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Articles
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| Exploring the art of politics ... |
VOICE writes, "Exploring the art of politics ...
The “exploratory” loophole in D.C. election law is closing.
Several candidates — major and minor — have used the lax law to raise political funds and barely report how the money was spent. It also allowed candidates to campaign without formally campaigning.
It was all very confusing to the public and to the media.
And now the loopy loophole is closing.
The council last week voted 11-1 to toughen reporting requirements for exploratory campaigns.
“These exploratory committees should be just that — exploratory,” said at-large Councilwoman Carol Schwartz after the vote on her bill. She said there should be a real difference between “testing the waters” and going for an Olympic swim.
Under the new law, within a year of any election, exploratory candidates will have to file monthly reports on donations and expenditures. Any leftover exploratory funds will have to be used by a political or charitable organization. (That means you can’t pocket the money.)"
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There also will be caps on exploratory dollars: up to $200,000 for mayoral candidates, up to $150,000 for council chairman and up to as little as $50,000 for a ward candidate. (Only in politics do we say “as little as” when we mention $50,000.)
No exploratory committee could last longer than 18 months.
One key provision will prohibit double dipping. Any funds raised will be counted as contributions for the race itself. No fair going back to contributors for a second bite.
• Exploring statehood for 10 years. There’s a party next week for the “Stand Up! For Democracy in DC Coalition.” A 10-year celebration fundraiser will be held Oct. 19 at the Carnegie Library, 801 K St., NW.
The celebration comes just weeks after the U.S. Senate shut down the latest effort to grant even partial voting rights to District citizens. Stand Up! supports full statehood and voting rights — including two U.S. senators.
Honorees for the 6 p.m. party are Ward 8 Councilman Marion Barry and former at-large Council member Hilda Mason, one of the founders of the D.C. Statehood Party.
The cost is $51 per person (get it — the 51st state?). Seniors, students and low-income folks can get in for $15. Try FreeDC.org for more information.
• DCGOP exploring town halls. The D.C. Republican Party is a small political organization in this overwhelmingly Democratic city. But that doesn’t mean the local GOP doesn’t keep trying to be more relevant to District citizens.
DCGOP executive director Paul Craney has announced an eight-month “listening tour” that will touch all eight wards of the District.
In an e-mail announcing the tour, Craney said the goal is to go into every ward and offer a town-hall-style meeting with the local communities.
The local GOP has a simple question for these meetings: “What is the current political party in power not doing for you that we can do for you?”
The party says it’s not going to do any fundraising or “anything political” — just listen to District citizens. Refreshments will be served.
You can reach Craney at pcraney@dcgop.com. The party Web site is dcgop.com.
The first event will be held in Ward 5 on Oct. 17 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 160 U St. NW.
• Exploring compassion and rights. At-large Councilman David Catania was first elected as a Republican but now is an independent.
Catania left the GOP amid the 2004 political year when President Bush and party leaders seemed closed to openly gay participants in the party.
The popular at-large council member might have a word or two to say about the outreach of the GOP, but don’t expect him at any of the town halls.
Catania this past week added a different spin on a different subject.
While many local jurisdictions are playing roles as junior immigration agents, Catania took a different tack. He introduced an emergency resolution that urges the federal government to “adopt a sensible immigration policy.”
He said it is wrong for local governments to use fear, intimidation and threats to undermine immigration. He said local governments end up “targeting” immigrants and providing “extra scrutiny” of citizenship status. Catania said that kind of government action invites “discriminatory treatment.”
“The xenophobia and the immigrant bashing going on in other parts of our region are appalling,” Catania said in a news release. “I felt that it was important for this Council to go on record as opposed to these types of efforts.”
The resolution passed 13-0.
Tom Sherwood is a political reporter for NBC 4.
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Posted on Oct 19, 2007 10:24am.
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