Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Bill to reduce matching funds

From the NY Post:

City Council Republicans have a new idea on how to rein in public spending: Trim their own taxpayer-subsidized campaign budgets.

The five-member GOP delegation plans to introduce a bill this month to sharply reduce the city Campaign Finance Board's required matching payouts to candidates as Mayor Bloomberg grapples with a nearly $4.6 billion deficit for the upcoming fiscal year.

Under current rules, the CFB uses public money to provide candidates in the system with a 6-1 match for every donation up to $175 from city residents. Council Republicans want to drop that ratio to 2-1 in citywide election years when the budget deficit is at least $2 billion as of the mayor's annual January budget presentation.

Council Minority Leader James Oddo said the bill could save enough money to rescue teaching jobs and firehouses slated for closure in future years.

"Show me the firehouse you will accept to be closed in order to ensure you get a 6-1 match. Tell me which group of seniors you want to put out of their center because you want to do the matching game," Oddo said. "It's a choice between a high-falutin palm card or keeping a senior center open."

Oddo admitted he has accepted the 6-1 match because his opponents were doing the same.

The Republicans penned a letter to their council colleagues last night asking them to consider the measure, which faces an uphill battle among lawmakers who rely on the CFB's matching funds.

If the rule on matching funds is changed, candidates accustomed to getting as much as $1,050 in city funds for each $175 contribution would only get $350 instead.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dems will oppose it because it evens the playing field during elections between the 2 parties, but I support it because it's a good friggin' idea.

Anonymous said...

i agree with this bill,but the democrats won't.

Anonymous said...

If passed, the bill will insure that City incumbents will not be seriously challenged.
It will also benefit Party favorites, who have Party "volunteers" to get them on the ballot and campaign for them.
What is really needed is State matching funds program to allow challengers to mount effective campaigns against retrenched Albany incumbents.

Anonymous said...

Matching funds gave every jerk a spot on the ballot...like those totally ineffective money wasting Queens Green Party candidates.

Anonymous said...

Matching funds were supposed to equalize the inequalities.

What they created was a "cure" that was worse than the original disease.

Bayside Boy said...

Matching funds help candidates outside the political establishment get the funds to run decent campaigns.

Matching funds and public financing for elections helps decrease the role of special interests in politics and decreases the incumbancy rates; leading to less career politicians.

The best solution would be fully state financed elections. Candidates that meet a certain threshold of viability would receive $100,000 to run. They wouldn't be allowed to take a dollar more from any sources. It would keep lobbyists and corrupt pol's from running the show and stop the buying and selling of elections and legislation.

This 2-1 ratio is just about pol's that already have a good financial base keeping power.

Steve Behar said...

I agree with Bayside Boy!

Anonymous said...

Oddo loves MHN!

Anonymous said...

Behar...do us a favor and don't bother running again.

As a taxpayer I don't want to have to shell out for your matching funds.

Anyway, haven't you gotten the drift by now...you're unelectable!

Anonymous said...

H-m-m-m....makes me wonder.

No other mature,serious candidate posts on a blog site like the chipmunk cheeked Behar.

Grow up...counselor!

Anonymous said...

Bayside Boy...so then you get a novice candidate elected who can't govern.

What's worse...an elected high minded idiot (24/7/365) or a crafty crook who on a regular basis, throws table scraps to his district.

With the first choice, we starve.

With second the second option, at least we subsist.

As the author
Alexander Dumas once said,
"I prefer the wicked to the stupid because the wicked sometimes sleep".

Anonymous said...

Dumas actual quote:
"I prefer the wicked rather than the foolish. The wicked sometimes rest.."

Bayside Boy said...

So we end up with well connected morons like Braunstein?

Anonymous said...

The Repuglicans would never have a shot without matching. The unions only donate to their pappas.

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