The second part sets up a voluntary spending limit program for the primary and general election that grants funding to legislative candidates only after a participating candidate's opponent exceeds the spending limit, or a participating candidate is the target of an independent expenditure. To participate in the program, a candidate must agree to the spending limits and receive a threshold level of contributions and receipts. The proposed bill would also create a Citizens' Election Fund to pay for the programs. The sources of the fund would be income and corporate tax checkoffs and add-ons, voluntary contributions, donations of the candidate of certain political committees surpluses, penalties and late fees for election law violations, and its investment earnings. If you want to read the bill, please contact me and I will be happy to send you a copy.
Public funds are our tax dollars.
Throughout my time as a public servant, I have always been against using tax dollars for campaigning. My original feelings were strengthened in 1991 when the state instituted a spending cap. In order to use tax dollars to support candidate's campaigns we would need to take additional dollars out of an already strapped budget. That would mean that we would then be forced to make even tougher decisions about what programs should be cut, eliminated or trimmed in order for politicians to run campaigns. I voted against this measure for a number of reasons and want to share some of those with you.