TO: Alderperson Matt Martin

FROM: Adam Cornelius <therealadamcornelius@gmail.com>

Dear Alderperson Martin,

My name is Adam Cornelius, and I’m a resident of the 47th Ward in Chicago. I am writing to express my strong support for the Chicago Fair Elections ordinance introduced by you, yourself.

Chicagoans deserve a government that represents all of us. A Fair Elections program would elevate the voices of everyday Chicagoans, empower people from all walks of life to run for office, reduce corruption, and allow elected officials to spend more time talking to their constituents instead of endlessly fundraising from a few big donors.

Many major US cities, like New York and Los Angeles, have used similar programs to address the issue of big money dominating elections. In fact, Chicago is the largest US city without a public campaign financing program. And while we might not have the political appetite to go as far as Berkeley, California which as a 7:1 publicly funded matching program for campaign donations, it’s time to join our peer cities and get this done.

As someone who values fairness, transparency, and inclusivity in our political system, I urge you to support this ordinance in City Council. Your leadership is vital to bringing people-powered democracy to Chicago.

And although the website seems crudely designed, engineered and coded, that should not stop us from getting money out of politics so we can put it back into people's pockets.

Thank you for your time! I look forward to seeing progress on this important issue soon.