Paul Loeb, author of Soul of a Citizen, profiles Alison Smith, co-chair of the Maine Citizens for Clean Elections Steering Committee. Loeb details Smith's journey into activism and highlights the power of the individual in pushing forward reforms such as Clean Elections."When Alison moved to Maine, she joined the League's Portland affiliate, focusing on clean-air issues and transportation alternatives. She helped organize a diverse group of stakeholders to pass a new state law on waste-oil recycling. "The more I did, the more confident I became. The more I felt I had something to contribute." By the fall of 1995, when she was asked to collect signatures to get a new campaign reform measure on the ballot, Alison jumped at the chance. "We've become so used to being disgusted with elections and politicians," she said. "We assume that almost anyone who gets in will be corrupt. But the decisions they make in our name matter hugely, often leaving us with even less power. I didn't know whether the initiative would pass, but I didn't want cynicism to rule my life. I'd like to see politics bring out the best in us, not the worst. I get tired when people complain all the time but never do anything to change things." "...In a single day, 1,100 volunteers qualified the measure by staffing tables outside polling stations. "I just sat at a table with a sign saying 'Do you want to take big money out of politics?'" recalls Alison. "Almost everyone who came over responded and signed." Please read the article and comment on The Huffington Post.