Comments on: Conservative Party: Keep Taxpayer Dollars Out Of Campaigns http://capitaltonightny.ynn.com/2012/04/conservative-party-keep-taxpayer-dollars-out-of-campaigns/ NY's only statewide political program Tue, 21 May 2013 18:35:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Bill Mahoney http://capitaltonightny.ynn.com/2012/04/conservative-party-keep-taxpayer-dollars-out-of-campaigns/comment-page-1/#comment-35301 Bill Mahoney Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:26:00 +0000 http://capitaltonightny.ynn.com/?p=68903#comment-35301 We have never ignored the potential abuses in such a system.  We've pointed to these ridiculous expenditures many times over the past month, and stated that in order for a public financing system to work, a bill needs to include a real enforcement agency and language regulating spending. Mr. Long claims that "ordinary citizens" will stop giving to candidates if they object to how they spend their funds.  The problem with this claim is that "ordinary citizens" who do not have business before state government play a negligible role in funding campaigns. The states and cities which have implemented public financing systems have shown that these programs encourage more voters to get involved with campaigns. We have never ignored the potential abuses in such a system.  We’ve pointed to these ridiculous expenditures many times over the past month, and stated that in order for a public financing system to work, a bill needs to include a real enforcement agency and language regulating spending.

Mr. Long claims that “ordinary citizens” will stop giving to candidates if they object to how they spend their funds.  The problem with this claim is that “ordinary citizens” who do not have business before state government play a negligible role in funding campaigns. The states and cities which have implemented public financing systems have shown that these programs encourage more voters to get involved with campaigns.

]]> By: Bill Mahoney http://capitaltonightny.ynn.com/2012/04/conservative-party-keep-taxpayer-dollars-out-of-campaigns/comment-page-1/#comment-35302 Bill Mahoney Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:26:00 +0000 http://capitaltonightny.ynn.com/?p=68903#comment-35302 We have never ignored the potential abuses in such a system.  We've pointed to these ridiculous expenditures many times over the past month, and stated that in order for a public financing system to work, a bill needs to include a real enforcement agency and language regulating spending. Mr. Long claims that "ordinary citizens" will stop giving to candidates if they object to how they spend their funds.  The problem with this claim is that "ordinary citizens" who do not have business before state government play a negligible role in funding campaigns. The states and cities which have implemented public financing systems have shown that these programs encourage more voters to get involved with campaigns. We have never ignored the potential abuses in such a system.  We’ve pointed to these ridiculous expenditures many times over the past month, and stated that in order for a public financing system to work, a bill needs to include a real enforcement agency and language regulating spending.

Mr. Long claims that “ordinary citizens” will stop giving to candidates if they object to how they spend their funds.  The problem with this claim is that “ordinary citizens” who do not have business before state government play a negligible role in funding campaigns. The states and cities which have implemented public financing systems have shown that these programs encourage more voters to get involved with campaigns.

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