Most in Poll Fed Up With Political Gifts

American voters are tired of the way big political contributions influence their congressmen, and a solid majority thinks it would be a “good idea” for government money to pay for the campaigns instead, according to a poll released today.

The telephone poll of 900 registered voters, sponsored by People for the American Way, Ralph Nader’s Public Citizen, the Advocacy Institute and the ARCA Foundation, found that 18% of those surveyed who think they are likely to vote in the 1990 elections believe that the congressional campaign finance system “is a mess,” while another 56% agreed the system has problems.

However, voters put the issue of campaign finance near the bottom of the list when asked to pick their biggest worries from issues including drugs and crime (38%); education (16%); the economy (16%); taxes (13%), and the environment (9%).