THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 17, 1995 TAG: 9511160014
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A22 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
I believe Mark Twain was correct when he said that we have the finest Congress that money can buy. To have an elected official accept a bribe used to be considered a very shameful act. Now we read about ``bribes'' in the form of campaign contributions every day in the newspapers and our politicians show no shame when they announce these ``donations.'' It's the donors of this money who the elected officials serve, not the voters. If you ``follow the money,'' you can see evidence of this payback every day.
According to Harper's magazine, 77 times as much money has been raised by presidential candidates as of June 1995 as was raised by the hopefuls four years earlier. Recorded in the Federal Election Commission ledger are the names of 230 ``students,'' some of whom are 14-years old and have no income, who have donated $1,000 each, the maximum allowed by law.
I believe that two things must occur in this country to reinstate democracy; we must, first, significantly increase voter turnout and, second, stop the ``buying'' of elected officials.
Public money, meaning tax money, could be used to promote registration and voting. Civic and other groups should get more active in the process. We must at least double the voter turnout if we are to take back our country.
Really tough new ethics laws which totally eliminate conflict of interestmust be implemented. I suggest that 10 percent of air-wave time, both TV and radio, be required to set aside for public benefit that candidates could use to address the voters; contributions from PACs, corporations or any other ``group'' be outlawed; money only from voting-age individuals be allowed, and then a maximum of $100 per campaign; all contributions made by check, signed by the donor and drawn on the donor's account.
We haven't got much time left to turn this situation around. We must demand real ethics reform from all candidates now.
WILLIAM BECK
Hertford, N.C., Nov. 8, 1995 by CNB