Should Speaker Quinn Limit Campaign Contributions, With One Giant Loophole for Labor Unions?
The City Council is considering a measure called campaign finance reform which places strict limits on contributions by contractors, lobbyists and people doing business with the city. It exempts labor unions, which contribute not only money but volunteers and phone banks. The sponsor of the bill, Brooklyn Councilman Simcha Felder doesn’t like this obvious gap in the bill, but says it is the best that can be passed at this time. The Bloomberg administration concurs. This is an old political question: if you want a loaf of bread, do you take half a loaf or hold out for the whole thing? When dealing with appropriations, it is usually wiser to take half a loaf because once the camel’s nose is in the tent, the rest of the camel is likely to follow. (You know our affection for animal analogies.) The decision on whether to move the bill to passage will be made by Council Speaker Christine Quinn. It is a close call. Some supporters say that the bill’s obvious unfairness will make it easier to
Related Questions
- Must I report political contributions from an employer whose employees my labor organization represents that are made to my campaign fund for county treasurer rather than directly to me?
- May a candidate solicit MEA or any other labor organization for employee contributions to a political campaign?
- May corporations, labor unions and other organizations make campaign contributions?
