Re: How Voters Can Regain Control of Congress

From: Jim Blair (jeb_at_wisc.edu)
Date: 10/26/04 

Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 15:55:30 -0500

"William F Hummel" <wfhummel@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:04uqn0dvef9cornucahvd4sn3fv9ur5n31@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 15:14:14 -0500, "Jim Blair" <jeb@wisc.edu> wrote:
> >
> ><royls@telus.net> wrote in message
news:41796a96.12531729@news.telus.net...
> >> On Fri, 22 Oct 2004 17:35:34 GMT, William F Hummel
>
> >> <wfhummel@comcast.net> wrote:
> >>
> >> >Here is a set of laws that should go a long ways toward enabling
> >> >voters to regain control:
> >> >
> >> >1. Outlaw all contributions (money or equivalent) to candidates other
> >> >than $100 per candidate per donor. That means no corporate PACs, and
> >> >no soft money to political parties.
> >
> >Labot unions included?
> >
> Yes, that's the proposal. The only donations allowed to candidates
> must come from individuals, not organizations. The basic purpose is
> to demonstrate reasonable voter support for a candidate and to weed
> out those who simply like to see their names in print.
>
> >> How do you reconcile this with free speech and free press rights?

WFH:

> Individuals or organizations who spend their OWN money to promote
> political views is logically a form of free speech and thus covered by
> the First Amendment. However money (or equivalent) paid to candidates
> running for office that exceeds the amount covered by statutory law
> should be defined as bribery and therefore illegal. If that needs to
> be imbedded in the Constitution, so be it.

Hi,

One problem is that various organizations spend a lot promoting their
positions.
While that money does not go into the campaign of particular candidates, it
is clear
that it supports some and opposes others. If adds say "stop the killing of
babies
by abortion" that means vote for Bush. Adds that say "protect a woman's
right to
choose" mean vote for Kerry.
>
> Money paid to registered political parties is more difficult to deal
> with. IMO it should come from the candidates running for that party.

??? The candidate gets campaign support from the party, not the reverse.
How could Russ Feingold afford to run for senate except for the Democratic
Party? (Russ is probably the poorest US senator. Maybe Herb Kohl, our
other senator could afford to support his own campaign and his party as well
;-).

> Alternatively, citizens could be allowed to donate some small amount
> to political parties separate from their donations to candidates. All
> of this requires legislation, and open books to insure compliance.

But what of "issue adds" run by various interest groups?
>
> >> In any case, the fact is, the media are all owned by wealthy corporate
> >> interests anyway, ....
> >
> >Air America, the New York Times, ABC, CBS, etc.? Michael Moore?.
>
> Fact of life. There is no practical way of preventing it.

The popular mis-conception is that "the media" has a Conservative bias.
But see:

http://www.thethoughtpolice.org/MediaBias.html

> >
> >>....so the voter already has few sources of information
> >> but the big corporate PACs called media conglomerates.
> >
> >The internet? Foreign press?
> >>
> >> >2. Any candidate for Congress who has received more than $1,000,000
> >> >through those contributions, as verified by appropriate audit,
> >> >qualifies for matching funds from the government. In effect, the
> >> >first level of voting is the small contributions of individuals in
> >> >support of a candidate.
> >
> >People could not spend their own money promoting their campaign?
> >Or to "educate the public" about their cause?
>
> Yes, but they would then lose matching funds from the government.

You overestimate the value of money. Remember Howard Dean had the
nomination in the bag because of his $40 million? Wes Clark spent more
in Wisconsin than anyone else and got no delegates here. That Michael
Huffington guy paid almost $40 million for his California senate seat and
lost,
while Bill Proxmeyer spent under $200 (DOLLARS, not millions!!!) and
won a senate seat. (corrected for inflation maybe $400 current dollars)

> >> >3. During the 30 days preceding the general election, require each of
> >> >the three broadcast television networks to provide 3 hours of local
> >> >television time free to each qualifying candidate during prime time
> >> >hours. [Note that the RF spectrum belongs to the public and the
> >> >government can control its usage.]
> >
> >To each ot the dozens of candidates? Or more likely hundreds if they
each
> >can get free air time and government money.
>
> No way would there be hundreds of candidates. They must individually
> get over the $1 million in donations threshold to qualify. How many
> hundreds of millions of dollars have individuals donated to candidates
> in Wisconsin?
>
> >I might even run for office in that case.
>
> If you can get at least 10,000 people to donate $100 each to your
> candidacy, why not give it a try?

It would be a lot easier if I could put in $999,990 myself and get the other
$10
from my many newsgroup readers.

> >>
> >> IMO it would be better to leave the networks out of it, and just
> >> require each station -- both TV and radio -- to provide time, with
> >> each local candidate's scheduled broadcast time allotted by lottery.
> >
> >And suspend all other programming?
>
> Only if necessary. But of course you exaggerate.
> >>
> >> >4. Use similar rules for the presidential election, except set the
> >> >threshold at $20,000,000 to qualify for matching funds, and increase
> >> >the free television time to 10 hours over the 45 days preceding the
> >> >general election.
> >
> >So only the rich could run for office?
>
> Doesn't follow logically.
> >>
> >> Televised debates must also include all recognized candidates.
> >
> >All of them? Recognized by who?
> >>
> >> >5. Outlaw all freebies from lobbyists to elected and appointed
> >> >officials. That includes gifts over say $100 in value, golf trips,
> >> >picking up the tab on hotel and dining bills, etc.
......
> >
> >But when does trying to convince your elected representative of your
> >cause become trying to corrupt him?
> >
> If you can do it with just a $100 donation, you are in the wrong
> business. Consider selling insurance.

A car dealer was running for the Republican nomination for senate against 3
other guys. They complained that his car adds were a form of campaign add
since they put his name before the public. He said he was just trying to
sell cars.
I missed how the legal challenge turned out, but one of the other guys won
the
primary.

Maybe I could hire my congressman's wife (or husband) to be my personal
assistant for $200,000 a year (if they vote for my favorite bill).

I agree that some things could be improved, but money will always play a
role
in elections.

                     ,,,,,,,
_______________ooo___(_O O_)___ooo_______________
                       (_)
jim blair (jeblair@facstaff.wisc.edu) Madison Wisconsin
USA. This message was brought to you using biodegradable
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