Democracy In Albany

My campaign has taught me a lot about our political system. It's no wonder that our representatives are so unproductive. They spend most of their time raising money by twisting arms. Some remind their constituents of the favors they have provided in the past. The $18.3 billion of our taxes which were spent on earmarks and pork barrel grants go a long way toward financing a campaign. Others stress the power they have to make good things happen (or not) for business owners. There are sophisticated consultants, hired by our lawmakers to help collect campaign contributions. These consultants use formulas to calculate whether the allocation of government contracts has been matched by corresponding political contributions. Is it surprising that our representatives fail to address our problems? They spend so little time thinking about them.

The magnitude of manipulation and waste in our political system is the biggest surprise I have confronted since I announced my candidacy. The average congressional contender in New York this year will spend close to $1.4 million. While I have welcomed financial support from those who believe that I would be an effective congressman, I do not have the expertise nor the interest in horse-trading my way into office.

It is very interesting that he came to those conclusions this quickly.  Maybe some day we can get to a point where we are publicly financing campaigns, and the whole process will be more like a job interview than a money and favor exchange.