But somehow, most people let news about fund raising slide past them. They all know that campaigns cost a lot of money. But since they do not personally contribute anything, it's someone else's expense, and they just don't think of the consequences. For a long time our nation has had laws limiting campaign contributions. Neither corporations nor labor unions can contribute directly to candidates.
Individuals can legally contribute a maximum of a thousand dollars per year to a candidate.
Even that limit can add up to big bucks when a group of wealthy individuals organize a fund raising effort. Our campaign finance corruption has run rampant. Make no mistake about it. Soft money is the oxymoron of the decade. Big money is never soft.