Politics How To Make Me Stop Reading
Dick Kelley has been complaining that we’re not giving him enough coverage in The Stranger. Today, in what I assume is another installment in his campaign for more Stranger attention, he sent me an email that begins this way:
Eli,The U.S. Supreme Court today upheld Vermont’s right to regulate campaign finance, but struck down its contribution and spending limits as too low because they were mandatory.
This decision has nothing to do with either my refusal to accept contributions above $100 per person per election, or with my promise to introduce an Arizona-type Clean Campaign bill in the January, 2007, session…
“Something important happened today, but it had nothing to do with me” — not a great way to start a story pitch, Dick.
(The full email, just in case someone else wants to read all the way through, is in the jump.)
Eli,The U.S. Supreme Court today upheld Vermont's right to regulate campaign finance, but struck down its contribution and spending limits as too low because they were mandatory.
This decision has nothing to do with either my refusal to accept contributions above $100 per person per election, or with my promise to introduce an Arizona-type Clean Campaign bill in the January, 2007, session. Vermont's limits were all mandatory. I have never proposed mandatory limits on spending or the kind of extremely low contribution limits Vermont legislated.
My proposal, modeled on Arizona and Maine law, is to allow any candidate to opt into a "Clean Campaign". To qualify, he or she would have to collect signatures and $5 contributions from a few hundred voters in the district. Once qualified, the State would fund a modest campaign for the candidate, and the candidate could not raise or spend any more private money. This would be entirely voluntary. If another candidate for the same office were to opt out of the Clean Campaign rules and raise and spend more private money, the State would give the Clean Campaign additional funds to level the playing field. Candidates opting in could also advertise that fact in their campaign materials.
Weakening the link between big contributors' funding of legislative campaigns and our lawmaking is essential to finding the legislative will to deal with our State's problems.
I would be happy to talk with you about this anytime. Thanks.
Since we're on the topic, isn't it about time for another Darcy Burner article?