Rep. John Sarbanes and a Campaign Finance Reform Plan That Might Actually Work

[Luminous Animal]

If our only hope is to amend the Constitution — which requires first a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate and then approval from three-fourths of the 50 state legislatures — then it feels like we’re doomed.

But what if there were a way to approach this hellish problem from the opposite direction? If we’re forbidden by the Supreme Court from limiting money coming from the 0.01 percent, what about amplifying money from the bottom 99.99 percent?

....

The bill has three main parts:

*Everyone gets $25 to donate to candidates

All voters receive $25 per year to give to political campaigns, provided in the form of a refundable tax credit equal to half of donations up to $50. (For instance, if you donate $30 to a candidate, you get $15 of that back; to get the full $25 you have to donate $50.)

*6 to 1 matching funds (at least) for small donors

Donations up to $150 to qualifying House and Senate candidates are matched 6 to 1 with public money. In other words, if your next door neighbor is running for Congress and you give her $50, she’ll get another $300, making $350 total.

And donations are matched 9 to 1 for candidates who completely renounce big money and take only donations of $150 or less. So if your neighbor is willing to do that, your $50 donation would turn into $500 total for her. (Moreover, if you use your $25 tax credit, that $500 she received would only cost you $25 total.)

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/07/08/part-rep-john-sarbanes-government-people-act/

[whatthehey]

1. Better have some big nasty enforcement teeth on unused campaign funds

Or it would take about 15 seconds for it to become a reciprocal circle jerk scam to extort money for "yes I'm really a serious candidate for Congress and so is my sister and my uncle and my bartender and..."

[Luminous Animal]

2. Kick!