Campaign Reform and Soft Money

Re “Soft Money, Hard Fight, editorial, Dec. 23:

While banning soft money from our election campaigns is a step in the right direction, let’s not make the mistake of overselling its promise as you do in your editorial. The “excess” and “abuse” to which you refer are endemic to the entire campaign finance system and cannot be controlled simply by placing a ban on soft money.

The real scandal is the day-to-day corruption of the democratic process that takes place when candidates are dependent on private, special-interest money to finance their election campaigns--and not just soft money. This way of funding campaigns is fundamentally anti-democratic and creates untenable conflicts of interest. It also tilts the playing field toward those with money or access to it. In the last election cycle, only one-quarter of 1% of the population gave $200 or more to federal campaigns. Most of these contributions come from wealthy special interests with a direct stake in government decisions.

If we really want a “change in the system” as you conclude, we have to break politicians’ dependence on private contributions to fund their campaigns. Voters in Maine and legislators in Vermont have already taken that step, setting up “clean election” funds for state candidates who opt to raise no private money and abide by spending limits. Only when candidates can run for office without being beholden to private, special-interest contributors will it be possible for public policy decisions to be made on the merits, not the money.

ELLEN S. MILLER

Executive Director

Public Campaign

Washington

* The McCain-Feingold bill will be coming up for consideration in the near future in Congress. I want to be noted as one of the ordinarily silent majority of the public who thinks that this bill or similar legislation to ban soft money should be passed.

I consider this a first step to changing the intolerable process of political campaigning that takes so much time, money and energy of our legislators. This is unconscionable. We or our Congress members don’t need this and the time has come to do something about it.

A.W. KORNBLUTH

Calabasas