There is an old joke; “Everyone talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it.” The same could be said about money in politics. It is now accepted practice that a candidate must raise large sums of money for a campaign war chest. The money is used to purchase an army of consultants, to poll test messages, and to send out direct-mail attack ads. Citizens are uneasy about this, and begin to ask questions. Where does this money come from? What do the donors get for their money? And, does it have to be this way?
Increasingly, campaign contributions come from corporations and political action committees, instead of individuals. Of course, there is nothing inherently wrong with either of those entities. Nor is it illegal for a candidate to raise large sums of money from these groups. In Florida, a candidate is limited to accepting $500 contributions, whether from a person, business, or PAC. However, there are ways around these limitations. Take Ronald Book, perhaps the most influential lobbyist in Tallahassee. He has a long laundry list of clients and a lot of incentive to affect legislation and the campaign process. I am running against Jim Boyd, and if you look at his list of contributions, you will see that Ron Book and his wife Patricia each helped kick off Boyd’s reelection effort with $500 contributions apiece, in March of 2011, just before that legislative session got under way. In October of 2011, we see a $500 contribution from “Ronald Book, P.A.” That same day, Boyd received another $500 contribution from the “Ronald Book Governmental Co.” This is par for the course, and Boyd is not the only recipient of Ron Book’s generosity.
Then there are the political action committees. In some cases, their name gives away the interests they represent — for instance the American Insurance Association PAC. Then there are those that force you to dig to find out who they represent, like the “AVIP Club,” which apparently represents banking interests. There are also groups such as “Citizens First,” who have raised more than $740,000 in the past three years, almost all of which came from other groups with names like “Alliance for a Strong Economy,” or “Citizens for Honesty in Politics.” It can take a lot of time and effort to determine who is putting up the money and which interests these groups represent. These PACS are created to influence public policy, mostly by way of campaign contributions. So, what does this money buy?
In the Bradenton Herald article about my entry into the race, I expressed my concern about the impact of these large campaign contributions. My opponent says it is nothing to be worried about. “Naturally, I have a lot of friends and colleagues that are in the business arena, so they contribute to the campaign,” Boyd said. “But I can assure that any contribution doesn’t buy any access to us. I represent the community, I don’t represent a group of contributors.” I don’t believe him. For the past two years, Boyd has been a tireless advocate for the insurance companies. Every “reform” he has proposed has been for the benefit of the industry and against the interests of the consumer. Is it any wonder then, that his campaign war-chest is made up primarily of money from the insurance industry and other corporations? If this money doesn’t buy access, then exactly what is it buying?
Do things have to be this way? I say no. I believe that someone can run for office, and win, without selling off that office to the highest bidders. In my campaign I have decided to limit campaign contributions to $100 per donor, and I am not accepting any PAC money. This decision was easy for me. I am trying to follow in the footsteps of one of my heroes, Lawton Chiles. I had the great privilege of meeting him, and I can assure you that I am no Lawton Chiles. But I can also assure you that I can’t be bought, sold or paid for. When I serve as your state representative, my only interest will be how I can best serve the people of this district and this state.
Can I win with this strategy? The answer is yes, and one reason is this article. The Internet has the potential to transform political campaigns. Candidates now have the ability to take their message straight to the voters at little to no cost. If that message resonates, and if that message is shared, then the power will come from the people, not money.
