Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 5, 1993 TAG: 9309030184
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In the elections last fall, there was a strong feeling America needed new blood, yet 93 percent of incumbents were re-elected to the House of Representatives and 88 percent of incumbents were re-elected to the Senate.
Why?
MONEY!
Incumbents spent over a half-billion dollars on their campaigns. Many well-qualified challengers lost because they couldn't match that kind of expenditure.
The League of Women Voters has five goals for campaign finance reform legislation:
1. Put a ceiling on the amount candidates can accept from political action committees.
2. Reduce the limit for big money donors.
3. Establish voluntary spending limits and partial public financing.
4. Tax special interest lobbying expenditures to help fund partial public financing.
5. Close the "soft money" loophole.
In addition, the League is trying to reduce the cost of media time to candidates and extend postal franking privileges to challengers.
On June 17, the Senate passed a bill that is a modest improvement over the current financing system. The bill, however, was stripped of its key public financing provisions, which would have provided the "cleanest" money around.
This month, the House is expected to take up its version of campaign finance reform. House members are more dependent on political action committee funds than senators, so passage faces major hurdles. Without public financing in this bill, the League will oppose it because that is the key to reform.
Only you and I, the American people, have the power to overcome the natural reluctance of incumbents to change a system that personally benefits them. We have to let our congressmen and senators know that we think equality of opportunity is so important that the time has finally come for campaign finance reform.\ Nadine J. Newcomb\ President, League of Women Voters of Montgomery County
by CNB