Republican raid of campaign fund hurts taxpayers, underdogs
It’s in our nature to root for the underdog. That’s why the “Rocky” movies were so popular and part of the reason we all know the story of David versus Goliath. Maybe that love of the little guy is why people all over the country find themselves in green and gold, cheering on our beloved Green Bay Packers.
And maybe that’s why so many of us think public financing of elections is a good idea. We believe that a person of humble means can be a good leader, that special-interest sponsorship is not necessarily an indicator of the strongest candidate.
Wisconsin used to be a leader when it came to clean and fair elections.
In fact, in 1978, our state developed the Wisconsin Election Campaign Fund (WECF), a program that provided grants for candidates who agreed to limit their fundraising and expenditures. Senate candidates could receive $15,525, and Assembly candidates could get $7,763. While those grants are modest, they have proven effective. According to the Government Accountability Board, 11 current lawmakers—seven Democrats and four Republicans—have received public financing in recent years.
During the past 33 years, Wisconsin taxpayers have kept the WECF—and the concept of elections run for and by the people—alive by checking the box on their income tax forms that directed a dollar to public financing. Their checkmarks really added up, and at the start of this year, the Wisconsin Election Campaign Fund had accrued $1.1 million.
But now, the account is empty and the program is no more.
You see, despite the fact Gov. Scott Walker and legislative Republicans railed against raids of segregated funds in the last election cycle, when they were faced with the task of balancing the state’s budget, they swiped the money taxpayers had set aside for public financing. Republicans weren’t true to their word or to the will of the people.
Some may say the move was necessary, that the state was in dire straits. I argue, if we didn’t have the money for public financing, we shouldn’t have had the money for the additional $1 billion in budget spending made by Gov. Walker.
Now, if we are to do right by the people of Wisconsin and ensure clean and fair elections in the future, we must not allow the Wisconsin Election Campaign Fund to come to an end.
I have taken action, introducing a bill that would return the $1.1 million raided from the WECF and reimplement the program. The plan’s simplicity would allow for our public financing system to be back up and running before the next campaign cycle, if we all can work together.
The dollars taken from the Wisconsin Election Campaign Fund were never the state’s to use. They were yours, given in the hope that the underdogs and the little guys—not just the well-connected and wealthy—could guide the future of our state. It’s time we put the money back and restore some measure of the public trust.
Rep. Andy Jorgensen, D-Fort Atkinson, represents the 37th Assembly District, which covers parts of Jefferson and Dane counties. Readers can contact him at P.O. Box 8952, Madison, WI 53708; phone 1-888-534-0037; email rep.Jorgensen@legis.Wisconsin.gov.
Sep 30, 2011 at 3:28 p.m.
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Fear thanks for correcting me on who was Gov I thought it was Doyle when the money was taken. However my point still stands stealing money be it from trans, tobacco or election funds that are earmarked for the future to balance a 1 year budget is just playing with the numbers and you will pay for it later. Its still wrong no matter who does it
Sep 30, 2011 at 3:16 p.m.
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No joker you were just WRONG about who took the money. Unless that was sarcasm, a republicant Governor led the raid on the tobaccofund, NOT a Democrat.
You are exactly correct on what it was supposed to be for, wondering why McCallum sold it for 25 cents on the dollar to plug the hole tommy left.
Sep 30, 2011 at 3:08 p.m.
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che--Learn to read. We KNOW it's OK to give money for elections. That's what we did. Then people like you STOLE it and used it for your own purposes. You righty lock step marchers look so silly in your Sgt. Schultz helmets.
Sep 30, 2011 at 3:08 p.m.
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That money was earmarked for longterm heatlh relief and meant to get people to quit or never start smoking, It was not meant to go to the general fund to help balance the budget that 1 year. You just don't see this is exactly the same as the federal government taking social security funds to do the same thing. No I wasn't joking I was totaly serious.
Sep 30, 2011 at 2:30 p.m.
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Interesting the same Governor who insists people cannot constitutionally be required to get health insurance by national law, just ordered Badger Care to force young adults parents to obtain health insurance for thier kids. Guess it's all about WHO requires them to get health insurance.
Sep 30, 2011 at 12:49 p.m.
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Yep Panama, I was going there too. Some people just get out of their own way! Joker must have been joking! Sometimes they think that everything worse happens on the other side of their own beliefs. Cheesh!
Sep 30, 2011 at 12:35 p.m.
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"Under former Gov. Scott McCallum, Wisconsin sold off its $5.9 billion in expected tobacco-settlement payments in exchange for a one-time payout of $1.6 billion."
SAY WHAT joker!
Sep 30, 2011 at 11:41 a.m.
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"What about the democrat raid upon the Tobacco fund, or the raid on the transpotation fund. Both sides do it and if anyone can't see that your just playing the partyline." It is wrong when both sides do it! That is not an excuse to allow it to continue.
Sep 30, 2011 at 11:36 a.m.
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The campaign fund should be done away with. Public dollars should not be used to get someone elected who can not raise the money necessary to put up a legitimate campaign. If you can't raise the money from non-governmental source I doubt your credibility as a justifiable candidate.
OH MY GOODNESS! So a justifiable candidate is one who sells his/her soul to the highest bidder? No wonder this country is such a catastrophe!
Sep 30, 2011 at 11:21 a.m.
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What about the democrat raid upon the Tobacco fund, or the raid on the transpotation fund. Both sides do it and if anyone can't see that your just playing the partyline.
Sep 30, 2011 at 11:16 a.m.
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""The campaign fund should be done away with. Public dollars should not be used to get someone elected who can not raise the money necessary to put up a legitimate campaign""
Is there such a thing as a legitamite campaign anymore? Especially if political donation which are already allowed to be unlimited by corporations, will be hidden so Americans who disagree with the stances corporations take politically, (I.e.. Johnsonville) cannot vote with their dollars that they spend?
You want to take public money out of campaigns, I understand that, but why should huge milti-national corporations continue to be able to buy our democracy? Why should special interest money rule our nation(it does). To any of you that think this is still a democracy you are wrong. Look up the words Oligarchy, or Plutocracy, those are 2 words that better define our current system of government, if thats what you want to call it. This country is for sale to the highest bidder, plain and simple.
Ezoner- from the rational level-headed posts on the other thread, thats all you have? Funny that you claimed to be "center-right" yet raiding this fund to fund any other pet, political projects? You are better than that.
RAF is also correct in that anytime another fund is raided to pay for something else it is just plain wrong. Like the patients compensation fund(Doyle), and the tobbacco settlement fund(McCallum, Thompson). They all do it, I fond this one kind of insulting, because this is money that tax payers literally donate to the government to use for fair campaigns. This money should be put back immediately. I am glad that the Walker admin paid back the patients compensation fund, buut this is bad for them. Jorgensen isn't whining, he is pointing out something that SHOULD be pointed out!!
Sep 30, 2011 at 10:39 a.m.
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“The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it comes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism - ownership of government by an individual, by a group,”-FDR
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Now that the Republican have got the ruling they wanted with Citizens United they will have all the Corporate money they will ever need. But I guess that is not even enough now. Republicans like Glenn Grothman want to hide donor information from the public also so we don't know who they are working for.
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We need true campaign reform! Get ALL special intrest money out!!
Sep 30, 2011 at 10:28 a.m.
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Another partisan hack worried about being reelected who is screaming now, but quietly voted YES on all of the past Democrat fund raiding including Injured Patients Compensation Fund. Really, how can a Republican or Democrat complain about "the other party" as a group, and look themselves in the mirror ?
Sep 30, 2011 at 10:14 a.m.
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If this is the whole story I do think its wrong.
I also wonder how I missed representative jorgensen's column and legislation when the last administrations took money from protected funds...
Sep 30, 2011 at 9:48 a.m.
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Sned Andy some cheese to go with his whine.
Sep 30, 2011 at 9:35 a.m.
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Wislady: I don't care what the money was taken for, that doesn't make it o.k. This is just another example of the corruption that is going on in our state capitol. This is outrageous. Those who took the money should have to pay it back out of their "own pocketbook."
Sep 30, 2011 at 8:23 a.m.
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Jolene...oops, I mean wislady--He failed to mention that the moon is not the center of the universe, too. He failed to mention a lot of things that have nothing to do with the issue, like your example. The only fact that matters is that taxpayers were asked if they wanted to contribute to the CAMPAIGN fund, and those who said yes have now had their money stolen and put to a completely different use than the one for which they contributed it, and it was, as always, the tea partyboys who stole it.
Sep 30, 2011 at 7:56 a.m.
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Money I designated to be used to keep my candidates from being sold to the highest bidder was instead taken to use for voter suppression. That information even if correct, doesn't make it better. Frankly, having read your posts numerous times I would never believe a word you said without independent verification.
Sep 30, 2011 at 6:57 a.m.
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"The money was taken to be used for expenses related to implementing the new law requiring photo identification at the polls"
Rep. Andy Jorgensen failed to mention this fact.
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