ETHICS: Campaign Funding

Originally posted by Amuk
Would you wont the government telling you that you cant donate to your political party? That you cant write a letter to the editor or put a sign in your front yard unless you support all parties equally? How about telling you you cant run for office at all unless you are on an approved party list. This could very easily lead to just such scenarios.

When I use the phrase "meet the criteria to run for office" I basically mean citizenship, age, and petition signatures. There should never be an approved party list. All parties should be able to participate. My concern is with an individual candidate.

I think the equallity issue should be monetary only, and only as far as the federal funds go. Individuals should certainly have the right to express their personal freedoms, and campaign for their candidate.
I would rather see individuals donate time to their candidates campaign then dollars. Instead of giving Candidate X $100, spend an afternoon knocking on doors and talking to people. I would rather talk to someone, then be lectured by the tv.

Originally posted by phreak_of_nature
[
When I use the phrase "meet the criteria to run for office" I basically mean citizenship, age, and petition signatures. There should never be an approved party list. All parties should be able to participate. My concern is with an individual candidate.

I guess this could work in a manner and almost anything beats the two sided dictatorship we play at now but the Libertarian in me is just distrustful of even MORE government involvment in the process

I hear ya Amuk. I almost hate myself for recommending more involment by the feds. But if they do away with the IRS and replace it with a Federal Agency of Government Spending, it's really just a swap.