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Umm…. Bad Idea

Here’s a letter that I sent this morning to the Chicago Tribune:

Seeking to rid politics of the influence of special interests, Jeffrey Smith says that “Our campaigns need 100 percent public financing” (Letters, Jan. 11).

Questions for Mr. Smith: Who would determine which candidates get funding and which do not?  Does Mr. Smith not worry that the committee or process chosen for allocating campaign funds will itself be heavily influenced by the very special-interests that now dominate government – and, thus, will only strengthen these interests’ strangling grip on the public fisc?  Is Mr. Smith blind to the likelihood that giving to government complete control over who runs for office and who doesn’t will vastly increase the power of that most dangerous of special-interest groups: incumbent politicians?

Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux

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