By century's end, a number of states had adopted campaign finance reform laws. And the environmentalists should not be alone in the effort. Many sectors of American society who perceive themselves to be disenfranchised by the power of money in politics or who are dismayed by the inequity of a system that gives the wealthy more rights under the Constitution than the poor are seeking to change the system. In this view, environmental organizations should spend their limited financial resources only on immediate environmental problems, not on trying to change the political system. The problem with that argument, however, is that the system can dictate whether and how environmental problems are solved.
Most environmental groups rely heavily for support on tax-exempt donations.
Under the current tax code, nongovernmental organizations that receive such donations are prohibited from engaging in partisan political activity. They can distribute information to help educate the electorate about issues, but the law restricts their lobbying activities and prohibits them from giving money to, or working for or against, any candidate for office. For-profit businesses have no such restrictions. Businesses, by contrast, can deduct any money spent for the same purpose from their taxable income and pass on the remaining expense in the form of higher prices. The public, both as consumers and as taxpayers, therefore subsidizes one side in environmental disputes.