Special Interests Finance Campaigns

Kyle, from Diary of a Political Madman, had a letter to the editor published in the Des Moines Register that outlines the sad state our campaign finance system has become.

Campaign Money Fuels Special-Interest Laws

October 30, 2006

It saddens me to see that both candidates for governor have ties to special-interest groups related to gambling ("PAC: Money Not Linked To Restoring TouchPlay," Oct. 24). It saddens me even more to know that special-interest groups related to most other issues are giving large sums of money to candidates as well.

Between May 15 and Oct. 15 of this year, Iowans for Tax Relief, Wells Fargo, Master Builders of Iowa, the Iowa Realtors PAC and Iowa Farm Bureau combined to give candidates $534,869. That's approximately $3,500 each day. It's also more than the median Iowa family makes in eight years.

The fault, though, belongs with the system, not the PACs or candidates. When candidates are required to produce tens of thousands of dollars to be competitive at any level, many are forced to look for special-interest groups with deep pockets. And when their re-election efforts depend on those same groups, we as citizens often end up with legislation that unfairly favors those special interests.

The easiest way to fix this problem would be through voluntary public financing of campaigns.

When our candidates and elected officials no longer need to pander to PACs and lobbyists to get elected and re-elected, they will finally be free to serve the public interest, not special interests.

- Kyle Lobner,

Des Moines.