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February 15, 2008 > Opinion > Dirty money requires clean elections

Dirty money requires clean elections

By Laura Kelley | For the Thresher

Like most of you, I gravitate toward The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal to enjoy with my cereal each morning, but an article on the front page of The Houston Chronicle caught my attention this past Monday. I started reading because of its ridiculous title, “Texas is a cash cow for political candidates,” but my shock at the content of the article hooked me past the front page. In brief, it discusses cash contributions from Texas citizens going to public officials who are outside of the state.

It started in 1978 when Texas oilmen devised a plan to spread their influence to Washington and push for deregulating the gas industry. However, do not get the idea that this is a partisan or a corporate issue. Money is pouring out of Texas at a lopsided ratio, with $30 million this past year going to conservative and liberal legislators and executives. Why? Because it works.

The more important question is, why should you care? For one, because the issue of private donations in campaigns permeates every issue, meaning it influences what you care about, whether it is environmental legislation, health insurance, education, tax laws or foreign policy.

To present both sides, a number of voters feel that the privilege to donate money to campaigns is a form of free speech granted by the first amendment; this view was supported by the Supreme Court case Buckley v. Valeo. Many other citizens, including myself, feel that this system makes the votes of some Americans count more than others.

So what can be done about this special interest money that gums up our elections? For one, there is the option of public financing for campaigns. Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois has heard voters’ frustrations and now is standing up to the powers that have controlled Washington for too long. On March 15, 2007, Durbin introduced a Senate bill that would create a federal system of what would be called “Clean Elections” — for those of you interested in the presidential elections, Senators McCain and Obama are co-sponsoring this bill. This system is designed to make our government fairer by giving an equal grant to congressional candidates who agree to accept no private contributions larger than $5.

“Clean Elections” is a reform that will combat the influence of large political contributors. For example, the student loan industry has kept interest rates artificially high for college students. “Clean Elections” candidates will be able to work on legislation that benefits all of us as opposed to just their donors. And with “Clean Elections,” more citizens — including our generation — without connections to high-dollar donors would be able to run for office.

“Clean Elections” has proved that it works. In Arizona, Connecticut, Maine, North Carolina, Portland, Ore. and Albuquerque, N.M. — where “Clean Elections” has been voted in — the system has brought more voter choice, more diverse candidates, grassroots campaigns and citizens access to their representatives. “Clean Elections” creates a deeper and more responsive democracy for all of us.

You can help make this innovative system a national reality. I am founding a chapter of the national nonprofit Democracy Matters at Rice this semester to lobby for this change. Join me in creating a more robust political process. Together we can take back our democracy from big funders and powerful special interests.

Laura Kelley is a Brown College senior and Student Association president.

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