Free Speech

[Don A. <roedonad@pcom.net>]

Campaign finance reform is not a good idea because:

1.  I can stand on a soapbox and campaign for anyone under the First Amendment.  I can also put an ad in the paper for any candidate.  I can join together with other people to put an ad in the paper. Therefore, everyone can contribute to any campaign without restriction as guaranteed by the Constitution.  The Constitution would have to be changed to limit campaign contributions and I am not in favor of limiting free speech.

2.  The top 10% of income earners pay over 50% of the income taxes but get only 10% of the votes.  Shouldn't they at least be able to contribute as much as they want to political campaigns to try to influence all of the rest of people that don't even pay 50% of the taxes.

3.  The best funded campaigns don't necessarily win; witness the presidential campaigns of 1992 and 1996 in which the Republicans far outspent the Democrats.

4.  The amount of money spent on political campaigns is not really large.  The amount spent on tooth paste is more than spent on the recent Presidential campaign.