Forum Post: The BEST and MOST IMPORTANT IDEA to come from this forum!!!
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 21, 2011, 2:10 p.m. EST by elamb9
(112)
from Portland, OR
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
One issue, every 99%er can get behind...http://www.getmoneyout.com/
From our former Washington Lobbyist, Jimmy Williams, here is a DRAFT of our Constitutional Amendment for public debate this fall:
"No person, corporation or business entity of any type, domestic or foreign, shall be allowed to contribute money, directly or indirectly, to any candidate for Federal office or to contribute money on behalf of or opposed to any type of campaign for Federal office. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, campaign contributions to candidates for Federal office shall not constitute speech of any kind as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution or any amendment to the U. S. Constitution. Congress shall set forth a federal holiday for the purposes of voting for candidates for Federal office."
Forgive me if I fail to understand this amendment but are we suggesting people campaigning for federal office should have to do so without any financial contributions from anyone?
Wouldn't that unfairly skew any elections in the favor of those who can afford to run an expensive campaign?
It is a little gray there, is a person using their own money contributing to money to a candidate?
Check the website, there is a forum to add to this amendment. Personally, I think that this is a good amendment. However, I also think that it is important to develop a framework to enable the best ideas to win. Perhaps something like a campaign tournament, where candidates are awarded airtime (they're pubic airway anyway) and public funds if they do well in public debates based on polling that corresponds to the constituency for the office in election.
I do think it is essential to get money out of politics, but it needs to be paired with a reform to the whole electoral framework.