We are supposed to be a government ‘of, by and for the people’ and not a government ‘of, by and for the PAC’. The stupidity of PAC legislation was highlighted by Stephen Colbert a few years ago, when he was legally able to form his own PAC on TV in real time, collect a over a million dollars from online donors that legally did not have to be identified, and then donate the funds to a variety of charities. He highlighted the tremendous power that PAC administrators have to collect ‘dark’ money and use it to buy political favor and to sponsor media blast smear campaigns against politicians who don’t fall in line. Legally PAC’s cannot be directed by the politician that they support but there is no enforcement to prevent round-about schemes. For example, trump’s campaign manager started a ‘for trump’ PAC within a company he owned and then transferred ownership of that company to his wife- sounds fishy to me, but apparently legal. Huge PAC funds in coordination with the RNC is the primary tool used for enforcing the lock-step unified regimentation of the Republican lemming parade - and re-enforces the party dominated entrenched positions which makes meaningful legislative compromise impossible. I certainly never voted for Karl Rove as a PAC master nor the Koch Brothers money to drive and shape our political processes. The legislation proposed here is a welcome start and I wholeheartedly endorse it as a first step. Corporate contributions need to be eliminated from all PACs, and not just those that corporation’s sponsor. Further, since ‘dark’ money and back room deals are still possible, we need to get rid of all PACs, PERIOD; and require public reporting of all cumulative campaign donations over some threshold from any single source or highly affiliated sources- so we can see who exactly who and what our politicians may be beholding to.

Corporations are not people and have the ability to buy politicians by the dozens. Why have our politicians gotten so unresponsive to voter concern: huge political donations that are anonymous, gerrymandering and PACs that operate in the name of a politician but not controlled by that politician. Our Democracy should be about people not entities. Corporations just like religious organizations should stay out of politics. If those entities want to influence politics let it be through the people associated with them via education based on provable FACTS not alternate facts or outright lies as this Administration employs. The only way to mold a society that promotes people is to excluded anything that does not breath and have a heartbeat.

Corporations are not people. PACs are not people. Union associations and issue focused groups are not people. When their right to free speech ends up suppressing the free speech of individual voters because of the difference in available financial backing, it is a problem. I support a limit on ALL donations regardless of source, and that limit needs to be at a level that gives everyone an equal chance at having a say, not just the loudest (most well funded) voices. I do recognize that lobbyists and issue groups have the resources to do research in depth that a staffer may not have time or expertise to dig up for themselves, and I welcome their continuing input but only in the form of information about their area of expertise, not in the form of dollars. There is a great need for more data driven and fact based decisions, and special interest groups can play a valuable role in helping provide and present that information. But nobody should be buying politicians (and politicians should have more self respect than to allow themselves to be sold).