RE: Campaign contributions

[Reed Davis <rd100@delphi.com>]

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

My main goal would be to ensure that limitations don't cause so
serious an underfunding of campaigns that the candidates cannot
make their case.  One way to accomplish this would be to have
public funding of campaigns so that candidates are not so
dependent on private funds (making their limitation less
critical).  Short of that, I might try something suggested by
the Presidential Election Campaign checkbox on the 1040 tax
form.  That checkbox allows the taxpayer to earmark $3 of their
taxes for funding the presidential election without allowing
them to specify the candidate.  Likewise, what if we were to
allow contributions only to be made to specific races, not
specific candidates?  The theory for contributing would be
that it would better enable all candidates to make their case
and improve the chance that the most qualified one would win.
If you believed that your candidate was the most qualified, you
would still be likely to contribute.  Of course, if you were
only looking to buy influence from a candidate (especially a
less-qualified one), you would most likely pass.

Limiting contributions to specific races might raise less money
but it would cut down on the corrupting influence of that money.
Also, it would make it more difficult for a candidate to simply
drown out his opponents with massive spending.  We have a right
to free speech but not at the exclusion of the free speech of
others.

Reed Davis