I voted against the purported campaign finance reform bill not because I am opposed to doing what is necessary to ensure Connecticut candidates have political campaigns that do not give the appearances of impropriety, but because this particular legislation is a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Connecticut residents have nothing to gain from what is being touted as historic legislation except the illusion that we now have in place a law that will forever protect us from the political corruption that has badly tarnished our state's reputation in recent years - that, and the hefty tax bills to pay for it.
The idea that the public financing component of this new state law will keep special interest money out of elections is a myth. Instead, major party "clean" candidates who earn a place on the ballot and raise seed money for their campaigns can get state grants to pay for their campaigns. Generally, major party House candidates can expect $25,000 from the new Citizens' Election Fund, Senate candidates $85,000, and gubernatorial candidates $3 million. Candidates waging primaries can also depend on financial help from the state. Those whose opponents exceed the spending limits can get even more money to keep up - as much as double the original grant. The rules would be different in districts dominated by one party, or when the primary, in reality, determines the outcome of the general election.
How will the state pay for this? The law requires setting aside $16 to $17 million annually from the sale of unclaimed property in the state's custody - and individuals, businesses, organizations, political action committees and political parties can also choose to contribute. Money left over from campaign committees and other types of political committees can go into the fund as well, along with any earnings on the fund's investments. However, the new law calls for making up any shortfalls with corporation tax revenues - revenues that would then be unavailable to pay for government programs.
Besides the expense - and the certainty that your tax dollars will be used to pay for the election campaigns of individuals you may not be willing to support - there is a lot to dislike about Connecticut 's new campaign finance reform law.
The law is effective after the next state election. When it comes to soliciting and spending special interest money on campaigns, nothing will change for Connecticut politicians in the immediate future. It means candidates for the state legislature can legally continue to solicit contributions from PACS, lobbyists, and contractors for "ad books" through the next election cycle.
When the new law does take effect, there are no meaningful restrictions on the ability of legislative leadership political action committees, or PACS, to provide "in kind" contributions to candidates they support, such as providing polling, phone banks and political consultants. Furthermore, there is nothing in the new law to prevent special interest PACS - such as those controlled by unions and trial lawyers - from contributing to leadership PACs and state parties, which can in turn use these resources to provide "in kind" services to so-called "clean" candidates. Under the old rules, Political Action Committees were restricted as to how much money they could contribute to an individual campaign, with some exceptions (two-person PACs were allowed to give unlimited amounts under old laws).Those loopholes should have been a major part of campaign finance reform, but are not. In kind services were reportable and were treated the same as a monetary campaign donations. By not placing strict limitations on the PACs, the state has created a way for money to be laundered through the process. This is unconscionable
There are no rules controlling how political candidates spend state grants given to their political campaigns. Under the new law, a candidate for state senate could use the entire $85,000 state grant to hire a friend as a "political consultant".
Finally, the new law is patently unfair to third party and independent candidates who will have to meet much tougher standards than major party candidates to qualify for public campaign funds.
The bottom line is that this new campaign finance reform law will not take special interest money out of political campaigns. What it will do is force Connecticut taxpayers to significantly underwrite the election campaigns of politicians they do not support - most likely at the expense of the state government programs and services that they do.
As always, I am interested in hearing your concerns and ideas, and answering any questions you may have regarding this, as well as any other issue important to our state. I can be reached at my legislative office in Hartford at 1-800-842-1421, or by sending me an e-mail at Judith.G.Freedman@po.state.ct.us .
Senator Judith G. Freedman represents the 26 th Senatorial District, which includes the communities, or portions of the communities, of: Bethel, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport and Wilton .
(To Editors: Further Contact Information: Catherine Sarault, Senate Republican Office, 860-240-8818) |
