RE: Campaign contributions

[Sarah McUmber-House <mcuhouse@nemonet.com>]

"Do campaign contribution limits infringe on an individual's freedom to support the candidate of their choice or is it a small price to pay in order to restore political equity?" 

Consider this hypothetical situation - If I could afford to buy a very large portion of the available food in my area and use it for my family, would it be right for me to do so? What about when it means that my neighbors would not have enough for their needs? Certainly it is my right to do as I please with *my* money, and to protect my family, but is it my right to endanger my fellow citizens? No, I do not think it is. 

By the way - the individual's right to choose a candidate is set forth in their right to vote, and not by their campaign contribution.

Rights require responsibilty, something that many people have forgotten. My right to support my chosen candidate should stop *before* I am able to cancel out your same right. It is my responsibility not to be greedy. Now there's a tuffy for our current society, which seems to demand the right to grab all it can, no matter whose hand it gets snatched out of.

"What factors would you consider if you were charged with developing a policy that would balance individual freedom with political equity?"

Eliminating the question of who funds and benefits from the campaign of any given candidate would be a good focus. That can only be done by eliminating the money/gifts issue - not regulating it, but getting rid of it all together. Probably the only way to do that is to publicly fund public elections.