ELECTIONS. <br /> WHEREAS, a democratic government derives its power from the consent of its citizens; <br /> and <br /> WHEREAS, corporate and other special interest donations account for the vast majority <br /> of campaign donations, both locally and nationally; and <br /> WHEREAS, comprehensive public funding options give candidates a possible <br /> alternative to private campaign funding; and <br /> WHEREAS, it is in the public's interest that our elected officials concentrate on solving <br /> our state's problems and not be distracted by the need to raise huge sums of money for their <br /> campaigns, nor have to worry about antagonizing those who have donated generously to their <br /> campaigns; and <br /> WHEREAS,the current campaign finance system fails to discourage candidates from <br /> accepting large campaign contributions from private interests that may be directly affected by <br /> governmental actions and from enacting laws favoring those contributors' interest to the <br /> detriment of the interest of citizens who are not large contributors; and <br /> WHEREAS, taxpayers pay for the campaign contributions of corporations and large <br /> industries in the form of mismanagement of public resources, subsidies and tax exemptions for <br /> corporations and industries, and unfair tax laws; and <br /> WHEREAS, the Hawai`i County Council Comprehensive Public Funding program is <br /> unbalanced in awarding equal qualifying funds due to the various district races, encouraging <br /> some candidates to seek public funding, while not allowing others to use this program in a <br /> productive manner; and <br /> WHEREAS, the Campaign Spending Commission is tasked with running the public <br /> funding program, yet their primary revenue source was taken away in 2008, and as a result they <br /> are spending more than they are bringing in; and <br /> WHEREAS,the Hawai`i County Council Comprehensive Public Funding program is set <br /> to expire in 2014; now, therefore, <br /> BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that the <br /> State Legislature take immediate action to adequately fund the Hawai`i Campaign Spending <br /> Commission and a statewide comprehensive public funding program upon convening for the <br /> 2013 legislative session. <br /> 3 <br />