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House Approves Accountability Office

Campaign finance: Congress and King County leveling the playing field, one pebble at a time - Part I

Federal campaign finance law sets a $2,300 cap on individual campaign contributions. Congress, however, felt that opponents of self-financed candidates were at a disadvantage because they had to spend time raising money while the self-financed candidate did not. Congress decided to right the perceived wrong and the McCain-Feingold deal implemented what is called the “Millionaire Rule. ” In a contest between self-financed candidates and non-self-financed candidates, the latter can accept individual contributions up to three times the $2,300 limit and coordinate spending with political parties (who have no contribution limits). Sounds like an incumbent-protection plan doesn’t it?   Treating candidates differently may not be constitutional, so the law was challenged and heard by the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday. During the arguments U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement was arguing that non-uniform limits for opposing candidates (a higher contribution limit for non-incumbents) is appropriate “because it would recognize that incumbents have certainly built-in advantages” over opponents. Justice Scalia broke in and asked: “You think that's really a proper function of government, to look out over there and say, we're going to even the playing field in this election? What if some -- one candidate is more eloquent than the other one? You make him talk with pebbles in his mouth or what?”   And what if one candidate has a better grassroots network or opposition research machine? Should the government lend out its employees to the disadvantaged candidate? Oh, wait, it already does!   Tomorrow, King County's taxpayer funded campaigns.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

This week, the Seattle Times reported that Seattle Public Schools have spent nearly $2 million dollars on administrative leaves for teachers in the last 5 years, and five teachers each spent more than 300 days on leave. (Administrative leave is limited for investigation into claims of misconduct.) The most egregious cases of late include one employee that was paid for 374 days of leave, another for 596 for leave.  The executive director of Seattle Education Association teachers' union, Steve Pulkkinen, said: “In many cases, the length of time it’s taken the district to do the investigation is just way out of line.” Pulkkinen further expressed frustration with the district for taking so long to complete its investigations and render final decisions in other cases as well.  Ironically, it is the UNIONS that negotiate the terms of school district employees’ contracts, including the onerous procedures for investigations into misconduct. It is the UNIONS that make it so difficult to fire a public employee. It is the UNIONS that drive such blatant inefficiency in the public sector.  Just remember, Mr. Pulkkinen, when you point the finger at someone else, there are three pointing back at you.   The Seattle Times article HERE.

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