In January, Mayor Giuliani sued to stop the city's landmark campaign finance law from fully encouraging city candidates to limit their campaign spending and contributions.

We urge your group to sign on to the Group Letter to Speaker Peter Vallone below in support of the 4:1 match. More Information: Get the facts…more information on the Mayor's lawsuit.

Association of the Bar of the City of New York 42 West 44th Street New York, New York 10036 (212) 382-6623	Citizens Union 198 Broadway NewYork, New York 10038 (212) 227-0342	Common Cause/NY 39 West 32nd Street New York, New York 10001 (212) 564-4365
The League of Women Voters of the City of New York 45 East 33rd Street New York, New York 10003 (212) 677-5050	The City Club of New York 17 Lexington Avenue Box F2003, New York, New York 10010 (212) 802-6832	Women's City Club of New York 35 East 21st Street New York, New York 10010 (212) 353-8070
	New York Public Interest Research Group, Inc. 9 Murray Street New York, New York 10007 (212) 349-6460

February 5, 2001

Hon. Peter F. Vallone
Speaker
New York City Council
City Hall
New York, New York 10007

Dear Speaker Vallone:

We write to express our very strong support for the current four-to-one matching formula in the city's landmark campaign finance law-and to applaud your own strong defense of the law in the wake of Mayor Giuliani's lawsuit seeking to block the match.

As you know, the city's campaign finance law-originally sponsored by you in 1988-is designed to "reduce improper influence on local officers by big campaign contributors and to enhance public confidence in local government." It works when candidates voluntarily agree not to accept large contributions and not to run high spending campaigns.

In exchange for opting in to the system, candidates are now eligible for public funds to match at a four-to-one rate contributions of up to $250 from city residents. That is thanks to your 1998 legislation amending the law, which previously matched the first $1,000 of a contribution at a one-to-one rate. Your 1998 law also significantly lowered the campaign contribution limits. In the mayor's race, for example, the individual contribution limit fell from $8,500 to $4,500.

The four-to-one match is good public policy for New York City. It encourages candidates to seek smaller contributions from city residents. It also empowers ordinary people.

Our groups are mindful that the matching funds are an expense to city taxpayers. However, we think all benefit greatly from reducing the influence of wealthy special interests on city policy-making. In addition, most of any increase in the costs of the program this year are not attributable to the new formula. Instead, they are due to the large increase in candidates, in turn caused by many open seats and term limits.

Our groups strongly support the Campaign Finance Board's efforts to defend the current financing system. We also support Council initiatives to protect the law.

The city's landmark reform law-and your strong defense of it-constitutes one of your most important contributions to the City of New York. Our groups look forward to working with you on sustaining this achievement.

Yours truly,

Evan Davis Association of the Bar of the City of New York	Elizabeth Lubetkin Lipton Women's City Club	Katherine Flaherty League of Women Voters of the City of New York
Rachel Leon Common Cause/NY	Barbara Eber-Schmid The City Club of New York	Linda Stone Davidoff Citizens Union
	Gene Russianoff/Neal Rosenstein NYPIRG