Campaign Finance Reform (Ideas)

I believe our system of government has become corrupt and no longer represents its constituents.

There, I said it, I’ll put on my tin foil hat and keep an eye out for the black helicopters.

I believe the vast majority of our elected representatives no longer represent us. They may represent the companies we work for, the organizations we belong to or groups we contribute to, but the Congresspeople, Senators and the President, no longer represent us.

We may be able to influence their decisions though large national organizations, but how much do they actually listen to the people they represent? There are of course exceptions, but by and large, they are isolated from the public they ostensibly serve.

Yes, there are times when our representative must make decisions we may not like, yet in the current environment it seems like the citizen is no longer the prime concern of the elected.

To a large extent, I lay the blame on us, the American Citizens. We have become lazy, paying groups to represent our desires, uninformed, failing to understand the consequences of our actions, and power hungry, local influence is not good enough. We have allowed, even encouraged, our voices to be taken from us for it seems today that you have no voice in the government of our nation unless you have a team of paid lobbyists purchasing access in the halls of power. This is the definition of a corrupt system of government.

I propose the following reforms:

1-    No Candidate for Congress may accept funds from any source other than individual human citizens in the district hope to represent.
2-    No Candidate for Senate may accept funds from any source other than individual human citizens in the state they hope to represent.
3-    No Candidate for President may accept funds from any source other than individual human US Citizens.
4-    The limit on any individual `s contribution to one candidate shall be no more than $100
5-    No office holder may accept any type of compensation from any source except salary and expenses from the US Treasury.

Done, that’s it , the end.

What do you think?

P.S. At this point I am fully aware of the fantasy of my proposals, but we can still dream.

P.P.S. Dogs & Frogs

6 Comments

ask on September 16, 2005 at 6:46 pm

A very important discussion, though I doubt you will get much traction.
I do not know enough about this topic in the American context (being an alien), but seem to recall that the argument against curtailing campaign contributions is that it violates the First Amendment.

Which leaves me to think – WTF; is corruption protected and codified in the Constitution?

The corporations are destroying the fabric of society, the Dems are just as keen – though, maybe not as successful – as the Repubs in taking the money that ensures politics as usual. There are all sorts of loopholes, ‘soft’ money poring into the system with little oversight. Too many politicians, whether D or R are dependent and beholden to this corrupt system – my hopes are low.

btower on September 16, 2005 at 7:09 pm

As are mine, however, if it just gets ignored then it’ll never change.

The first amendment argument is really just a rationalization, money is not speech.
- ask on September 16, 2005 at 7:27 pm
  
  Just found this (via a link at kos):
  
  A corporation does not want democracy. It does not want free markets, it wants profits and the best way for them to get profits is to use our campaign finance system which is just a system of legalized bribery to get their stakes, their hooks into a public official and then use that public official to dismantle the market place to give them a competitive advantage and then to privatize the common, to steal the commonwealth, to liquidate public assets for cash, to plunder, to steal from the rest of us. That’s why. From the beginning of our national history our most visionary political leaders.
  And that doesn’t mean corporations are a bad thing. It just means they’re amoral and we have to recognize that and not let them into the political process.
  
  by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr
  Speech delivered at the Sierra Summit 2005
  San Francisco, California
  September 10, 2005
  
  Read it all if you have the opportunity. What a speech!
  - btower on September 16, 2005 at 8:33 pm
    
    Awesome, This is after Eisenhowers Military Industrial Complex push. Its amazing how it goes round and round.
    
    Thanks

Yaright on September 16, 2005 at 11:48 pm

I like the principles behind it, but reality will no doubt demand some compromises.

I’ve often said that companies should be no more powerful than unions — the more members (employees), the more power.

How about:

$100 per person (via IRS check-off, doesn’t increase your taxes, you’re just “allocating” the money)
$500 tax deductible/tax free
$1000 taxed
> $1000 taxed at %50 ?

I’m not sure if I’d want such a plan, but it would be damn funny to see the Republicans fight against that first part — a system that lets a person spend “their own money” (aka tax dollars) to support the politics of their choice. It’d be worth bringing out alone when/if they start their insane Social Security push.

But definitely get back to the notion of govt for the people, by eliminating graft and bribery from our corporations. Maybe the way to do that is to make such items big and bold on the SEC filings, then penalize the hell out of them. After all, unless they are bribes, they don’t help the shareholder.

Oh, and make violations of this akin to bribery/treason, and threaten to yank the charter and dissolve any corporation found guilty of intentionally subverting the “Clean Government” act.

btower on September 17, 2005 at 12:21 am

Great Ideas
Nice contribution stages, I was thinking of keeping the limits relatively low. I really like the corporate punishment angle.

ask on September 16, 2005 at 6:46 pm

A very important discussion, though I doubt you will get much traction.
I do not know enough about this topic in the American context (being an alien), but seem to recall that the argument against curtailing campaign contributions is that it violates the First Amendment.

Which leaves me to think – WTF; is corruption protected and codified in the Constitution?

The corporations are destroying the fabric of society, the Dems are just as keen – though, maybe not as successful – as the Repubs in taking the money that ensures politics as usual. There are all sorts of loopholes, ‘soft’ money poring into the system with little oversight. Too many politicians, whether D or R are dependent and beholden to this corrupt system – my hopes are low.
- btower on September 16, 2005 at 7:09 pm
  
  As are mine, however, if it just gets ignored then it’ll never change.
  
  The first amendment argument is really just a rationalization, money is not speech.
  - ask on September 16, 2005 at 7:27 pm
    
    Just found this (via a link at kos):
    
    A corporation does not want democracy. It does not want free markets, it wants profits and the best way for them to get profits is to use our campaign finance system which is just a system of legalized bribery to get their stakes, their hooks into a public official and then use that public official to dismantle the market place to give them a competitive advantage and then to privatize the common, to steal the commonwealth, to liquidate public assets for cash, to plunder, to steal from the rest of us. That’s why. From the beginning of our national history our most visionary political leaders.
    And that doesn’t mean corporations are a bad thing. It just means they’re amoral and we have to recognize that and not let them into the political process.
    
    by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr
    Speech delivered at the Sierra Summit 2005
    San Francisco, California
    September 10, 2005
    
    Read it all if you have the opportunity. What a speech!
    - btower on September 16, 2005 at 8:33 pm
      
      Awesome, This is after Eisenhowers Military Industrial Complex push. Its amazing how it goes round and round.
      
      Thanks
Yaright on September 16, 2005 at 11:48 pm
I like the principles behind it, but reality will no doubt demand some compromises.

I’ve often said that companies should be no more powerful than unions — the more members (employees), the more power.

How about:
- $100 per person (via IRS check-off, doesn’t increase your taxes, you’re just “allocating” the money)
- $500 tax deductible/tax free
- $1000 taxed
- > $1000 taxed at %50 ?
I’m not sure if I’d want such a plan, but it would be damn funny to see the Republicans fight against that first part — a system that lets a person spend “their own money” (aka tax dollars) to support the politics of their choice. It’d be worth bringing out alone when/if they start their insane Social Security push.

But definitely get back to the notion of govt for the people, by eliminating graft and bribery from our corporations. Maybe the way to do that is to make such items big and bold on the SEC filings, then penalize the hell out of them. After all, unless they are bribes, they don’t help the shareholder.

Oh, and make violations of this akin to bribery/treason, and threaten to yank the charter and dissolve any corporation found guilty of intentionally subverting the “Clean Government” act.
- btower on September 17, 2005 at 12:21 am
  
  Great Ideas
  Nice contribution stages, I was thinking of keeping the limits relatively low. I really like the corporate punishment angle.

Campaign Finance Reform (Ideas)

About The Author

btower

6 Comments

Recent Posts

Recent Comments