Random Blah Blah

Anyways, I was thinking about issues that are flying beneath the radar at the Leg this year -- I know that the big coverage has been going to union pay raises, gas caps, and raising taxes to pay for mass trans here

Well, here I am back at clean elections -- I find it kind of weird to be talking about this issue -- but here's my take on the current approach that is still 50/50 at the Leg now in the waning days of conference

I don't mind the reduction of influence as a part of the election process, in fact, if I could imagine it, I would say take all the donor influence/quid pro quo aspects out of the election process

But I always get logically hung up on what our political process is like -- it really is about buying influence -- in other words, I am contributing to you because you will support my issues -- in general, that is buying influence -- certainly it is not as blatant as say certain specific interests trying to get tax breaks and other political favors that will DIRECTLY affect their situation

What I do not like about this "clean elections" bill is that it goes too far -- it moves from reduction of influence into subsidizing opinions and views with taxpayer money -- ironically, it theoretically allows for candidates to get money from the public fisc (yes, our tax dollars) and this person would be allowed to run and be supported by this money -- and you may totally and fundamentally disagree with their viewpoints

So my upshot is this, no one is ENTITLED to run in elections -- you become ELIGIBLE to run, if you can raise the support -- and yes that includes money, on your own -- I do not feel that at this time, with all these actually important issues about our common future, that we should be spending millions of dollars on the marginal candidacies of political wannabes who feel deprived because they are not popular enough to raise their own money

I just don't think it's right that a portion of my taxes should go to the political candidacies of people that I don't agree with their stances on key issues -- that very concept is so off base -- this doesn't mean that I am opposed somehow to those of marginal status or political views -- ultimately I still believe in the marketplace of ideas, that if your idea is truly good, you may be able to persuade others and compete because your ideas are good -- no one said that you are entitled to additional help if your ideas are unsound