Laura Kelley of Rice University is founding a campus chapter of Democracy Matters to push for Clean Elections in the face of a campaign finance system that tilts the balance of power in favor of a wealthy few. She explains her support for full public financing of elections in this opinion piece [1] for the student newspaper, the Rice Thresher (hehe).

Kelley recaps an article in the Houston Chronicle that analyzed big campaign contributions coming out of Texas:

 

It started in 1978 when Texas oilmen devised a plan to spread their influence to Washington and push for deregulating the gas industry. However, do not get the idea that this is a partisan or a corporate issue. Money is pouring out of Texas at a lopsided ratio, with $30 million this past year going to conservative and liberal legislators and executives. Why? Because it works.

Fortunately, there's a solution that works as well. Clean Elections has been passed into law in seven states, and two cities and a bill to bring it to the U.S. Senate has been introduced. Democracy Matters works to organize students and young people behind the advancement of Clean Elections laws -- if you are interested in opening a chapter on your campus find out more here [2].