4- The Michigan Daily Summer Weekly-Wednesday, June 2, 1993 rPI 11 I EDITOR IN CHIEF Hope Calati OPINION EDITORS Sam Goodstein Flint Jason Wainess Unsigned editorials present the opinion of a majority of the Daily's editorial board. All other cartoons, signed articles and letters do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Daily. 420 Maynard Street Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 76-DAILY Edited and Managed by Students at the University of Michigan Look no further than the ongoing joust between conservative Democrats and the White House overPresident Clinton's proposed budgettowitnesstheinvidiouseffectsofaskewed campaign finance system that has moved the politicalpowerin this country from the people to big business and specialinterests. Senators from highenergy-producingstateshavebeenputinthe uncomfortable position of fighting the proposed energy (BTU) tax because it would be political suicide for them to go against the wishes of the powerful lobbyists in their district. Andwhocanblamethem?Currently,over50 percent of money raised for congressionalcandi- dates comes from Political Action Committees (PACs).Politiciansface theultimate Catch-22- make a stand against special interests (probably losing the election as a consequence) or become a part of the system that many of them detest. There is only one solution: Congress, following the lead of the President, must enact stringent campaign finance reform. Unfortunately, the last time Congress grit its teeth and produced a bill to eliminate soft money from federal elections, it fell victim to the oft- used veto pen of President Bush. Clinton has I PACing big business Campaign finance reform is a must pledged, though, to make campaign finance re- formapriority.Hehasputforthaplanthatwould, among other things, provide free television and radio time for congressional candidates, a tactic that would prevent wealthy candidates from buy- ing their way into an election. While Clinton's reforms are badly needed and would help even the playing field for challengers, his plan leaves out many of the quintessential elements of pow- erfulcampaign financereform.Theprincipalflaw in Clinton's proposal is that it lacks significant restrictions on the contributions of PACs. In the 1974FederalElectionandCampaignAct(FECA), Congress attempted to limit the influence of specialinterests, butlefthuge loopholes open for PACs. Theresulthas been devastating to Ameri- can politics as special interests are empowered to use their big bucks to influence politicians. The vociferousNationalRifle Association blocksgun control while the tobacco lobby, defending pow- erful cigarette companies, continues to fight re- strictions on their deadly drug. Many of the biggestproblemsfacing the country today cannot beconquereduntilspecialinterestsarecontrolled. Many interesting proposals have floated around that warrant investigation by the Clinton team.Firstoff, "bundling," orthepractice of one group or individual presenting a stack of checks toa candidate (in other words, giving much more money to politicians than the law allows under the guise of just handing in a check for a friend), shouldbeeliminatedoutright."Bundling"allows big business to dance around the FECA laws and gain unfair access to politicians. Emily's List, a PACthatpromotesequality betweenthegenders, has waged a fierce war to keep "bundling" legal, saying that the practice helps women become more represented. But the position of Emily's List is short-sighted and detrimental to the ulti- mate goalof equality.In the long run, "bundling" stacks the deck against the underdog, and all too often, women. Brooks Jackson of the Washington Monthly has an even more innovative idea. He suggests that the public should use the Teamsters PAC as a national example. Any Teamster that wants to contribute to the PAC signs a form with hisorher employer towithhold one dollar a week that will go the PAC. Why not do this on anational level? Individuals that so desire would finance cam- paigns by paying up to a dollar a week. For instance, if just five percent of the 38 million adultsregisteredasstrongdemocratsagreedtodo this, it would raise $200 million every two-year election cycle. This is a novel and long-overdue approach. For once, politicians would be able to act on conviction, not guided by concems of the pocketbook. Exactly which idea would work best toward reform is unclear, but what is clear is that the status quomust prevailnolonger. Conservatives can rant and rave all they want about how term limits will end corruption. But until campaign finance reform is passed, the citizens of this country will continue to be held hostage by the special interest giant. " 0 Pass the budget The Senate should pass the president's plan tes identClinton weathered a major po- ticalstorm, andmayhave spared his troubled young presidency, when his proposed budget passed the House of Representatives Thursday evening. Aftera full day ofdebate only 38Demo- crats spurned the President, leaving Clinton with anarrow 219-213 victory.Facing heat from con- servativeDemocratswhocriticizedtheproposed budget for being laden with too many tax in- creases and not enough spending cuts - even though the budget is sure to be altered in the Senate - Clinton and his staff barnstormed Capitol Hill to ensure success. By facing off with the President, the 38 de- fecting representatives were toying with the fate of theDemocratic party.If the President failed to pass a budget with an overwhelming majority in the House, he likely would have lost so much momentum that his health-care reform package, andany otherproposed budget, would have faced an insurmountable challenge from Republicans andrenegadeDemocrats.Longhailedas amaster politician, Clinton spared, for the time being, his reputation and quite possibly the Democratic party. WhileClintoncelebratedvictory,the factthat the largest political test of his career lay before himmusthave weighed heavy inhismind.Many senators are eager to attack his proposed tax- increases and energy (BTU) tax. We can only hope that Clinton will have the same success in the Senate that he enjoyed in the House. This budget is the most important legislation that Washington has faced in years. The President, contrary to the claims of the Republicans and their new friend Ross Perot, does understand the gravityofourdeficit-andhehasasolidplanto reduce it. While nobody will deny the fact that a middle-classincometaxincreasewillslowgrowth (although a lowering of interest rates will help counter this effect), it is painfully clear that it is necessary to cut the burgeoning federal deficit. The highest tax bracket in the United States is embarrassingly the lowest of all our industrial allies; embarrassing because we continue to bor- row money from our allies - loans they politi- cally cannot refuse - and then refuse to make ourselves pay the loans back. Thecomponentoftheproposedbudgetlikely tofacethemostoppositionintheSenateisnotthe incometaxhikes,butthelBTUtax.Manysenators from oil-producing states are threatening to use their considerable power to derail the budget if Clinton does not withdraw the BTU tax. While it isunderstandablethatthey,led bySen.Boren(D- Okla), are only attempting to protect the interests of their constituents, it is deplorable that they are willing to threaten legislation so pivotal to reduc- ing the deficit. While theBTU tax may beregres- sive, anditmay stifle the energy industry, itis the best altemative available - far better than a gasoline tax or other proposed options. More- over, a BTU tax could begin to make US citizens -who make up6 percent of the world's popula- tion, but use 28 percent of the worlds energy- think twice before they leave the lights on. Beyondthepoliticalandeconomicintricacies of the coming battle in the Senate lies the fact that this budget symbolizes the future of the United States. If a Democratic president cannot effec- tively mobilize themajority hehas inboth houses of Congress to pass an all-important budget, he will face unimaginable difficulties passing his health-care reform package - which is quite possibly the most important post-Vietnam era legislation. More importantly, if Democratic members of Congress do not understand the importanceofworkingwithClinton-insteadof against him - the evil "gridlock" may never departIgnoreland,D.C.,our deficit willplagueus for generations, and the United States will fall into socio-economic oblivion. Stop the guns Comprehensive gun control must be enacted W hen will the madness end? fense was that he thought his life was in danger, Last week, a Louisiana man was acquitted and his wife testified that "there was no thinking of criminal negligence in the shooting of a Japa- involved." Thisisexactly why handgunsmust be nese exchange student who came to the man's outlawed - because in situations where fear door simply looking for a Halloween party. The takes precedence over rational thought, violence exchange student was perceived asa "threat" to isalltoooften the easiest- andmostirreversible the man's property - so the man took out his -answer. The statistics tell the same story: in ever-ready handgun and shot the teenager to 1986, handguns were used approximately 200 death. Forsome, theman'sacquittalmay beseen times for self-defense. In that same year, hand- as the end of the case, the close of the story. guns were used in 12,000 suicides, 9,000 homi- However, some of us know that it is simply cides, and 1,000 accidental deaths. another chapter in the book of tragic handgun In the areaof gun control, the United Statesis violence. As the nation absorbs this verdict, the one of the most backward nations in the world. gun control story is concurrently unfolding on News of the Louisiana verdict has been front- another front. This week, the Connecticut state page news in Japan for days, as Japanese citizens legislature will vote on whether to ban semiauto- watch in amazement at the free acceptance of matic weapons in its state. The vociferous Na- weaponry in this country. The family of the slain tional Rifle Association (NRA)is making agreat student has collectedmorethan 1.6million signa- effort to oppose the bill, as it does on almost any tures on a petition urging Congress to adopt bill that would place eventhe slightest restric- strictergunlaws. AmericanswhotraveltoCanada tions on the availability of weapons in the United marvel at the "civility" of the nation - in part States. because of its tight gun controls. In this respect, TheNRAclaims that the Second Amendment the United States appears to the world commu- to the U.S. Constitution, with its guarantee of the nity a nation which feeds barbarically on vio- right "tokeepandbeararms"issufficientgrounds lence. for their argument. But the NRA's arguments The only solution to the problem of gun have always been flawed as it and other gun violence in this country is comprehensive gun enthusiasts strategically leave out thefirst half of control on a federal level. This begins with bills the amendment which provides this right on the like the Connecticut one, which does not even condition of "a well regulated Militia, being target handguns, but merely seeks to ban assault necessary to the security ofafree State...."'The rifles - the sort which serve no purpose except amendment was bom out of the colonists' fear of to kill. The Brady bill, which would provide a the British, and their desire to keep a standing waiting period before one can purchase a gun, army in order to protect their nation. This is also must be enacted. This would provide au- clearly the purpose of the amendment-not that thorities with an opportunity to conduct a back- every citizen should be able to carry a deadly ground check on the gun purchaser and would weapon in his or her home. serve as a "cooling-off'period for the purchaser. TheNRA'smantrais "gunsdon'tkill,people Itistime forustorecognizethatourfreedom do." Yet if the homeowner in Louisiana had not with guns, far from protecting us, is actually the hadagunathisfingertips,he wouldnothave been direct cause of tragic deaths. It is time for us to able to shoota teenager whose only crime was recognize that a comprehensive gun ban is the looking for a Halloween party. The man's de-. only way to stop these tragedies. 0 0