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Dennis Kucinich on Government Reform
Democratic Representative (OH-10); Democratic Candidate for President
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Public campaign financing yields to public control
Q: What about public financing of elections?A: Public financing of campaigns is essential. Public financing yields to public control. Private financing of campaigns makes for private control. Private interests control our government today.
All federal candidates should participate in the matching funds program as a first step of indicating their solidarity with public control of elections. Many in Congress are captive to the current system in which corporations have enormous influence.
Source: Concord Monitor / WashingtonPost.com on-line Q&A
Nov 4, 2003
Public financing for elections
[Kucinich supports] comprehensive campaign finance reform and Clean Money public financing of the public's elections; ample free television time for candidates, coupled with the break-up of the media monopolies that restrict political debate.
Source: Campaign website, www.Kucinich.us, "On The Issues"
Aug 1, 2003
Register on election day; more voting rights enhancements
[Kucinich supports] election day as a holiday; election day voter registration; enhanced voting rights enforcement; an end to the racially-biased disenfranchisement of felons who have served their time.
Source: Campaign website, www.Kucinich.us, "On The Issues"
Aug 1, 2003
Give DC residents proper representation
[Kucinich supports] full Congressional representation for residents of the District of Columbia.
Source: Campaign website, www.Kucinich.us, "On The Issues"
Aug 1, 2003
Debate reform opens the door to new candidates
[Kucinich supports] an inclusive debate process that does not exclude credible 3rd-party candidates and expansion of elections using full (proportional) representation, which assure more accurate and broader representation than winner-take-all elections.
Source: Campaign website, www.Kucinich.us, "On The Issues"
Aug 1, 2003
Implement Instant Runoff Voting in US
I support "Instant Runoff Voting."
IRV offers a cost-effective way of insuring that the winning candidate is preferred by a majority of voters; it encourages voters to vote their wishes and not their fears; it promotes greater voter turnout and positive campaigning.
Source: Campaign website, www.Kucinich.us, "On The Issues"
Aug 1, 2003
Will not accept corporate PAC money
I am running my presidential campaign in line with [my] reform principles. I don't take corporate PAC money.
My campaign is financed largely through small donations, mostly through the Internet -- and propelled by thousands of volunteers. A true grassroots campaign.
Source: Campaign website, www.Kucinich.us, "On The Issues"
Aug 1, 2003
Private campaign financing leads to private control of gov't
Private control of campaign financing leads to private control of the government itself and schemes like the privatization of social security
which would put nearly seven trillion dollars in retirement funds of Main Street workers at the disposal of Wall Street speculators over the next twenty five years.
Source: Campaign website, www.Kucinich.us, "On The Issues"
Aug 1, 2003
Spend money on job creation, not corporate cronies
Q: What do you think about the policies of the Bush administration? A: I will emphasize my battles against unfair, corporate-friendly trade deals that threaten workers, family farmers and the environment. I will compare the billions given to the
President's wealthy and corporate cronies to what could be done instead for job creation, universal healthcare and education. I will win by stressing that this Administration's aggressive, unilateral foreign policy makes Americans less secure, not more.
Source: MoveOn.org interview
Jun 17, 2003
End privatization: it sells government to lowest bidder
As president I'll lead the way to stopping privatization which has been about carving up our government and selling it to the lowest bidder. We'll put an end to that.
As president, I'll lead the way to protecting Social Security and stop the privatization of Social Security and bring the retirement age back to 65. As president, I'll stop the privatization of Medicare.
Source: AFSCME union debate in Iowa
May 17, 2003
Voted YES on campaign finance reform banning soft-money contributions.
Shays-Meehan Campaign Finance Overhaul: Vote to pass a bill that would ban soft money contributions to national political parties but permit up to $10,000 in soft money contributions to state and local parties to help with voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives. The bill would stop issue ads from targeting specific candidates within 30 days of the primary or 60 days of the general election. Additionally, the bill would raise the individual contribution limit from $1,000 to $2,000 per election for House and Senate candidates, both of which would be indexed for inflation.
Reference: Bill sponsored by Shays, R-CT, and Meehan D-MA;
Bill HR 2356
; vote number 2002-34
on Feb 14, 2002
Voted NO on banning soft money donations to national political parties.
Support a ban on soft money donations to national political parties but allow up to $10,000 in soft-money donations to state and local parties for voter registration and get-out-the vote activity.
Bill HR 2356
; vote number 2001-228
on Jul 12, 2001
Voted YES on banning soft money and issue ads.
Campaign Finance Reform Act to ban "soft money" and impose restrictions on issue advocacy campaigning.
Reference: Bill sponsored by Shays, R-CT;
Bill HR 417
; vote number 1999-422
on Sep 14, 1999