Testimony of
Rebekah Whilden
on behalf of
Sierra Club DC Chapter
Concerning Oversight of the Office of Campaign Finance
My name is Rebekah Whilden and I am the Chapter Organizer for the DC Chapter of the Sierra Club. Thank you to Councilmember Allen and all the Fair Elections champions in this room today. The chapter has been a member of the of the D.C. Fair Elections Coalition since 2015. The coalition is made up of 70 organizations representing diverse residents and interests across the District.
The same big-money fossil fuel corporations polluting our air, water and increasing the effects of climate change are also polluting our democracy with dirty money.
The Fair Elections legislation will ensure that candidates spend their time fundraising from small donors and individuals, and paying attention to the concerns of everyday residents, who are concerned about pollution from buses impacting their health and lead poisoned drinking water. Too often, the priorities of wealthy donors, big corporations and other special interests are reflected in local policy, rather than the needs and concerns of D.C. voters.
We hope that Mayor Bowser will sign Fair Elections into law and fund this essential program in her budget, starting in FY (Fiscal Year) 19. We ask that if the Mayor does not fund the program, the Council and members of this Committee will need to be strong champions for a fully-funded program. This is a critical opportunity to invest in a stronger local democracy, at a cost of less than .05% of the total annual budget.
The coalition is able with the Mayor’s office to provide support throughout the budget and implementation process. For a successful program including education and implementation, the FY 19 budget needs to include funding for this program. As many of you know campaigning for 2020 begins in 2019 and in order for this program to be effective and efficient, funding must be alloted for next year’s budget.
We need to make sure that the Office of Campaign Finance gets the personnel it needs to make this program a success for years to come. This Committee must make sure that OCF has the staff to not just enforce the program but also to provide public education, outreach, and support that are critical to a successful public financing of elections program. Three additional auditors at the cost of $243,000 according to the Fiscal Impact Statement is not enough.
The Fair Elections Coalition understands that now that we’ve achieved this monumental legislation, our journey to Fair Elections in D.C. is not over. We have been in this fight since 2015, and we will remain invested in the success of this program now and in the time it takes to get this program up and running. We are confident that it will be well worth the effort and the investment in democracy here in the District.