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Campaign Finance Reform |
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ISSUES
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Clifton Below is a leader in campaign finance reform efforts, to move toward a system where political leaders are more likely to fully represent the public and community interests rather than the concerns of large campaign donors.Clif was Prime Sponsor of Clean Elections legislation to establish a public financing alternative for major state races, and SB 303, to prohibit corporate contributions.On the other hand. See below. Rubens Shatters All Time Spending Record by A State Senate Candidate. Rubens turns Senate quest into spending extravaganza
Tuesday, August 29, 2000 The Valley News
If Jim Rubens intends to buy his way back into the New Hampshire Senate, he should be honest about it and say so. Enough of this I'm-being-forced-to-do-something-I-don't-want-to-by-evil-forces nonsense. The Union Leader reported Friday that the average spending in a state Senate race two years ago was $20,000. That same article reported that Rubens has already raised $67,176 and spent $23,730 to unseat Sen. Clifton Below. Below captured the seat in 1998 when Rubens left the Senate to run for governor. That's an astounding, and disturbing, amount of money for a state legislative race. For one thing, it's surprising that anybody is prepared to blow that kind of money for a part-time seat that pays $100 a year in a state that takes pride in maintaining a nonprofessional legislature. It also doesn't bode well for those who hope to minimize the influence of big-money politics on New Hampshire. Increasingly expensive campaigns will bring politicians who must spend more of their time fund-raising, campaigns that are based less on the clash of ideas than on professional political packaging and, perhaps, donors who expect more of a return on the investments they're making. Rubens, of course, accepts no responsibility for the money that's about to be spent in his name. "We are prepared to defend ourselves against what they did last time," the Republican from Etna told the Union Leader. According to Rubens, the state Democratic Party spent as much as $80,000 on Below's 1998 victory over Larry Guaraldi. Below, who has raised $22,246 and spent $6,371 so far, according to the article, says that Rubens is preparing to fight an enemy that will never materialize. The Lebanon Democrat says that he has asked Democratic Party officials to refrain from making independent expenditures "and they've all indicated they won't." And if this Senate seat is perceived to be that important, why doesn't Below have to worry about the Republican Party throwing its money around on behalf of Rubens? Moreover, Rubens has already proved himself to be not at all squeamish about loosening the purse strings to get himself elected. Back in 1994, when he was a political unknown trying to topple Senate President Ralph Hough, Rubens spent the unprecedented amount of $30,000 - almost all of it his own money - in the primary race alone. Asked about that level of spending, Rubens copped a they-made-me-do-it plea. His two primary opponents had launched a barrage of mailings in the final weeks, he said. "I had to respond. I had to be aggressive in defining myself." Rubens ended up spending more than twice what was spent by his closest opponent. But don't blame him. He was forced to. Just like this time. |