From: berenson@cookie.enet.dec.com (Hal Berenson)
Newsgroups: alt.politics.elections
Subject: Re: PAC's  Lets have a real democracy
Date: 15 Apr 92 16:48:04 GMT
Distribution: alt
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation


In article <1992Apr14.105308.23977@hellgate.utah.edu>, tolman%asylum.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Kenneth Tolman) writes...
> 
>  Currently, our candidates run for president on money that is given to
>them by special interests.  Therefore, they  serve special interests,
>and not the good of the country.  We do not have a real democracy.

A misleading statement at best, a complete untruth at worst.  The
campaigns of the major party candidates are 50% paid for BY TAX DOLLARS.
That is, every dollar raised by the presidential candidate's campaign is
matched by a dollar from the U.S. treasury.  One reason that candidates
drop out of the primaries, and that minor party candidates have funding
problems, is that the matching contribution program has certain
requirements that they don't meet making it difficult for them to
compete.

>  We should eliminate PAC's, eliminate funding from anyone or any group
>for control of the government.  We have a bought house!  Any sort of private
>funding whatsoever should not go into campaigns, including one's own money.
> 

PAC's may only contribute a maximum of $5,000 to any one campaign.
Individuals may only contribute a maximum of $1,000 (except to their own
campaign where the First Amendment protects their right to spend as much
as they want promoting themselves).  Now, a congressional campaign
typically runs to over a $1,000,000 per candidate and a presidential
campaign runs $10s of millions per candidate.  How on earth can someone
claim that a $5,000 or $1,000 contribution out of a multi-million dollar
budget "buys" anything!

>  Currently, our government is a farce because it must cater to special
>interest groups.  It does not function for the good of the people, except
>when the good of the people corresponds to the interests of someone trying
>to make a buck.  Our media and some outstanding individuals have made a 
>very tiny dent in this, but it is insufficient.
> 

Government caters to special interest groups because such groups turn out the
vote, not because they contribute money.  Teachers tend to vote as a
block.  Gun owners tend to vote as a block.  Feminists tend to vote as a
group.  It isn't the $5,000 that is the key, not that it isn't important
to a campaign, it is the fact that these groups educate their membership
as to the position of the politicians on a particular issue.  Are you
advocating elimination of free speech so that I can't tell someone in my
club, organization, etc. about the candidates positions?

>  How would they run for government?  Well, this would be provided for by
>the government, as in a free public forum.  Every candidate would have
>to get a certain number of supporters to continue to have coverage.
>Taking out a page in the New York Times once a week would be adequate,
>along with public debates on television for an hour or two.  The current
>method of platform ideas through sound bytes is ridiculous and inadequate.
> 

Let's see now, you need publicity to gather supporters but you can't find
supporters unless you have the publicity to get your message across.
What utter illogic.

> 
>  Until these changes take place, we are living in a pseudo democracy.
>What is our problem?

Our problem is that people invent problems, like you have.  Our problem
with the influence of "special interests", of which WE ARE ALL MEMBERS OF
ONE OR MORE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS, isn't the means of funding, its that
almost no one votes!  When we can have a primary (as here in Colorado) in
which only 15% of the registered voters (who are only 1/2 of the eligable
voters) turn out, that means that 2-3% of the population is choosing who
the next President will be.  That has nothing to do with special
interestes, other than that a special interest group which can convince
its membership to show up at the polls can easily dominate the 2-3%.  The
politicians know this and cater to those special interests who can turn
out the vote (not those that give them money).

If you really want to solve our problems, figure out how to get people to
the polls!!!!

.............................................................................

Hal Berenson	

Home: 71640.3535@compuserve.com
Work: berenson@cookie.enet.dec.com

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