The buying of our elections
Are you concerned about the role of money in politics?
Recently, The Advertiser listed campaign contributions to state legislative leaders and committee chairpersons. Developers, architects, construction companies and other businesses concerned about land use gave over $300,000 to these candidates. Labor unions gave almost as much, over $289,000, but not necessarily to the same candidates. Airlines and other transportation interests gave more than $100,000.
Many citizens complain about how much money is spent on campaigns but share these concerns only with their friends or co-workers. Later this month, you will have the opportunity to deliberate about this issue with other citizens of Hawai'i. National Issues Forums on the topic of "Money and Politics" are being held throughout the nation, and one will be held here this Saturday at the State Capitol Auditorium.
Sponsored by universities, colleges, and civic and religious organizations throughout the country, the forums bring together citizens to make choices about social and political issues. Rather than advocate a particular solution, they are intended to bring diverse groups together to determine together what action they want to take and what kinds of action and legislation they favor.
"Money and Politics" is the most recent issue book released by the National Issues Forums; other issue books and forums cover such issues as the economy, education, poverty, gambling and crime.
The concern over the role of money and politics is certainly not new, but complaints about abuses seem to have increased in recent years. It was an issue in the 2000 presidential election, and currently there are national debates and local debates about what is wrong and what can be done. Congress is considering major reforms that range from banning soft-money contributions to restricting political ads from interest groups.
Locally, there are a number of bills concerning campaign finance reform being debated. One bill that would have created a voluntary, public-financed pilot project for the 2002 Honolulu City Council elections was defeated when three Senate committees failed to vote on it by the legislative crossover deadline on March 23.
Polls indicate that citizens distrust politicians and are concerned about the role of money in politics. So much money is involved — more than $2 billion in a presidential year.
The national Democratic and Republican parties raised a record $160 million in unregulated soft money during the first 15 months of the 2000 election cycle — nearly double the amount raised in a comparable period for the 1996 election.
Money played a role in narrowing the field to just two in the 2000 presidential primaries.
In Hawai'i and across the country, there are many uncontested races, often because the burden of raising campaign finances is so high. In races that are contested, winners generally spent twice as much as their opponents.
(To register for this Saturday's conference, send an e-mail to NIFmoney_in_politics@yahoo.com or fax your name and address to 956-6870.)
