Yesterday the Hartford Courant reported that after months of opposition to H6670 Governor Rell is finally ready to make a compromise on campaign finance reform. 

The bill which has become a catch all of finance proposals has received opposition from the governor from the beginning of the session.  Rell who argues that her version of campaign finance reform which would ban contributions from various “special interests” would be true reform to the system – but I beg to differ.

I am appalled on so many levels with this news. First Rell’s original proposal would not fix the problems with money in politics the only way to really fix the problem with the system is to publicly finance elections – the position that she previously opposed.  

DeStefano has been campaigning for publicly financed elections since 2002.  The city of New Haven spearheaded the cause of publicly financed elections by proposing that the state allow municipalities, like New Haven to institute public financing for municipal races.  The proposal failed the first time in and then again in 2004 during the height of the Roland scandal.   

Now with just six days left in the session Jodi Rell is saying she is for publicly financed elections.  While everyone seems to be jumping on the bandwagon it seems concerning to me. 

I think Senate President Pro Temp Donald Williams said it best as quoted in today’s Hartford Courant "Is this something that is a sincere attempt, or a sincere reversal of opinion?" Williams said. "Is that really to advance the debate? Or is it to pull a rabbit out of the hat at the last minute, and sort of throw things in disarray when we have less than a week to the end of the session?"

I think it is a ploy at misdirection. She will get the good will of being for public financing with out having to really commit to it – can we really get this passed in the next six days.  What do you think about publicly financed elections?  Is Rell sincere?