Posted on: Wednesday, April 28, 2004
EDITORIAL
It's not too late for true campaign reform
Given the rash of companies and individuals — many of whom are prominent government contractors — who have been fined, criminally charged or sanctioned recently — it is all but impossible to understand the direction lawmakers are going on campaign reform this year.
Over the past two years, more than $1 million in fines have been levied for illegal campaign contributions. While not all those who gave were government contractors, enough were to create a clear pattern.
Legislators have a chance to break the connection between political donations and government work. But unless there is a change of heart over the next several days, it appears that chance may be lost.
That would be a shame.
Bob Watada, executive director of the Campaign Spending Commission, says the so-called "omnibus" campaign spending bill simply does not go far enough to remove corporations, consultants and contractors from the political money game.
The measure does take a halfway step in this direction. It would prohibit unions, corporations and companies from making direct political contributions to candidates. But it would permit the creation of affiliated political action committees that could contribute.
This would create an additional level of transparency, perhaps. But as experience has shown at the federal level, PACs flood "soft money" into the political system.
Watada argues, and we agree, that it would be cleaner simply to bar corporations from making political contributions.
The draft bill also would prohibit non-bid contractors from donating to political campaigns for two years after finishing their work.
This is an improvement over the current wide-open system. But the bar should also apply to those who win contracts through the bidding process.
Oddly enough, these changes are not simply the pet cause of government reform do-gooders. Many contractors and consultants will say they wish they had a legal reason not to play the campaign contribution game. And a fair number of lawmakers would be just as happy if they did not feel compelled to ask.
The Legislature is dancing around the edges of good campaign reform this year. It is not too late to do the job properly.
