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Current Issue: Volume 130, Number 1 July 14, 2009
Ed/Op



Clean money allows neutrality

Posted 04-05-2006 at 4:50PM

Kyle Gracey
RPI College Democrats

Despite the focus on student government elections, much larger ones will soon occur. Unfortunately, the current campaign system is seriously flawed. In most races candidates can spend as much money as they can raise from their collective donors. In large part that money comes from the wealthiest individuals—people who can afford to give the maximum campaign contribution. More importantly, these people are able to gather other wealthy individuals—frequently within the same corporation—who can also give the maximum amount. Most of us have heard of the idea —executives from a company give a lot of money to a politician, and in exchange they get legislation that is favorable to that firm. Power plant executives give a wad of cash, and in return they are protected from higher clean air standards while the poorer, average citizens are left to breathe dirtier air. The current system also makes it very difficult for poorer people to run for office. Wealthy guys like Ross Perot can completely fund their own campaigns and avoid donor limits. Wealthy politicians around the country often do this, and unlike Ross Perot, they actually win—not because they are necessarily better, but because they can afford to win.

The solution to this system is publicly financed elections, better known as clean money or clean elections. With this system the government provides money for candidates to run in an election and every candidate gets the same amount of money. People are forced to run on their ideas instead of their dollars. The system is slightly more complex than this, so I encourage you to learn more about it. Clean elections have already been implemented in many places around the country, including four states. Before you assume that this is some idea that will only benefit Democrats, let me mention two things: First, Democrats are guilty of bending to the will of campaign donors just like Republicans. Also, Republicans are as likely as Democrats to use clean money in an election that offers it. In Maine’s clean elections, Democrats and Republicans both agree to use clean money 85 percent of the time.

Clean elections are also cheap for taxpayers. Only $10 per voter per year would fund all of the elections a voter might vote in. That is a small price to pay for a fair election.



Posted 04-05-2006 at 4:50PM
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