From: Alan Olsen <alano@teleport.com>
Date: Mon, 18 Dec 1995 05:04:25 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Political Cleanup program
Message-ID: <2.2b7.32.19951217203129.0089fe34@mail.teleport.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 11:04 AM 12/17/95 -0800, you wrote:

>It occurs to me that it would be a major advance if a system could be set up
>that would "blind" campaign donations as to their source:  The donor could
>be satisfied that his donation gets to the candidate or cause, but the
>candidate couldn't know  who actually paid the money (and the donor would be
>unable to prove that he made a donation, for example).  Admittedly there are
>a lot of details that need to be worked out, but if this could be
>accomplished it would change politics as we know it.

I think you would see alot less donations by the corporate powers that be
and the favormongers.  (Which is why such a system will probibly never come
into existance.)  It would be a good step in the right direction.

However...
I live in a state which just inacted a series of campaign reforms.  The
first thing the lobbyists did was find a way to exploit every loophole
possible to get around that legislation.  Such a system would have to be
pretty tight and pretty specific.  (And therefore will be fought against by
almost every politician ansd lobbyiest on the planet.)  The fundraising
dinners will certainly have to go...

 

>
>
>
>
>
>
>
|   Remember: Life is not always champagne. Sometimes it is REAL pain.   |
|"It's only half a keyserver. I had to split the  | Disclaimer:          |
|other half with the government man." - R. Rococo |   Ignore the man     |
|`finger -l alano@teleport.com` for PGP 2.6.2 key |  behind the keyboard.|
|         http://www.teleport.com/~alano/         |  alano@teleport.com  |