a simple idea to fix campaign finance

[N.U.]

Quite simply, you must have a social security number to donate to political campaigns. This removes the foreign influence and the business/business entity influence in the political process. Additionally, it also provises an easy check for possible donation funnels that would inevitably occur as the result of this passing, since a quick check of IRS records can show you that a guy who makes $10k/year cannot donate $200 million/yr.

Thoughts?

[Xena]

Um yeah, giving up your social security number is an invitation to trouble. And, trust me, corporations would find a way around it – forcing employees to donate for instance. Employees get a bonus of X $s, but to receive it, Y of those X $s go to a campaign donation. A drop in the bucket for corporations to get the right person in office.

But I think your idea has possibilities.

[Mac McFadden]

In 1994 Campaign & Elections Magazine did a study of the 1992 Federal Elections (House, Senate & Presidential).
They concluded that Public Financing of all of those Federal Campaigns would have resulted in a NET TAX SAVINGS.

But incumbents (of both parties) oppose public financing because it puts them on a level playing field with their opponents.
They DON'T WANT a level playing field.
They want to get re-elected.


Mac