Clean Money
Can money in politics kill you? Find out for yourself.
Privately financed campaigns lead to a populace that feels increasingly detached from the business affairs of Washington insiders. Lobbyists and well-connected politicians thrive on the money-power relationship, leaving the rest of us out of the loop and important issues off the radar. Lots of legislators talk about campaign finance reform; however, only complete public financing of elections can bring about needed change and put the focus back where it belongs - with the people.
This voluntary system saves taxpayer money, provides for a level playing field, encourages more minority participation in governing and is already working well in states like Maine and Arizona. These days we are bombarded by stories about corruption involving Tom Delay, Jack Abramoff, Ralph Reed, etc. It's no secret that energy and oil companies, along with so many other businesses, buy their way into policy decisions that don't come close to helping average Americans and are actually ruining our environment.
Once again - we can change all that. Corporations are betting that people will continue to ignore the obvious, but I believe Americans are sick of the influence big business buys and wants to see change sooner rather than later. Join me and let's clean up Congress - once and for all.
posted by kate @ 7:27 AM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Such a cynical view of the world is shared by a lot of people.
Let me tell you, as someone who has worked in the system, there is very little quid pro quo. To be sure, you can find examples where weak-minded individuals in both parties (Cunningham -R , Jefferson -D). However, the vast majority of our elected leaders have no problem accepting donations and voting against those who make those donations.
The problem is that there appears to be a quid pro quo because those who donate funds support politicans who have espoused certain beliefs. Both parties have specific platforms and issue positions, and those positions are shared by people and organizations with money. If you like a certain politician because of the way he or she votes, wouldn't you want to do anything you could to make sure he or she is re-elected? Well, special interest groups are no different.
Remember too, that it costs money to make signs and billboards, to print and send direct mail, to create and host a website, and produce and distribute radio or television commercials. That money has to come from somewhere. Public financing of campaigns for the President, 535 members of Congress, hundreds of state-wide officers, thousands of state legislators, and tens of thousands of local government officers would be cost prohibitive.
In fact, if special interest groups couldn't donate directly to the politicians, they would create more 527s and use them to help their candidates. It's like water on pavement, money will find every crack and crevice and still get into the system.
Ultimately, the best answer to really improve campaign finance is an instant disclosure system. The media and political opponents can monitor such a system and draw attention to a specific candidate's donors. This is just part of the overall decision making process voters use to make a decision.
What you call cynical, I call realistic. Politicians are forced to fundraise when they could be working for the good of the people instead. They spend too much time raising needed funds and public financing would curtail such wastes of taxpayer money.
Special interest groups use money and other gifts to influence Washington - as someone who has worked in the system, you should know that - not just to reward like-minded efforts.
We could use an instant disclosure policy, but it still doesn't mean that corruption isn't a problem and current campaign finance laws don't address it. We can't finance every campaign and candidate, and the clean money campaign doesn't intend to. However, don't tell me that energy companies who spent millions on Bush didn't get a great return on their investment when the Energy Policy came out.
No one is buying that particular brand of bullshit. Not anymore.
Kate -
Special interests would still spend money to influence elections. They have since the founding of our country. They will until the United States no longer exists.
If they could not give money to politicians, they would create 527s and run commercials in support of their candidates. They do this already - giving the legal limit directly, bundling checks when possible, then spending more on 527s.
With private financing of campaigns, you at least know that energy companies support Republicans and that trial lawyers support Democrats. If you go to public finance, then there would be no reporting. 527s have a limited reporting requirement, and those records are not public record.
So, what you would be doing is acutally hiding the financial support rather than keeping it somewhat in the open.
Yes, energy companies benefitted more from a Bush presidency than they would have under a Kerry or Gore presidency. That is why they supported him. That is their right. That is why special interest groups of all kinds give money to candidates of all parties - because they think the candidates they support will develop policies that benefit them - oil companies, teachers unions, pharmaceutical companies, trial lawyers...
I am only saying that the energy policy was not a payback or quid-pro-quo. It was Bush implementing a position he espoused during the campaign.
In my humble opinion, the biggest problem we as Americans have with our illustrious and corrupt political system is that our politicians are so far removed from their constituents that they have no clue as to what we want, and most of society feels powerless against "the machine". With Clean Money campaigns, the average american can run and win an election. Therefore, our democracy would be as it was intended - our country, run by THE PEOPLE, not a bunch of white upper middle class men who have NO CLUE what is going on in the real world (much less what is right for women and minorities). This sytem has proven itself in 4 of our states already and has more women and minorities in office than ever before - people that otherwise could not afford to run.
Let's be honest here. Anyone who has lived in the US longer than 6 months knows that special interest groups support politicians to steer them in the "right" direction. Thats why we have so much corruption of power, and why our environment is sucking eggs. America can do better than what we have, and Americans should stand up and say so!
I tend to agree with Becca. I don't mind people and/or special interest groups trying to influence elections - whether with money, ideas, words, etc. However, the current system is corrupt, we should encourage minority participation in governing and the Clean Money campaigns are working well so far. I doubt that Congress can reform itself so let's give this a try.
Kate & Becca,
Interesting thoughts. I don't disagree that there are corrupt politicians - at all levels and in all parties. Moreover, there are certainly unscrupulous lobbyists or special interest groups. That does make for problems.
However, I don't see how your solution actually solves the problem. Special interest groups would still pour millions and millions into elections, making sure to get credit when they do so. Only worse, their money would be shielded from public scrutiny.
Since I have not heard either major party espouse the public financing of elections, this is an academic debate.
Bear in mind that the two of you, and I, are far more educated on issues than the average voter. The real problem is not the politicians, but the complacency of the voters to allow this to continue. Personally, I agree with Will Rogers who said that democracy is the worst system of government, except for all the others.
:-)
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