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Campaign Finance Reform
A
Specific and Detailed Proposal
Shaun Kerry, M.D.
Glancing at the present state of our
society, it is evident that we lack good leadership. Our
healthcare and education systems are in serious disrepair.
Pollution and global warming threaten |
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the survival of our planet.
These are merely a few examples drawn from a myriad of instances of
social dysfunction.
This is the second of our two political web
sites. The other site, Political Reform, discuses the
root causes of political dysfunction, and should be read first.
The site that you are presently reading explains a plan of action.
These suggestions are preliminary, and will be refined over time, with
the aid of discussion and input from many people. Our forum is an
important vehicle for such discussion, so please feel free to let your
views and opinions on campaign finance reform be heard.
In order for the creation of an equitable
political selection process, the following criteria should
be met:
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1. A candidate must be able to run for
office without the requirement of more than a nominal amount
of money and campaign support.
2. Signatures should not be a
requirement for a candidate or a proposition to be placed on
the ballot.
3. The candidate should be visible to
the public via a web site that candidly presents him without
the filtering of a third party or organization.
4. There must be a screening process to
fairly eliminate the great majority of candidates that is realistic
and operated by the public. The final election should not be more
burdensome for the voter than the present system. |
5. The government should not give money
directly to any candidate or party, but rather, support the
mechanism through which there is a level playing field and ample
exposure for all candidates.
6.
There should be no other campaign contributions.
7. Labor
unions, the media, and other organizations should not support
any particular candidates.
8. No matter what system is proposed,
there will be objections. For example, some will argue
that banning campaign contributions would give the media an unfair
advantage. But arguably, the media has acted responsibly in
recent history, and would have to continue to do that to maintain the
public trust. We cannot have a perfect system, but our present
system is outrageous. Anything better than outrageous is a step
in the right direction.
Remember, the reform must overhaul the entire
campaign process, not merely the financing aspect.
What cannot be done through laws must be done through the adoption of a
code of ethics.
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