Beware of Simple Solutions to Complex Problems

By Todd Taylor

(Guest Expert blogger Todd Taylor is executive director of the Utah Democratic Party) 

Campaign financing is the most heavily regulated industry in America per dollar of financial activity. Private financing of campaigns creates an ethical schism that pits the concept of a "public office is a public trust" against "those who pay the piper call the tune."

A recent Salt Lake Tribune editorial "Lawmakers for Sale" correctly points out that Utah has not found an appropriate balance of those concerns. Unfortunately, it concluded with the silly prescription that, "Limiting donations by individuals or corporations to $1,000 for each candidate, political party or political action committee per election cycle seems reasonable."

There is nothing reasonable about a $1,000 across the board limit for each of these entities. They each have different functions with different resulting costs.