Unlimited contributions are an invitation to unfettered influence for those who write the checks. It’s not very neighborly to allow politicians all over to circumvent the laws their citizens have put in place to control influence-peddling.
Once again, my favorite political writer, Margaret Edds, hits the nail on the head with today’s editorial with the above title. While all of other states have placed restrictions on the amount of contributions, Virginia has none. As the result, it has become the haven for politicians across the country and their PACs.
Is this something to be proud of? I think not.
I do not see how what Virginia is doing is a problem. What is wrong with people contributing their money to an election campaign? If it is your money, why should anyone be allowed to stop you from spending it on a legal activity? The last time I checked, running for political office does qualify as a legal activity.
What voters are entitled to know is who they are really dealing with. Because the financiers are effectively part of the campaign, voters have every right to know who these people are, and we collect that information. As the article also states: “Virginia, which is unique, or close to it, in this category, places no limits whatsoever on political donations, save reporting them.”
The other states are doing it wrong. They limit the choice of voters by limiting campaign contributions. Such restrictions limit who can run. By limiting campaign contributions, other states protect their incumbent politicians. Why would we want to do that?
On the other hand, we do require truth in the advertising. Instead of trusting politicians, we trust voters to decide whether a candidate is being bought.
Posted by Citizen Tom | Sunday, December 17, 2006, 4:39 pmDon’t understand how limiting campaign contributions limits who can run. How does that protect incumbents? Sorry for my ignorance, but could you elaborate. Thank you.
Posted by Sleepless in Virginia | Tuesday, December 19, 2006, 7:48 amTexas has no limits as well. It’s much worse there than in VA. There’s state house of representative candidates who have received 100,000 checks.
Posted by asmith | Tuesday, December 19, 2006, 3:43 pm