Democracy and Electoral Reform

By Justin "Justo" Moscoso

We must be committed to mobilizing the participation of large numbers of people at the local, state, and federal level and challenge the notion that only experienced politicians and expert bureaucrats are needed in Washington.

I, along with Green Party policy directions, would proposes these basic changes in the electoral system:

• Public financing of elections and free media access to level the playing field for getting candidates' messages to voters.

• Reject the notion that money in political campaigns is free speech, as interpreted by the Supreme Court decision in Buckley vs. Vallejo.

• Take the redistricting process away from politicians and place it under the control of elected citizen boards that represent the various partisan, civic and minority constituencies. Criteria for drawing the boundaries should be developed to make all legislative districts as competitive as possible.

• The Green Party will strive to run candidates reflecting the diversity of the larger culture.

• Combine voluntary campaign spending limits and public campaign funding to reduce money's corrupting influence on our political system.

• Allow eligible candidates to pay postage rates one quarter of the regular rate, as well as free access to the airwaves.

• Establish contribution limits for Political Action Committees (PACs) with less than 50 members to prevent wealthy people from using their funds to unduly influence elections.

• Prohibit political parties from using "soft money"--transfers from other campaigns or party coffers-- to pay for any election-related activities.