Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Campaign Finance Reform


For John, BLUFMoney measures value.



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.

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