Clean Money

By Bill Walzer, Letter to the Editor

Editor -- Independent expenditures for political influence are a major threat to our democracy. This spending for these political ads is not coordinated by a candidate's campaign and thus is not regulated by campaign-finance laws. However, as Matier & Ross say, "Still, in the end, said candidate owes a debt of gratitude.'' This debt will be repaid at taxpayers' expense with legislative favors and tax loopholes.

The solution is for voters to pay for legislators campaigns as well as salaries. Then citizens will own the Legislature rather than special interests. The cost would be less than $6/person/year under the Clean Money and Fair Elections proposals in either AB583 (now before the state Senate) or the clean-money initiative that will be on the November ballot.

Public financing of campaigns would save much more than it costs by freeing legislators from the need to pay back contributors, whether independent or not.

BILL WALZER
Berkeley

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