Government Should Not Be Run By Lobbyists
Jack Davis
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Jul 3, 2008
I challenged the "millionaire's amendment" and the Supreme Court held it to be unconstitutional because it was inherently unfair. The justices, by 5 to 4, struck down part of the campaign finance law that allowed opponents of millionaires to raise three times the amount from individual donors and provided for greater party expenditure than is otherwise allowed.
The amendment was written by and for incumbents to protect themselves from candidates like me whose financial independence liberates them from Washington lobbyists.
Supporters of the millionaire's amendment claimed it would prevent the appearance that seats in Congress could be bought. My view is that many of them already have been bought by special-interest money that drowns out common-sense solutions and the voice of working men and women.
There are 77 lobbyists for each member of Congress. These lobbyists spend $3 billion a year to influence elections and legislation. Is it any wonder your voice cannot be heard in Washington?
There are common-sense solutions for all of our problems, but corporate lobbyists' money stands in the way. If we want to change Washington, we must first elect people who declare their independence from status quo politics and fundraising.
I first ran for Congress because Washington was ignoring the devastating impact the free trade deals were having on American workers. I still feel that way. As I run for Congress again, my opponents will try to claim I am buying my seat in Congress — not so. My candidacy is an investment in the country I love and I am dedicating the rest of my life to saving American jobs, farms and industries.
Despite the Supreme Court's decision limiting the amount of lobbyist money that can be spent against me, our campaign finance system remains at risk. Until we have greater disclosure from candidates and tighter regulation on lobbyists and those who do business with the government, voters can expect more of the same from Washington.
Eventually, we may need some form of public financing. Until then, I will lead by example and join Sen. Barack Obama in unilaterally rejecting lobbyist and PAC campaign contributions. Obama believes lobbyists, multinational corporations and PACs have too much power. I agree. We must return the government to you, the people.
I fully support other key reforms in McCain-Feingold Act that remain intact, including the elimination of so-called "soft money" — the unlimited cash that once flowed in to national party committees.
The imposition of lower contribution caps has democratized political fundraising: Howard Dean, John Kerry, John Edwards, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama proved that candidates need not rely on contributions from the wealthy alone. There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Americans willing to work for and contribute to candidates who fight for change.
I count myself among their number. I still believe in America, and I remain committed to restoring ethics and accountability in Washington. Nothing will change, however, if we do not first declare our independence from special interests and their money, and this Supreme Court decision is a welcome step in that direction.
Davis, a Democrat from Clarence, Erie County, is facing a primary challenge in his bid to seek election to Congress, 26th District.