If we look at campaign finance/campaign contributions as a market, what is being sold and what is being bought?
Posted Friday, June 25, 2010 by admin
it could be viewed two ways:
1. politicians supply access, campaign donors demand access and pay for it with campaign funds
2. campaign donors supply campaign funds, politicians demand campaign funds and pay for it with access
if you look at the relationship between big $$ donors and politicians, you see campaign funds and political access are the two things being traded in this market. but who is the seller and who is the buyer? who has the upper hand?
Seems to be a pretty symbiotic relationship. Which came first; the chicken or the egg? The big loser in this shell game is the American public.
On average, a sitting senator must raise about $20,000 each day to support the next re-election campaign. This really irritates McCain, who has pushed for campaign finance reform. Another problem is that when legislation is proposed, the task of writing it is given to lobbyists, not the representative’s staff. So, under the current system, you get the money, but do none of the labor, except for voting for your master’s agenda.
The solution is to create a publicly funded campaign system where private interests cannot dictate legislation. How about $20 per year to end fascism in America?
1 What is being bought? our politicians loyalty
2 What is being sold? our country