I almost never do this, but here's an entire press release from candidate Steve Behar; he's running to succeed Tony Avella in the City Council against, in a cast of thousands, lobbyist Paul Vallone.

BAYSIDE- Shortly after he entered office, President Barack Obama issued a landmark executive order aimed at reforming the ethics policy of the Executive Branch. In this act, the President placed strict restrictions on the employment eligibility of registered lobbyists, requiring them to adhere to strict hiring regulations if they should seek work within the Executive Branch, and requiring all employees to take an oath that implicitly states that they cannot work for the President’s staff, or any executive agency in any capacity if they have lobbied the Executive branch in any way within the past two years.

Steve Behar, a good government Democratic candidate in the 19th New York City Council District in Northeast Queens, was thrilled to see the President take this bold initiative.

“President Obama is taking strides to make the United States government more transparent and efficient. I applaud this Executive Order, and I would love to see something similar put into affect here in New York City.”

Behar, who is running for the seat currently held by Councilman Tony Avella, points out that “our political system has devolved into a system of 'legalized bribery' where elected officials are indebted to the lobbyists and big money special interests that fill their campaign coffers. Even in the race here in our district, a registered lobbyist is seeking to represent the hard-working people of Northeast Queens.”

“It is imperative that we follow the President’s lead and do our best to unlock the grip that lobbyists, real estate developers and big money special interest have on our city's government,” added Behar. “Northeast Queens is a area that has produced leaders like Councilman Avella who are independent minded and represent the will of the people. If this seat is won by a lobbyist or someone in the pocket of the special interests, it will be the hardworking people of this district who will loose out.”

Behar would like to see this process of keeping special interests out of elections taken one step further. “I call for the full public financing of all elections in New York City,” said Behar. “While our system does allow for a degree of public financing that is more efficient than many other forms of campaign finance across the country, New York's matching funds program does not eliminate the influences of lobbyists and special interests.” Full public financing or “Clean Elections” is law in seven states and two cities: Arizona; Connecticut; Maine; New Jersey; New Mexico; North Carolina; Vermont; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Portland, Oregon. In Arizona, full public financing of that State's elections led to the election of two time Governor, and now U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano. Secretary Napolitano has repeatedly stated that she could not have competed in her initial race for Governor without Clean Elections.

Behar, an attorney and resident long-time of Bayside, has worked on bringing Clean Elections to New York State and has previously worked with Citizens Action of New York to draft legislation for the New York State Assembly. When elected to the City Council, he plans to immediately introduce legislation that will provide for the public financing of all New York City elections.

The 19th City Council District in Northeast Queens is comprised of the neighborhoods of Bayside, College Point, Auburndale, Beechhurst, Whitestone, Bay Terrace, Malba, Robinwood, Flushing, Douglaston and Little Neck. Behar has already been endorsed by Councilman Avella to succeed him in the New York City Council after November’s election.

To read the entirety of Obama’s Executive Order, please visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/ExecutiveOrder-EthicsCommitme...