Analysis
This story offers much more information than the WZZM 13 peice that ran the same day. Unlike the Channel 13 peice, this story does give a third party perspective, that of Rich Robinson from the Michigan Campaign Finance Network.
Transcript
WOOD Newsreader – With the governors race in full swing at least one politician is calling for a more transparent way of funding campaigns in our state. 24 hour news 8Ős Rick Albin joining us now with a story, Rick.
Reporter Đ Secretary of state Terri Lynn Land laid out her plan 10 point plan to change campaign financing in Michigan. ItŐs a subject thatŐs often talked about, but can her plan or any plan really help?
Reporter Đ The secretary of state says that all donations and expenditures should be reported in real time. In other words, when a candidate makes a purchase, it should immediately be reported on a website accessible by all Michigan voters. Secretary Land said reform is important so people know where the money in politics comes from and where it goes.
Terri Lynn Land Đ Now each of these proposals has focus on making MichiganŐs campaign finance system more accessible to the voters, more increasingly able to be enforced. These proposals will put public information where it belongs at the voters fingertips.
Reporter Đ LandŐs plan would also require so-called issue ads to carry a disclaimer saying who paid for the message. And she wants the ability to subpoena account records of campaigns. Rich Robinson of the Michigan Campaign Finance Reform Network says heŐs in favor of Michigan campaign reform but he is skeptical of any reform left in charge of the hands of one party or the other.
Rich Robinson (Michigan Campaign Finance Network) Đ By having all of this remaining in a partisan department, itŐs not clear to me that your are getting to what you need which is true objectivity in this stuff.
Reporter Đ But much like the highly touted McCain Feingold reform at the federal level, campaign finance reform is left to politicians to decide and largely to enforce. Here in Michigan LandŐs proposal will take legislative action to become law.
Total Time: 1 minute 40 seconds
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