Quotes of the Day

<h4>“The real issue is who’s giving money and real transparency. We’re
going to do this in a way that’s above board. We’re each going to be
contributing our ethical and moral standards that we have been
living our lives by.”</h4><br>

—New Haven mayoral candidate Matthew Nemerson on why he's not going
to participate in the New Haven Democracy Fund, one of the few
municipal public campaign financing programs in the U.S. He says
that instead he will make campaign contributions public within 48
hours of receipt (candidates participating in the Democracy Fund
enter their contributions into the state's database, and they must
be made public at least monthly during the campagn, and are
searchable).<br>
<br>
What is fascinating about this quote is that the usual
personal moral standard line is used here with respect to public
financing, as if we learn from our family and our house of worship
whether it is more ethical to be quickly transparent (and how much,
since we don't know if Nemerson will actually tell the public who
works for a contractor, developer, lobbying firm, etc.) or to accept
contribution and spending limits, as well as other restrictions that
are part and parcel of a public financing program. For the record, I
administered the program from its inception until last July. This
quote is from <a href="http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/nemerson_en…; target="”_blank”">a
New Haven <i>Independent</i> article</a> from a week ago.<br>
<br>
Here are some more quotes from Nemerson, from a debate sponsored by
Yale Democrats, taken from <a href="http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/mayoral_can…
<i>Independent</i> article</a> from this week:<br>

<h4>“It really doesn’t matter how we collect money. ... I agree that
money should be out of government." But, he said, there’s a big
difference between money in government at the federal or state level
and at the city level. At the city level, he said, there is less
danger of corruption.<br>
<br>
“The reality is, we’re all really honorable people. There really is
nothing to buy here, folks.”</h4><br>