Campaign finance reform needed
Local editorials from 50 years ago are being reprinted every Monday and Tuesday in this column. This editorial appeared in the Valley Independent on Nov. 15, 1966.
One result of the unusual, though unsuccessful, campaign for the governorship of Pennsylvania by Milton Shapp, the Democratic nominee, should be a fresh examination by the state legislature of the whole matter of political campaign spending.
Even before Mr. Shapp threw a large personal fortune behind his candidacy and resorted to advertising techniques which are, at the very least, dubious when applied to politics, it was widely realized that the laws concerning the use and accountability of money in campaigns left much to be desired. And this is true nationally and in many other states besides Pennsylvania.
We still do not have all the information it would be useful to have about Mr. Shapp’s spending.
He is now telling the press informally that he spent somewhere between $3 million and $4 million on his political adventure, including $1.4 million in last spring’s primary.
However, he has yet to file his expense accounts for the general election and even when they are filed, it may be difficult to determine just how Mr. Shapp used this very large amount of money.
The public knows even less at this point about the spending of the Republicans on behalf of Gov.-elect Raymond P. Shafer and the rest of the GOP ticket. A reasonable assumption would be that the Republicans spent a large amount of money, too, part of it undoubtedly to try to offset the Shapp “blitz.”
This is the vicious thing about big campaign spending. Excesses on one side invite excesses on the other.
It seems quite clear to us, however, that the looseness of the present laws needs to be carefully re-examined with a view to making substantial reforms. While money has always been a factor — and usually a big one — in American politics, there is danger that it could become a controlling factor if the use of it is not adequately regulated.
We don’t pretend that the problem is a simple one. Indeed, it is highly complex. But that does not entitle Congress and the state legislatures to avoid the problem while dangerous abuses are developing.
We are particularly anxious that Pennsylvania now develop some reasonable controls with sufficient teeth in them to make it as sure as possible that money does not distort the will of the people.