All Campaign Contributions Should be Public

According to FEC data, only 32 percent of groups paying for election ads are disclosing the names of their donors. By comparison, in the 2006 midterm, 97 percent disclosed; in 2008, almost half disclosed.

I welcome all participants in our democracy and the public debate which is so crucial to it. That includes corporations, unions, dads, soccer moms, anarchists, non-profits, for-profits, right wing, left wing, gun carrying and vegan eating. I don’t care who you are or what you believe, you have a place to speak in our democracy. However money = speech. If you’re going to put your “money where your mouth is” then the organizations who receive and spend, and therefore benefit from that money should be required to disclose where it comes from.

Only through transparency will we have the ability for all citizens regardless of their creed or beliefs feel that their voices and votes count.