Groups rally for fair election campaigns
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NEW YORK -- Demonstrators are speaking out against corporate contributions to political campaigns. They rallied in Central New York and the Southern Tier on Thursday to demand publicly-financed fair elections.
A recent report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group shows 17 New York-based corporations contributed $670,000 to legislative candidates during the last election campaign.
Protesters claim those contributions unfairly influence state tax policies. They're calling for a new system that would use public money to increase the influence of individual donors.
"Corporate donors can contribute far more than individuals can. By having a partial match for small donors we can help our legislators to be more responsive to small voters," said Jayne Humbert, Organizing for Action Leader.
Protesters say loopholes used by these corporations cost New York more than $2 billion in tax revenue.