Opinion Open Letters Pa. must change its ways on campaign-finance
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Pennsylvania is the Wild West for campaign contributions - a relatively lawless system that rewards the wealthy at the expense of working-class people. There are no limits on campaign contributions.
I support banning contributions from gambling industry officials. But why stop there? What about the pharmaceutical, insurance, banking, legal, medical, labor, mining, manufacturing and other interests that make big contributions to grease their legislative priorities through the General Assembly? Why not limit them too?
Some legislators vote based on their relationship with interests affected by the bill - a relationship often defined by campaign contributions. It doesn't only happen in the Legislature. School board candidates can be funded by interests pushing to build a new school. Candidates for council may be funded by a lawyer who wants to be solicitor. Township candidates may get campaign money from someone pushing a sewage project to make vacant property more valuable.
A recent Post-Gazette editorial noted "strict caps" need to be placed on all political contributors, not just gambling interests ("Gambling Fairness: Other Political Contributions Buy Influence, Too," June 29). I have introduced HB 1825, which caps contributions, requires increased reporting and information about contributors, requires companies with government contracts to report campaign contributions and includes other changes that would level the playing field and increase public access to information about campaign financing.
Some claim contribution limits are an attack on freedom of speech. I find no reference in the First Amendment that indicates wealthy people have a greater right to free speech than poor people. Donating large amounts of money to political candidates has nothing to do with freedom of speech and everything to do with influencing the outcome of an election or the legislative process.
REP. DAVID K. LEVDANSKY
Chairman, House Finance Committee
Harrisburg
The writer, a Democrat from Forward, represents the 39th Legislative District.
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