Change Afoot
Good news from Pennsylvania where the state's Supreme Court upheld campaign contributions for Philadelphia elections, drawing the first set of battle lines in what is shaping up to be a big discussion over electoral reform and campaign finance in the state.The Morning Call praises the decision to uphold the limits and wants to see the legislature go even further by passing a full public financing option for the Governor and Lt. Governor positions.The Philadelphia Inquirer sees the combination of this decision coupled with the campaigning new Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter did on this issue as pointing the way for the legislature to take more aggressive action to curtail the influence of money on elections: Further needed reforms include a ban on major campaign donors receiving competitive contracts, as is the case already with no-bid city work. Also needed are rules to govern what the Committee of Seventy calls "stealth groups" - political committees that, while permitted under federal tax law, skirted the city donor limits of $20,000 per group and $5,000 for individuals. The court decision also gives a push to Harrisburg lawmakers and Gov. Rendell, as well, to follow Philadelphia's good example. It's long past time for them to set limits on big-money donations in campaigns for statewide offices and the state House and Senate.Perhaps in taking that action they'll have the assistance of state Rep. Daylin Leach who just announced his candidacy for the state Senate and who has placed Clean Elections-style public financing prominently in his issue platform.