Whooaaa. I didn't say Minneapolis campaigns - I said campaigns - everywhere.
Let's read, people, before we fly off. The point was not to suggest
Minneapolis campaigns garner millions, but that money is at the root of
corruption, and it would be naïve to believe that where lots of money is
spent on campaigns or into war chests, you can be damned sure donor
expectations are very high for access and influence on policy over and above
the public interest.
Any other viewpoint, I'm convinced, is head-in-the-sand wishful thinking.
Even in the finest of policymakers, the need to accept contributions (there
are many ways to contribute beyond the local limits) never lets them forget
who gave them their ticket to office. That ticket should be paid for by the
general public, not private individuals.
This is not a matter of intent, but of expectations becoming internalized by
virtue of a system requiring candidates and incumbents to continually beg
for the money to run and win. The in-your-face reality is that political
observers across the ideological spectrum know and fear the corrupting
influence of such incredible sums (even at the local level where everything
is merely relative) and that "special interests" are setting the agendas of
life in these United States, not the voters,. not the people.
So, c'mon Tim, get real.
Andy Driscoll
--
"Whatever keeps you from your work is your work."
Albert Camus
The Driscoll Group/Communications
Writing/Graphics/Political Consulting/Communications Strategies
835 Linwood Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105
651-293-9039
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> From: "Tim Bonham" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Date: Tue, 06 Feb 2001 21:21:29 -0600
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: [Mpls] Re: Clean money
>
> I would ask Andy to give some facts to back up this sweeping
> generalization, because frankly, I find it quite unbelievable!
> "millions are being poured into campaigns" -- in Minneapolis
> campaigns? Come on, Andy! I doubt that the entire amount spent by all the
> City Council candidates, board candidates, etc. put together totaled even a
> single "million".
> With the contribution limits we have ($100 in off years, $500 in
> election year), it would take an awful lot of "wealthy individuals" to come
> up with "millions". And corporations -- corporate contributions are
> illegal for all campaign in Minnesota. If Andy has, as he says,
> "knowledge" of any such contributions, he should be talking to the County
> Attorney, not to this list!
> (And if he's talking about the Presidential elections, rather than
> Minneapolis ones, it does not belong on this list.)
>
> Tim Bonham, Ward 12
>> From: "Andy Driscoll" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>>
>> I find it intriguing that, despite the knowledge that millions are being
>> poured into campaigns by wealthy individuals and corporations ...
>
>
>
>
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