The mayor of Madison, Wisconsin has formed a Blue Ribbon committee made up of former legislators and others with experience in the campaign finance world to explore a Clean Elections public financing program for the city's elections. Mayor Dave Cieslewicz counts himself as a supporter of Clean Elections, and had this to say about its potential value for Madison's elections: ""I am also concerned that increasingly expensive campaigns will keep average citizens from trying for public office. If you're not personally wealthy or capable of raising thousands of dollars, will you simply decide to stay on the sidelines?" Let's hope the Blue Ribbon panel sees Clean Elections as the way to correct that imbalance.