With the Final Four this weekend, we kept the college spirit with TBOR Executive Director John Pudner joining Board Member Dr. Richard Painter at Painter’s alma mater Harvard for comments on campaign finance reform.
While Laura MacLeery of the Brennan Center and Max Stahl of Democracy Matters made the progressive case regarding big money from industry and private prisons affecting policy and implementation of regulations, we appreciate having the opportunity to point out to Harvard Law students the reasons conservatives should also be concerned about big money dominating policy. While the video from the event is limited, you can see part of Dr. Painter making the case in the YouTube clip here with MacLeery, Stahl and Pudner in the background.
Pudner said conservative solutions for campaign finance reform should be sought in light of groups like the Humane Society of the United States having more than $200 million in assets that it can use to go after farmers and hunters on policy matters. Conservatives complained about HSUS raising $34 million on Hurricane Katrina commercials showing stranded pets, even though the group is not related to local Humane Societies that shelter animals. Laws that allow money to be moved without detection to impact elections and policy cry out for reform, whether the big money power is liberal or conservative.
