A group of business leaders in North Carolina are calling for stronger Clean Election laws in their state."As business, professional and civic leaders, we are concerned about the harmful effects of the pressures on political leaders to raise ever larger amounts of campaign money. The fundraising arms race drives up the cost of public office and drives down public confidence in government at all levels. It results in incumbents, who are responsible for directing policy, spending too much time dialing-for-dollars rather than focusing on their job."Reports of wrongdoing in Raleigh and a new U.S. Supreme Court decision highlight the urgency for taking action. The court's Citizens United decision opens the door for even more spending in elections. Reforms that address ethics, lobbying and disclosure are important, but they do not get to the heart of the problem: How can candidates compete without stepping onto the treadmill of the money chase?"North Carolina is already showing the way forward. We now have successful programs that offer a viable alternative to the money chase to candidates for statewide judicial office and three Council of State positions. These programs for voter-owned elections provide a competitive amount of 'clean' public funds to candidates who raise a set number of small donations from registered voters. More than 70 percent of the candidates eligible for these programs have opted to use public financing - Democrats and Republicans, men and women, blacks and whites, incumbents and challengers."Click here to read the full article.