http://www.policy-wonk.org/erika-rosenberg/the-challenge-of-campaign-finance-reform/ Let's talk about where we're headed... Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:28:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://www.policy-wonk.org/erika-rosenberg/the-challenge-of-campaign-finance-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-110 Rochester Pundit Sat, 12 May 2007 14:55:03 +0000 http://live.cgr.org/policy-wonk/?p=130#comment-110 I fear even incremental progress might be overly optimistic at this point. Our state government's insular bureaucracy has been allowed to fester for too long. It's going to take more than a governor with adult ADHD to to tame the beast. I fear even incremental progress might be overly optimistic at this point. Our state government’s insular bureaucracy has been allowed to fester for too long. It’s going to take more than a governor with adult ADHD to to tame the beast.

]]> http://www.policy-wonk.org/erika-rosenberg/the-challenge-of-campaign-finance-reform/comment-page-1/#comment-111 David Lum Sun, 06 May 2007 01:44:33 +0000 http://live.cgr.org/policy-wonk/?p=130#comment-111 There’s double trouble in the Empire State. Thanks to CGR for the summary of alternative proposals to reforming campaigns. The other sad reality is that those that make these huge donations get their money’s worth. The associations and unions that collect taxpayer dollars have been shown time and time again that well-placed cash works. There’s a measurable ROI (return on investment). In some countries of the world, it’s called “facilitation payments”. It’s the culture. In New York State it’s called contributing to candidates… primarily to the candidates who will deliver in exchange. Some also donate to the opposition (if there is one), to cover their bets. So, if the big funding sources get a ROI from making donations, isn’t there another name for this? And shouldn’t the Attorney General be able to apply the same skills that they applied to Enron? The only reason I feel the Attorney General doesn’t is that there’s no ROI for that office. Everyone in power would hate him/her. Sometimes I feel New York is an English-speaking Columbia – with cartels dividing up the spoils, and delivering little more than rhetoric to the peasants. Come on, citizens, speak up! There’s double trouble in the Empire State.
Thanks to CGR for the summary of alternative proposals to reforming campaigns. The other sad reality is that those that make these huge donations get their money’s worth. The associations and unions that collect taxpayer dollars have been shown time and time again that well-placed cash works. There’s a measurable ROI (return on investment).
In some countries of the world, it’s called “facilitation payments”. It’s the culture. In New York State it’s called contributing to candidates… primarily to the candidates who will deliver in exchange. Some also donate to the opposition (if there is one), to cover their bets.
So, if the big funding sources get a ROI from making donations, isn’t there another name for this? And shouldn’t the Attorney General be able to apply the same skills that they applied to Enron?
The only reason I feel the Attorney General doesn’t is that there’s no ROI for that office. Everyone in power would hate him/her.
Sometimes I feel New York is an English-speaking Columbia – with cartels dividing up the spoils, and delivering little more than rhetoric to the peasants.
Come on, citizens, speak up!

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