EDITOR'S NOTE: Ms. Barrett did disclose her lawsuit was dismissed and that the Institute for Justice plans to appeal the case. However, the letter below from a Clean Elections advocate is printed unedited.
In her March 21, 2005, rant against Clean Elections, Institute for Justice attorney Jennifer Barrett omits mention of her own dirty little secret.
See "2004 Election Cycle Demonstrated Dirty Secret Behind 'Clean Elections Act'"
The secret is that the lawsuit her organization filed in 2004 against Clean Elections was dismissed two weeks ago. Her arguments have been rejected. Arizona District Court Judge Earl Carroll denied the IFJ claims that matching funds granted to Clean Elections candidates infringe on the free-speech rights of opponents. Indeed, in his opinion Judge Carroll quoted a previous case: "Appellants misconstrue the meaning of the First Amendment's protection of their speech. They have no right to speak free from response..."
This marks the seventh straight defeat for those who have tried to kill Clean Elections through the courts. These folks just can't stand not being able to use large amounts of special interest money to determine who gets elected.
Clean Elections involves public campaign finance coupled with strict spending limits. The premise is that issues and ideas, not wealth, should determine our governmental leaders. Clean Elections is meant to improve the integrity of government, by reducing the influence of special-interest money, and the resulting appearance of corruption. Clean Elections also gives ordinary citizens the opportunity to seek office "without mortgaging their houses or their souls," as columnist E.J. Dionne puts it.
Campaign spending at every level has reached obscene proportions. Candidates attempt to bury their opponents in money. Clean Elections limits such spending and give participating candidates the opportunity to conduct a credible campaign. It's an idea whose time has come, in Hawaii and elsewhere.
Barbara Lubin is the Director for the Clean Elections Institute, Phoenix. She can be reached via email at mailto:barb@azclean.org