We Can Do Better

      We have all heard the cry that there is too much money in our political elections.  In fact, according to Reason Magazine, in the recent primary election the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) paid $435,000 to fund a 30-second ad promoting a Republican Congressional candidate in Michigan who had been supported by former President Trump because the DCCC determined that this Republican candidate would be easier for them to defeat by the Democratic candidate in the general election?  And that amount of money was almost $100,000 more than that Republican candidate raised for his entire campaign!  Similar donations were made to Republican candidates in primary elections by the Democratic Governors Association and by the Pennsylvania Attorney General in his own election campaign for governor.  And all that chicanery worked! 

      But what can – and should – be done, because surely we can do better?!  How about that we take away all spending limits for real live people to donate – but require prompt disclosure of all contributions above $250?  And then we affirmatively disallow any non-human beings from making any political donations at all in any election campaigns!  That means that corporations and unions would be excluded – which is proper because it is their shareholders and members’ money that is being spent.  So they should get 100% unanimity before spending it.  But if the individuals favor the candidate or proposition, let them spend their own money supporting it!  Finally, there is also some merit in disallowing any human being to contribute in any election in which they themselves cannot vote.  Thus if my daughter were running for State Senate in Fresno, but I lived in San Diego, I would not be allowed to contribute to her campaign.  I agree that there would be some First Amendment issues with this proposal, but it is still worth considering.  Why should I be able to donate money to a political campaign in an election district that is not my own?  Let the people who live there decide who represents them and what ballot measures to pass!  What say you?                       

      Straight off “Ziggy” in the Orange County Register’s comic section: “If ‘Ignorance is Bliss,’ I should be a heckuva lot happier than I am!”