(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The head of a respected civic group says it’s time for Chicago and Illinois to adopt Campaign Finance Reforms that could also help reduce political corruption.
Alisa Kaplan, director of the group Reform For Illinois, is pushing for lobbying reforms in Illinois that could make it harder to engage in the corruption we’re seeing in federal trial after trial. However, you need to elect candidates willing to vote for such reforms.
Mostly the rich and politically connected dominate the campaigns. Kaplan says some public campaign finance program is needed.
“In fact, Chicago is now the biggest city in America that doesn’t have a program like this, and these programs have been successful in cities like New York – Washington, D.C. recently passed one.”
The idea is that small, individual political contributions would be matched and amplified by money from a public fund, to make it a big donation, allowing everyday people to have a voice, and more independent candidates to afford to campaign: