Campaign Funding
* Regarding George Skelton’s column of Aug. 22, referring to political contributions and the 20th anniversary of Proposition 9: The focus of the article is the still-continuing need to reform political contributions from public interest groups and special interest lobbyists.
The “liberals,” synonym for socialists (Democrats), want public financing (another synonym, this time for taxpayer financing) as the sole source for funding of political campaigns. Republicans, according to the article, tend to favor limiting the size of contributions. The reality is that political campaign spending has run amok. Only an absolute, across-the-board cap on candidates’ campaign spending within a specific, shortened campaign time span is the answer.
With respect to special interest lobbyists, seven out of 10 American voters belong to at least one association; one in four belongs to four or more. Special interest politics is no longer “special.” It is a mass movement.
KARL O. BERGHEER
Newport Beach
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