Congessman Tom Allen and some members of the freshman class in the U.S. House of Representatives have crafted a so-called campaign finance reform bill. There are several in Congress at this time. Any campaign finance reform bill should meet certain fundamental tests to truly qualify as reform.

The Maine People’s Alliance believes that a solid campaign finance reform bill must reduce spending, limit contributions, and provide public funding (a necessary component, constitutionally, if we want the first two provisions). Allen’s legislation does none of these.

He proposes to ban all soft money to political parties. He proposes to strengthen reporting of independent expenditures in the form of “issue advocacy,” which is laudable. Most importantly, and this is where we would challenge that this is “reform,” it changes what an individual can give to candidates and political parties … no, not down, but up! Currently, one can give $1,000 to an individual candidate and can give, in aggregate (to candidates and political parties), $25,000 a year. The Allen bill would double that amount to $50,000. With one’s spouse a couple could conceivably give $200,000 in an election cycle. This amount could certainly curry favor and shut out the voice of the ordinary voter.

This bill is not the reform we need. The Wellstone bill currently in the Senate and the Tierney bill in the House are much closer to the mark and emulate our Clean Election Act. Call and encourage our congressional representatives not to settle for so-called reform. Kathleen McGee Campaign finance reform organizer Maine People’s Alliance Portland