Posted on 02/21/2007 3:16:10 PM PST by truth49
The best way to ensure integrity in political campaigns is to answer two questions: who gave money, and who got it? Washington’s Public Disclosure Commission has a new idea for helping citizens get these answers….
This is Jonathan Bechtle for the Evergreen Freedom Foundation.
A recent Seattle Times story highlighted current city rules allowing Seattle city council members to award government contracts of up to $241,000 without soliciting competitive bids. One councilmember recently granted a $37,000 contract to an organization run by longtime donors to his political campaigns.
We’re not suggesting there is anything illegal about these deals. But the public should know about them. Sole source contracts are awarded without a bid process, making them a desirable and often lucrative commodity. Any money trails between these contracts and political contributions should be fully disclosed, allowing voters to make an informed decision when they come to the ballot box in November.
The Public Disclosure Commission is discussing a proposal to make such transparency a reality. In a draft letter to the governor and legislature, the Commissioners request a new law requiring local jurisdictions and the state to post information on these sole-source contracts on their respective websites.
If enacted, this requirement would allow citizens to easily determine who these contractors are. They could then use the campaign filings on the Commission website to find contributions by the contractors to those officials who swing these plum jobs their way.
Of late, we’ve been disturbed by the Commission’s emphasis on new campaign contribution limits, which suppress free speech while complicating an already complicated system. Full disclosure is the better road to honest campaigns, and we applaud the Commission’s desire to shed light on the link between government contracts and campaign contributions.
This is Jonathan Bechtle for the Evergreen Freedom Foundation.
Click Here For More Information About Podcasts
If you have any questions feel free to contact our webmaster at cburres@effwa.org
Rats and cockroaches don't like sunshine. Everyone else does.
Corupt politics in Washington, ping.
"Corupt politics in Washington"
The words "corrupt" and "politics" go together like "spaghetti" and "meatballs" here in the DPRW*.
*Democratic Peoples Republic of Washington
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.