Campaign Finance Reform

For John, BLUF:  Money measures value.

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The The New Yorker has an article on an upcoming US Supreme Court issue on Campaign Finance restrictions, the case being brought by Mr Shaun McCutcheon, an Alabama Republican.♠

Indeed, the patriotically minded McCutcheon wanted to give “$1,776” to enough candidates to exceed the current limits on direct contributions.

The current aggregate limit is $123,000 "to candidates, political action committees, and parties over a two-year period." The title of Reporter Jeffrey Toobin's article is "ANOTHER CITIZENS UNITED—BUT WORSE".

I am not all that upset by Citizens United, in that money is free speech and in our system corporations are "people".  I hear people decry that fact, but none has offered an alternative way of organizing commerce, let alone one as effective,

On the other hand, I like the idea of a level playing field, especially for challengers.  I am for limits on campaign contributions and would even support public financing.  How about extending this idea under the thought that time is money?  Let's put a dollar value on the contribution of time, as we do "in kind contributions".  Some might propose $22.00 per hour.♥

Most things have value and money is the way we assign that value.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Rorschach Test.  What does "Alabama Republican" bring to your mind?  Perhaps a list of personnel possessing appropriate security clearance for Operation NEPTUNE.
♥  I would go with $10.00 per hour, which is above the Federal Minimum Wage, but these campaign workers are not digging ditches.