Spitzer & Paterson "Putting Their Money Where Their Mouths Are"

Statement by Dan Cantor

Executive Director, Working Families

"Today's announcement by Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson gives new momentum to the movement to enact meaningful camoaign finance reform in New York State. Embracing self-imposed campaign finance restrictions marks an extraordinary opportunity to change the path of campaign finance reform in New York state from a road to nowhere to an expressway to action. Governor-Elect Spitzer made meaningful campaign finance reform a cornerstone of his campaign platform of reform initiatives. With today's pledge to voluntarily limit contributions to $10,000, he and David Paterson are putting their money where their mouths are. This is an extraordinary and courageous step with which Working Families is duly impressed."

"We urge all of our state leaders to follow through on enacting comprehensive campaign finance reform with public financing to reduce the influence of special interests -- based either on the 'Clean Money/Clean Elections' system adopted by several other states or New York City's matching funds system."