Capital Tonight- YNN | May 10, 2012
The Senate Republican Campaign Committee sent out an appeal to supporters today blasting Senate Democrats’ support for pushing for a public financing system of political campaigns.
From the letter:
They’ve even hatched a new plan to use tax dollars to pay for their political campaigns.
Why now?
Because just as they couldn’t control spending when it involved the public’s dollars, they also overspent their own campaign budgets.
They’re broke—mired in $1.5 million debt, with dim prospects for raising more money from private donors.
The appeal comes as Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, and Senate Democrats push for public financing system, similar to what’s in place for New York City. Silver’s bill, introduced last month, would pay for the system from money gained from Wall Street fraud settlements.
State income taxpayers would also be able to donate five dollars by checking a box on their state tax form.
The bill would match six public dollars for every privately donated dollar and then capped, depending on the office. There are provisions designed to encourage small donations of less than $250.
But Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos has said the idea is a non-starter for his conference, even if he is open to closing loopholes or reducing donation limits. Skelos, a Republican from Nassau County, said he would prefer to see the money for a public financing system to go to education.
Read More – http://www.capitaltonight.com/2012/05/srcc-no-taxpayer-cash-for-political-campaigns/#more-71128
