The New York City Campaign Finance Board held its series of post-election hearings this week, as candidates, elected officials, public interest organizations and campaign staffers addressed the Board to provide comments about the effectiveness of the Campaign Finance Program during the 2009 elections.
“One important reason this Program has flourished over the years is the requirement for rigorous self-evaluation every four years,” said Father Joseph P. Parkes, S.J., Chairman of the Campaign Finance Board. “These hearings provide a way for us to begin learning the lessons of this past election.”
The City Charter mandates that the Board evaluate the success of the Program after each citywide election cycle and make recommendations for legislative changes to the law.
During the hearings, the Board heard testimony on several issues that impacted these elections, including: the Program‟s ability to help candidates opposed by high-spending non-participants; the impact of the new $6-to-$1 matching rate and the timing of public funds payments; public funding for candidates who face only nominal opposition; how to improve the Voter Guide and Debate Program; the effect of the Program‟s administrative procedures on campaigns; and the effects of new limits on contributions from individuals who are doing business with the City.
Written testimony provided by witnesses is available on the CFB website here. Full transcripts of the hearings will be posted when they are available.
Those testifying before the Board or submitting testimony for the record included:
- Laura Altschuler, League of Women Voters NYC
- Steve Behar, candidate for City Council (CD#19)
- Marcy Benstock, Clean Air Campaign
- Gale Brewer, Council member (CD#6)
- David Casavis, candidate for Manhattan Borough President
- Dick Dadey and DeNora Getachew, Citizens Union
- Inez Dickens, Council member (CD#9)
- Joseph Dobrian, candidate for Mayor
- John Feerick
- Gwen Goodwin, candidate for City Council (CD#8)
- Bob Hardt, NY1 News
- Dan Jacoby, Democracy for New York
- Stephen B. Kaufman
- Andy King, candidate for City Council (CD#12)
- Diane Kolack, treasurer, Leavitt for our Communities
- Joe Kopitz, treasurer, Ken Diamondstone for Brooklyn
- Laurence Laufer, election attorney
- Marc Leavitt, candidate for Queens Borough President
- Brenda Maynard, treasurer, Committee to Elect Sam Taitt 2009
- Joe Nardiello, candidate for City Council (CD#36)
- Maria Passanante-Derr, candidate for City Council (CD#3) and Judy Poretsky, treasurer, Maria for Council „09
- James Pocchia, candidate for City Council (CD#50)
- Richard Realmuto, candidate for City Council (CD#10)
- Gene Russianoff, NY Public Interest Research Group
- Lynne Serpe, candidate for City Council (CD#22)
- Jesse Schaffer, Doing Business Accountability Project, Mayor‟s Office of Contract Services
- John Siegal, counsel to Weiner „09
- Henry Stern, New York Civic
- Bernard Tsang, treasurer, Friends of Kevin Kim
- L. Rickie Tulloch, candidate for City Council (CD#40)
- Jeffrey Wilson
- Mark Winston-Griffith, candidate for City Council (CD#36)
- Alex Zablocki, candidate for Public Advocate
The Board will use testimony from these hearings, as well as other comments, data analysis, and results from the Board‟s post-election survey of campaigns, to compile its comprehensive post-election report. The mandated report will review the effects of the Program in the 2009 elections and make recommendations for changes to the law, and will be submitted to the Mayor and the Speaker of the City Council in September 2010.
For more information about the hearings, or to submit written comments about the Program‟s effectiveness during the 2009 elections, contact the CFB Press office at (212)306-7116.