Forum Post: campaign finance reform and election day reform
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 30, 2011, 7:53 a.m. EST by pearl2
(0)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
It's simple. No financing at all. Two months before Election Day, every FCC-regulated TV channel (2,4,5,7,9,11) must donate air time at prime viewing time for a round-table discussion by all candidates of the issues. No metaphors, jargon, slang or long-windedness allowed. Camera must focus on whomever is speaking for as long as he or she speaks. Every candidate who wishes to speak about an issue must be heard. There might be 2 or 3 such discussions over the two-month period. Each discussion would be rerun during daytime . On Election Day, all paper ballot samples voters now receive in the mail would be filled in with the voters' choices and mailed the next day to a regional office for tallying. All tallies would then be mailed to a central office for the total count. Then the winners would be announced on TV at prime time. All discusssions would be available on a candidates forum website to be listened to at any time. Winners list would also be posted on this website. No other campaigning would be legal. Penalty for illegal campaigning: candidate is disqualified.
Top 20 All-Time Campaign Donors, 1989-2012 http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list.php?order=A
1 ActBlue $55,745,059
2 AT&T Inc $47,571,779
3 American Fedn of State, County & Municipal Employees $46,167,658
4 National Assn of Realtors $40,718,176
5 Service Employees International Union $37,634,367
6 National Education Assn $37,051,378
7 Goldman Sachs $35,790,579
8 American Assn for Justice $34,715,804
9 Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers $34,292,471
10 Laborers Union $31,876,95011
11 American Federation of Teachers $31,681,366
12 Teamsters Union $31,285,842
13 Carpenters & Joiners Union $30,769,258
14 Communications Workers of America $30,192,447
15 Citigroup Inc $28,842,146 16 American Medical Assn $27,880,935
17 United Auto Workers $27,539,652
18 United Food & Commercial Workers Union $27,344,608
19 National Auto Dealers Assn $26,966,358
20 Machinists & Aerospace Workers Union $26,879,727
http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/list_stfed.php?order=A Top National Donors 2008 election Based on Combined State and Federal Contributions, 2007-2008 1 National Education Assn Total $56,228,408 Federal $2,676,297 State $53,552,11
2 Pechanga Band of Mission Indians Total $43,969,951 Federal $599,754 State $43,370,197
3 Penn National Gaming Total $40,557,472 Federal $65,100 State $40,492,372
4 Morongo Band of Mission Indians Total $39,063,909 Federal $600,312 State $38,463,597
5 Community Financial Services Assn Total $34,841,693 Federal $198,760 state $34,642,933
6 Service Employees International Union Total 30,405,549 Federal $2,921,463 State $27,484,086
7 National Assn of Realtors Total $28,788,109 Federal $4,888,640 State$23,899,469 8 Lakes Entertainment Total $25,694,898 Federal $2,000 State$25,692,898
9 Tribes for fair Play Total 24,754,413 Federal $0 State $24,754,413
10 ActBlue Total $23,184,380 Federal $23,184,380 State $0
Federal PAC Contributions 2010 Election Cycle http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/list.php Unions Total Amount: $63,665,882
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate Total Amount: $62,909,712
Ideological/Single-Issue Total Amount: $60,279,974
Health Total Amount: $54,641,685
Misc business Associations Total Amount: $37,791,850
Energy & Natural Resources Total Amount: $28,858,057
Agribusiness Total Amount: $22,950,208
Transportation Total Amount: $21,118,906
Lawyers & Lobbyists Total Amount: $15,916,526
Construction Total Amount: $15,534,354
Defense Total Amount: $14,263,964