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4/8/2008
Rep. Frank Lasee: Supreme (Court) Mud
Before the spring election, a handful of editorials criticized the legislature for failing to pass a welfare for justices bill (campaign finance reform). Given the nasty Supreme Court race, the issue is bound to come up again.
With the state broke, I don’t know how serious the conversation can be. No matter how much mainstream media pushes welfare for politicians, the concept of funding campaigns with taxpayer money remains unpopular with voters. Taking even more tax dollars (when tax money is already short) and creating a give away scheme for anyone running for office, is not something the majority of us wants done with our taxes.
In the recent Supreme Court race, more than $4.5 million was spent, most of it by groups and organizations, not the candidates. Media and reformers had argued that each candidate should have received $400,000 (nearly a million between the two) from taxpayers. Somehow, this would enable them to better control the message (they would have been outspent 5 to 1). Somehow the race would have been more honest because of this government grant. Somehow WEAC, the state’s teachers’ union and WMC, the state’s Chamber of Commerce would have left their money wherever it came from because of this grant. Somehow?
Media types never talk about one of the main beneficiaries of taxpayer funded campaigns (largess in my opinion). A fair chunk of this money would pay for print ads, radio and television advertising. Under this scheme, paid for by you and me, the media would, in one way or another, be the recipient of this additional public funding.
Eight hundred thousand dollars would have been less than one fifth of the spending on this last Supreme Court race. To make a real impact each candidate would need to get a couple of million. That’s likely what the message would be after we get used to a welfare for politicians scheme.
Something they don’t talk about is the county judge races and the appellate court races, let alone legislative races, the governor, treasurer, local races, etc., etc., etc. Shouldn’t those candidates get welfare checks (I mean clean and fair election checks), too? We currently have a check off scheme for state office campaigns based on a voluntary (free to the individual not to the taxpayer) dollar on the income tax. When started in the seventies, the idea enjoyed 20% (1 in 5) popularity. Now, only 5% (1 in 20) bother to have a dollar go to fund politicians.
As long as WEAC spends money on candidates, our chambers of commerce and businesses will spend their money to balance the message and vice versa. The reality is public financing schemes will not stop either side from trying to get their message out and influence election outcomes.
By the way, we could take this welfare for politicians one step further. Give money to both sides of school referendums—for and against. (60 referendums were held on April 1. Thank you school districts for scheduling on regular election day!) About half passed and half didn’t. Without spending and taxing controls on school districts how many school districts would ask the voters about building new schools and raising their taxes? School referendums would become rare or nonexistent if these tax controls are removed. We do this funding of the opposition now - with your utility dollars through a $500,000 subsidy of Wisconsin’s Citizens Utility Board (CUB).
Contested elections can be messy, and they are hard work. Sometimes they are fair, sometimes not. Sometimes we agree with the result, sometimes we don’t. Our system of government is imperfect but it is better than all the alternatives.
Frank Lasee is a Republican and represents the 2nd Assembly District.
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• The future of government-run health care
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| 2009 |
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• The Lawton-Bader files
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• Burri: Bailouts, Banks, Health Care, and the Mob
• Attend Appleton Schools budget meeting tonight
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• Is Rep. Nelson a political hack?
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• Rep. Huebsch: Wisconsin is proof government health care isn’t the answer
• School district contracts push up tax levy
• What? Obama, the Peace Prize?
• TODAY - hearing on Campaign Finance Reform
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• Important votes Tuesday, including Appleton Common Council
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• Further debunking Hillary myths
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• From Mark Gundrum: One of the greatest honors an American can experience
• 'Operation Chaos' working?
• Joe Martin the best candidate in Appleton's 8th
• State programs to cut? - Volume II
• Oh the naivete of youth
• Not just disingenuous - flat wrong
• Steve - you will be missed
• Make cuts only AFTER you're elected....
• Getting serious: What programs can we cut?
• Rep. Steve Kagen joining me on Jerry Bader Show today
• Rep. Van Roy: Dental Care Pilot Program
• Has Dave Obey turned the corner on earmarks?
• Speaker Huebsch: Governor turns down Federal Aid?
• Mark Rahmlow: "We're Broke."
• As taxpayers, how do we know if it's a Chevy or a Lexus?
• This is trash talk - about a veteran
• Frank Lasee: Take time to get the Compact right
• 'The Gableman Ad' - is it racist?
• Roth thankful, Kagen shaking money tree
• Gov. Doyle's office not enamored with Freedom of Information
• Governor Doyle will never do it
• Leadership on smoking ban? Not Hanna
• Rep. Van Roy speaks out about smear ads
• You're threatening me about potholes?
• Losing the Hastert seat is NOT a trend and NOT curtians for the GOP
• First suggestion for 'slashing' programs
• Big money-saver for municipalities
• More one time fixes. Nuts.
• Any chances???
• I'm doing the Jerry Bader Show, today, the 11th
• Representative Frank Lasee: Final Waltz of the Season
• Guest Blog: It's not the county's business to be in the nursing home business
• Yup, Hillary won Texas and Ohio
• Gableman/Butler race featured - and it isn't pretty
• Lies from Planned Parenthood and NARAL
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• The Troha sentencing, Doyle and that $200K
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• Lots of ideas. No money.
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• The PAC - too precious to fail. Day 3
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• Fox Cities PAC - too precious to fail
• New Transit Tax coming your way
• Rep. Petri has his finger in the dike - I guess
• AASD Retirement Costs Burdensome
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• Water rate increase was no slam dunk
• Education for all is just a bad dream
• New Year's resolutions from a parade snob
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