State heads in right direction toward reform

An opinion column by Rich Miller [“The money flows unabated,” Jan. 24] argued that the state’s campaign contribution limit law has not lived up to its promise of limiting the total dollars being contributed to election campaigns.

That misstates the law’s purpose, which is to combat the risk of corruption when individual donors make outsized contributions to candidates. One of the last states to limit contributions, Illinois finally enacted that reform when the Blagojevich scandal erupted in headlines and news broadcasts across the nation.

Large campaign donations from contractors, job seekers and others who wanted and received specific returns from the Blagojevich administration fueled Blagojevich’s election campaigns. Just over 35 percent of the money he raised came from 435 contributors of $25,000 or more, and the majority of those got something tangible in return. For good reason, public confidence in fairness of government had sunk to lowest levels.

As good as the limits law is, it should be improved by extending the limits to cover contributions by legislative leaders and political parties in general elections and requiring candidates to disclose large contributors on a year-round basis, even when those contributors break up their money into small increments.

We are only at the starting line when it comes to political reform in comparison to some other states, but we now have the momentum and support to create a system that is transparent, equitable and fair. The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform will continue working to create such change.

Note to readers – Brian Gladstein is executive director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.