Comprehensive Campaign Finance Reform Legislation Needed

Public Testimony
Committee on Elections and Campaign Reform

My name is William R. Benedict. As a proud citizen of Wisconsin, it is again a privilege to have this opportunity to testify before the Assembly Elections and Campaign Reform Committee. Thank you!

I am a retired social worker who is now working full time as a citizen advocate for campaign finance reform and state funding of stem cell research. My special constituencies are myself, my family and the citizens of the State of Wisconsin. For more, Google my blog: Dane County Almanac and my thirty plus postings on campaign finance reform in Wisconsin.

I am here this morning because I sincerely believe that our body politic is sick at the core and it is urgently in need of comprehensive campaign finance reform. Our legislature has a systemic and insidious disease so strong that it infects our otherwise most dedicated public servants. Wisconsin voters know deep down in their soul that their vote no longer counts. They believe that you have sold them out to those who pay for your election term after term and now have put in jeopardy our sacred political freedom.

Again, it hurts me this morning to have to say that until you pass comprehensive campaign reform, I believe you will continue prostituting your office in order to have your election campaigns supported and paid for by special interests rather than by the common citizen and taxpayer.

Not until every qualified Wisconsin citizen can run for public office regardless of how much money they have will we have a state government by the people and for the people. I urge you and all of your Assembly and Senate colleagues to take the strong medicine needed to purify this political cesspool.

Start right now and begin this democratic crusade by passing AB 40 next week and then get to work and pass comprehensive campaign reform for all elected public offices.

Thanks again for this opportunity to speak.