March 2012

To the editor,

March 11 – 17 is (was) Sunshine Week, a nationwide effort to call attention to transparency in government and freedom of information. While government transparency is its real objective, this election year, there is a greater need for transparency and disclosure of secret money in elections. Voters want to know just who is pouring millions of dollars in secret contributions into our elections. 

Polls show the public overwhelmingly supports transparency for candidate campaigns and outside spending groups.  A cardinal rule of campaign finance laws is that citizens are entitled to know the identity of and amounts given by the donors who are funding campaign expenditures to influence their votes.

Introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in February, the DISCLOSE 2012 Act restores this fundamental right to know. The choice for members of Congress is clear: do you support disclosure to provide citizens with basic information they have a right to know or do you support secret money being spent to influence our elections?

For decades, members of the League of Women Voters have acted as government watchdogs at the federal, state and local levels. We monitor [YOUR TOWN/COUNTY]’s budget, watch [LOCAL GOVERNMENT NAME] meetings, and hold them accountable. Join us in supporting the DISCLOSE 2012 Act which will hold our federal officials accountable and help to make our democracy healthy, vibrant and strong for all.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME

YOUR TITLE

YOUR LEAGUE

YOUR TOWN