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Show : cMasnfjr vlam : I n 1. The Citizens' ( Election 1J by DAVID COHEN X jfr J Something is right about American politics. Presidential elections are now financed by millions of citizens instead of the moneyed interests. in-terests. You can continue this clean way of David Cohen is President of Common Cause, financing Presidential elections by checking a non-partisan citizens' lobby. off one dollar on your federal income tax form, two dollars if you file a joint return, without increasing your taxes or reducing your refund. The 1976 Presidential election was different in a mixed system of small private con-from con-from any other in the history of American tributions matched with dollars from the politics it was cleanly financed. There were Presidential Election Campaign Fund. Can-no Can-no money-stuffed bags exchanged in airports, didates first qualify for matching funds by no ambassadorships for sale, and no extortions raising a threshold amount of money in small of corporate executives in money-raising ef- private contributions. This insures that only forts to cover a costly nationwide campaign. serious candidates showing a measure of public Millions of Americans took the game away support receive public funds. Those who meet from the "fat cats" and voluntarily paid for this test are then eligible to have each dollar of the campaigns themselves through the one a small individual contribution matched by dollar check-off on their tax returns. another dollar in public funds. Candidates who Each major party candidate was given $21.8 accept public money must also limit their million in public funds to run his election cam- spending to set amounts for each state, paign - a far cry from the 1972 Presidential The Presidential Election Campaign Fund is campaign when 153 "fat cats" gave more than financed through the voluntary dollar check- $20 million to President Nixon's re-election ef- off on your federal income tax return. Each frt' ... Form 1040 has a box directly below the name The millions in special interest contributions and address slots on the front page where tax- money which always bought political payers can check "yes" to finance Presidential promises has been retired from Presidential elections. That directs one dollar of the taxes politics. The individual citizen's vote counted you already owe to the Fund. The check-off is as much as the millionaire giver's. For the first voluntary and non-partisan. It neither in-time in-time citizens put a President in office who creases your tax bill nor reduces any refund came without money ties to the special in- due you. e?.t8, . Millions of Americans have used the dollar This quiet revolution in the way we finance check-off since it was initiated. By continuing our Presidential elections came about through to use it Americans can insure that the 1980 a law passed by Congress establishing the and future Presidential elections remain out of Presidential public financing system. the hands of the moneyed interests. Presiden-The Presiden-The system works like this: In the general tial elections now belong to the American election each major party Presidential can- people and that's as it should be. During this didate receives an equal amount of funds, and income tax preparation season you, as a tax-candidates tax-candidates of minor parties (those which payer, can make sure that whoever is elected received between five and 25 percent of the President will be indebted to no one but the total vote in the last Presidential election) American people. receive a proportionate share of funds based on Use the dollar check-off when you prepare their showing in the last election. In the your federal income taxes. It's your vote for Presidential primaries candidates participate the clean financing of Presidential elections. |