Campaign Reforms

The only way that we can ever hope to have government respond effectively to our needs and wishes is through drastic campaign reform. We must pressure elected officials to pass legislation to publicly fund all campaigns.

The benefits of removing private money from political campaigns are obvious. Publicly funded campaigns would relieve incumbent candidates of the time-consuming burden of fund-raising. A reformed campaign process that gives all viable candidates equal funding would probably produce a more representative (better?) field of candidates. Finally, the removal of private money from the election process would help ensure that once elected, a public officer is indebted to no one but the people he or she represents.

The main argument against campaign reform is that it will cost us more money. Fellow taxpayers, look around; it may cost a little more to have a government that works for us, but it’s costing us a lot more for the current one that does not.

DOUG HENRY

Los Angeles