Comments
Deborah Sumner
Thanks to the Commission for all your hard work and an excellent set of recommendations. Three comments: 1) The number of qualifying contributions for a Senate candidate is, proportionally, a higher bar to reach than governor (2,500) and executive council (500, or 1/5 of that required for governor). Proportionately, it would be 1/24 that set for governor. I realize there may be a reason to set the bar for Senate higher, to discourage so called "fringe" candidates. 2) Challenge parties and citizens to cultivate a vibrant grassroots politics and support for less expensive campaigns. (For example, 66 volunteers in my town went door to door in support of our candidates.) I come from a teaching bacground. When we compare the COST of campaigns with the salaries of pulbic servants including teachers, police and firefighters AND what we pay our legislators, something is really out of whack. In contrast, lobbyists and political consultants are paid very well in our state, which shows what we value. If we want our politics to be about ideas, not money, citizens and parties have an important role to play. 3) You've probably caught this. In your Conclusion, you say the test program would run for two election cycles (three elsewhere in the report). Your job was impossible! But you did it. Now it comes back to the legislators and citizens to do our impossible jobs. Thanks again.
Andrea Raila
The whole nation is looking at New Hampshire's leadership towards promoting public elections through campaign finance reforms. This is the most exciting commission pulled together that could restore democracy and that other states could follow it's lead. Doris Haddock is truely a national treasure and state of New Hampshire treasure. We in Illinois, that have now sent the nation 3 great presidents, will watch closely what will unfold. Andrea Raila Chicago
Christopher Booth
Does New Hampshire not already have a poll tax, and would it not be not only appropriate but the only sensible thing to do to use it to publicly finance elections? I have heard that there is an exemption from the poll tax for veterans and women (must have been passed before women voted), and those exemptions should clearly be removed, as completely unnecessary, although I would not have any problem with exempting anyone with a family income of less than $5,000. Equally clearly, as now, paying the poll tax is not a requirement for voting, though.
Poll taxes are conceivably possible, though not currently in effect in New Hampshire - I think it unlikely this commission would want to recommend it now. And of course, as for poll taxes related to voting, those were indeed banned by passage of the 24th Amendment in 1964, and further by a Supreme Court ruling in 1966 finding that those poll taxes were unconstitutional also under the 14th Amendment.
Stuart Comstock-Gay
Stuart Comstock-Gay
We invite interested residents of New Hampshire - and elsewhere - to submit comments and observations about our charge to investigate the feasibility of public financing in the state. We will also post your comments - after ensuring that they do not include libelous statements, slander or inappropriate language.