North Carolina can become a model of good state government for the rest of the nation if our legislators adopt three bills before the General Assembly.
The Voter-Owned Elections Act (S1042, H1563) would provide public funding of campaigns for Council of State candidates who could demonstrate through many small contributions that they have broad support among the electorate. It would ensure that our legislators are not beholden to special interests.
The Public Confidence in Elections Bill (S223, H238) would require a voter-verifiable paper trail to guarantee that votes are accurately counted and will be available if needed for a recount. Since the federal government will provide North Carolina with $64 million for new voting machines, we should use these funds wisely to purchase equipment that protects our votes.
North Carolina has the weakest lobbying regulations in the nation. It does not require lobbyists to report the gifts they give to legislators, nor does it prohibit former legislators from immediately becoming lobbyists. The Lobbying Reform Bill (S612, H6) has already passed the Senate but must be enacted in the House.
Please contact your representatives and urge them to support these three bills.
Denise Baker
Greensboro
Comments (1)
First of all, if you really want better elections, then there's one bill you left out: H88, the Electoral Fairness Act. This bill will make it easier for third parties to gain ballot access, giving voters more choices in the voting booth.
I agree with you on H238, Public Confidence. We need verifiable paper ballots. The other two bills you mention, however, are affronts to liberty.
Public financing of campaigns? No one has a right to take my money by force in order for someone to run his or her campaign, especially when the government would decide on a discriminatory basis which candidates get the money. You say only candidates who have broad support among the electorate should get it. Therefore you discriminate against all other candidates.
What this bill amounts to essentially is the government trying to further oppress third parties and to gain even more dangerous control. If the government controls the financing of elections, then it controls the elections themselves.
The other bill--H6--if I understand it correctly based on what you've said, would be a violation of free speech. What makes you think a former legislator has no right to speak his or her opinion? How dare you suggest making that illegal?
Posted by Paul Elledge | May 31, 2005 11:33 AM