Yoon Calls for Municipal Campaign Finance Reform
Competitive Elections Require an Even Playing Field

March 12, 2009

BOSTON – City Councilor-at-Large Sam Yoon voiced support for real campaign finance reform on the city level tonight at CommonWealth Magazine’s panel discussion on Massachusetts’ lack of competitive elections.

“It’s clear that those in power have a significant advantage when it comes to staying in power,” said Yoon. “We need serious campaign finance reform to level the playing field. Something is very, very wrong when only 49,000 people out of over 300,000 registered voters participate in municipal elections. It’s time to put the small ‘d’ back in democracy.”

Yoon said the reform would include three specific steps:

1. Anyone who does business with the city should not be allowed to contribute to candidates for city government. There should not be even the appearance of impropriety when it comes to city contracts.

2. The $500 limit must be raised. This limit does not breed clean elections; it protects incumbents. On the federal level, the McCain/Feingold legislation raised the contribution limits. Keeping the limit at $500 makes it difficult for challengers to get their message out.

3. The City of Boston is second largest employer in the city. Federal employees cannot make political contributions to their employers, and it should be the same in municipal government.

Yoon was first elected to an at-large seat on the City Council in 2005. He has been at the forefront of numerous issues, including affordable housing, youth violence, senior safety, and making city government more open and accountable. Prior to serving on the City Council, he worked for over ten years in community-based non-profits as a community organizer and development project specialist. He lives in the Fields Corner neighborhood of Dorchester with his wife, Tina, son, Nathan, and daughter, Naomi.