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Summary: Finance Reform 2
Campaign contributions may not be solicited or accepted, except 4-6
months before the date of an election in which you have announced
your candidacy to run for office.
Full Text: Finance Reform 2
Solicitation or receipt of campaign contributions for Federal
office should be legal only in the 180 days, before the election
for a political office, or 120 days for state or local offices. The “evil” addressed
here is to avoid the setting for quid pro quo corruption. That
risk is greatest when the legislature is in session. The idea
is to limit solicitation, and contribution to times when the legislature
is not sitting. Let us separate legislating from electioneering.
As
an extreme example, why should a politico be allowed to amass funds
if they are not even intending to run again for office? Why
allow them to solicit or receive funds if they have not even declared
they are running for office? Why allow a CC just before his
or her vote on an issue, even if it is years before which they will
run for office ? Why should a senator be allowed to receive a CC
just after his or her vote granting a privilege? Why
should it be legal for people or corporations at a time legislating
is going on?
Let us allow
our politicos spend their time and energy drafting laws promoting our national
welfare, not crafting laws of privilege. Let us protect politicos from the feeling
of competitive need for full time fund raising. Let us allow our politicos time
to reflect on the general weal. Let us leave politicos the bulk
of their term to do their jobs. . Many say stress of constant fund raising is
too exhausting. Almost say it is too distracting . Politicos should be involved
in drafting, and discussing the effect of laws they are passing. Give them time
and energy to repeal the existing grants of privilege that are so destructive
to the free market. The drafting of laws is usually left to committees, or to
administrative agencies under “enabling laws” , or worse yet by attorneys
for special interest groups. No politico writes them, most never read, and comprehend
them.
Is it not
odd that political sorts have regulated us beyond reason just so bureaucrats
have papers to keep on their desks, yet they have not thought to have returns for
campaign contributions.
Have we impaired
free speech? This has nothing to do with talking. Have we impaired ones ability
to dump huge sums of money into an agenda in which they believe? Citizens are
still free to back P.A.C.’s and political parties with all the money they
wish to spend. Non constituents may still write letters, E-mail, telegraph, write
letters to politicos, or newspaper editors, advertise in a myriad of ways, But
payola is out. In other words, let us balance the right to contribute money in
the guise of free speech against the public right to clean and responsive
government? Lets us do that by separating electioneering and legislating.
We only seek protection of the sacred right for citizens to cast meaningful vote,
the right that many of our ancestors gave their lives to create.
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