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Mega-checks: A local campaign-finance fix is better than none

Mega-checks: A local campaign-finance fix is better than none

Ask anyone what's the trouble with American politics and they'll answer in a word: Money. That's especially true in states like Pennsylvania, which have next to no limits on campaign donations.

Federal law caps contributions to candidates for president, U.S. Senate and U.S. House at $2,300 from individuals and $5,000 from political action committees. In Pennsylvania, though, the sky's the limit on checks that a political patron may write to someone running for governor, legislator, mayor, council and any other state or local office.

That means, while a candidate for the White House can take no more than $5,000 from a PAC, it was perfectly legal for Democrat Ed Rendell and Republican Lynn Swann to accept checks of $100,000 or more from backers when they ran for governor in 2006. That means, while someone running for a seat in Congress can take no more than $2,300 from an individual, it was within the law for Democrat Luke Ravenstahl and Republican Mark DeSantis to collect single donations of $10,000 or more from supporters in the Pittsburgh mayor's race.

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Pennsylvania's unlimited and unprincipled stance on campaign contributions, in effect, puts public offices up for sale -- not to the candidates who would fill them, but to the powerful interests whose mega-checks will get them attention, access and action on self-serving issues. Meanwhile, it's public be damned.

Yes, there oughta be a law. But in this state, reform in Harrisburg is painstakingly slow.

Fortunately, a decision last month by the state Supreme Court upheld a Philadelphia ordinance that caps contributions to candidates seeking local office. Pittsburgh Councilman Bill Peduto (who himself received a $50,000 contribution last year from a supporter during his brief bid for mayor) wants to propose similar limits in city races. In a measure he plans to introduce later this month, he would cap donations from individuals at $2,500 and from PACs at $5,000.

That's a welcome improvement, as far as it goes. But a better solution would be a state law that covers all offices in Pennsylvania and its municipalities. That would be a real step toward limiting the power of the purse in politics.

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If Harrisburg is too distracted or corrupt to change the status quo, Pittsburghers will take local reform. In this state, it's better than nothing.

First Published: January 11, 2008, 5:00 a.m.

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