Political Reform Part I

The time has come, if not past due, for political reform. This is a daunting task as our elected officials seem to like things as they are. They are the only ones who can pass the bills needed for these reforms, but it is we, the people, who can and must demand them.

First, start by limiting the campaign war chest to the amount the official will make over the term they are running for. Next, limit the donation amount they may receive to a maximum of $500.00 per person over the length of the campaign. Stop all donations from political action committees (P.A.C.), corporations, unions, special interest groups, etc. In other words the only legal donations would be from individuals with a cap of $500.00.

Now that we have limited the amount they may raise, we need to ensure they don’t keep any to carry over to the next election. Any funds not spend in the campaign should go into the state treasury and placed in a public assistance fund. This way, win or lose, the public comes out okay. These changes should be effective from the time a candidate registers to Election Day. If they lose in the primary and do not make it on the final ballet, the situation remains the same for the disposition of the money.

If our elected officials have to follow these rules, how long do you think it will take to clean up campaigning, to focus on the issues? Without the monetary influence of big money, the interests of the people should move to the forefront.

So far this has been about our federal and state officials, but it could be taken further, to the city and county levels also.

There would be no need to limit the time a volunteer could work on a campaign, only the financial resources they have to work with. In the end, they are working to help make things better for us all.

Politicians may control the purse, but we control the purse strings.

Ed Williams ©