CITY OF NEW HAVEN

BOARD OF ALDERMEN

October 19, 2012

Dear -----------------------------, We are writing you today to express our deep concerns about the current state of campaign finance in our country. This most recent controversy in Connecticut clearly demonstrates once again that our current system only serves to compromise the integrity of the process and corrodes the trust of the public. Our current system not only allows but actively promotes scandals, quid pro quo, and corruption. To make matters worse, the ruling that the Supreme Court handed down in Citizens United allowing for unlimited secret money to influence our elections is an eventual death sentence for our democracy. On May 1st of this year, you joined in signing a letter to our state's congressional delegation to support a Constitutional Amendment to overturn Citizens United and restore elections to the people. In your very powerful letter to our representatives you state correctly that, This is not democracy... Our democracy is founded on the principle of the consent of the governed. We do not consent to be governed by corporations and a few wealthy individuals. Finally, your letter closes with the statement that, We stand ready to be of any assistance in this matter. We humbly submit to you that there is one clear path that our state legislature can take to help make this amendment a reality. In June of this year, we had the honor of voting in New Haven as a Board of elected Alderpersons to unanimously request that our state delegation and the state legislature begin the process of calling a Limited Constitutional Convention to adopt an amendment overturning Citizens United and enacting meaningful campaign finance reform. As you know, a number of amendments have already been proposed in both houses of Congress to absolutely no effect. The simple truth is that enough of our Congress as a whole has very little interest in reforming the system that keeps them in power. However, as a nation we have faced an almost identical challenge before when we fought for and won the right to the direct election. Almost 100 years ago, the original progressive movement followed their leader Teddy Roosevelts famous maxim on negotiation; Speak softly and carry a big stick to successfully push a recalcitrant Congress into adopting the 17th Amendment. Even as similar proposals languished in Congress, these reformers went from state legislature to state legislature passing resolutions calling for a Limited Convention to adopt an amendment providing for the direct election of Senators. It should come as no surprise that Congress only acted to pass the 17th Amendment after these reformers had come within one state of the two-thirds threshold required to call a convention. This issue is both too critical and too important for us to simply trust that the Washington Establishment that got us into the problem will be able to get us out. I call upon you as members of our state legislature to undertake both your right and your duty as enumerated in the Constitution to act as a check and balance on a Congress that no longer represents the people. It would be both proper and fitting that the Constitution State is still revolutionary and will lead on this issue in sending a message to Congress that we will have our amendment, and if the Congress is unwilling or unable, that the states are ready to stand up and face down this challenge.

Respectfully Submitted,

DOUGLAS HAUSLADEN Alderman, 7th Ward