Sandusky hammers home reasons to repair 'corrupt' elections

SANDUSKY — Local officials said they want to help shed light on the "dark, ugly process" in which powerful figures secretly fund, thus manipulating and corrupting, elections nationwide.During Monday's public meeting, Sandusky city commissioners unanimously voted 7-0 to support a grassroots initiative called Fix-It America. The proposed constitutional amendment urges Congress to reform federal campaigns, elections and voting procedures by:• Regulating the role of money in elections and governance• Protecting the integrity of democratic institutions• Encouraging the ethical conduct of elected officialsIt also stresses "No such reasonable regulation shall be deemed in violation of freedom of speech rights in the Constitution of the United States or its amendments."Earlier this month, area resident Ellen Greene Bush requested commissioners back the amendment. Among those who didn't need any convincing to justify this legislation included Sandusky ex officio mayor Dennis Murray Jr."I have always supported efforts to improve financial transparency when it comes to government and political finances," said Murray, who also served as the area's former state representative. "It is beyond any reasonable debate that secret money in government is corrosive, which is just as true with secret government expenditures as it is with secret political expenditures, which are designed to influence the former."Don't read into this as a Democrat or Republican issue, Murray stressed. Rather it's about exposing the ugly darkness suffocating and too often influencing national politics, he said."I see this as an issue that lies at the heart of our democracy," Murray said. "Sure, political contributions are part of free speech. But, as citizens, we have a right to know the identity of the speaker so that we can assess any financial motives. Otherwise, the speaker with the most money wins even though, as taxpayers and citizens, the wealthy and secret speaker's agenda may be opposed to the common good. Otherwise, why would they be fighting so hard to conceal their identity?"Why do this?Many might wonder why Sandusky officials decided to take a stand on a federal issue such as this. Trevor Hayberger, the city's law director, provided an explanation."The city of Sandusky, many times, is bound by the decisions of Congress and the state," Hayberger said. "Therefore the city of Sandusky has a vested interest in the assurance that the elections are transparent, fair and free from ethical dilemmas."He continued: "As such, it is within the authority of the city of Sandusky commission to provide their support or opposition to any legislation that affects the city of Sandusky's vested interest."Murray wants the legislation's approval to gain momentum, creating a domino-like effect in which other municipalities follow suit. Ideally, this plays out similarly to when, earlier this year, Sandusky agreed to no longer recognize Columbus Day as a holiday going forward. The move garnered worldwide attention through mostly positive mass media exposure."I am hopeful that the commission's voice might in a small way advance the discussion regarding campaign finance transparency," Murray said.Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.