Re: Campaign Finance Reform

[Martin Che Harris <foren004@midget.towson.edu>]

    As someone who spent 6 months working on a CFR bill only to watch it get 
washed down the tubes with the stroke of a Supreme Court pen I say CFR 
would be one of the best topics we could debate. Of all the topics 
presented I think CFR offers the most balanced ground. The largest 
problem with approaching CFR is anything tight enough to solve generally 
runs contrary to constitutional principles and most proposals offered 
allow significant circumvention and loopholes.
    For personal experience there are a fair number of political games 
that politicians play to ward off grassroots activism as well. For those 
who like the participatory democracy vs. republicanism debate there is 
some decent room for competition between these two forces. In some instances 
it even runs the potential for straight up mutual exclusivity to cplan a 
organized campaign to change the process with a citizen's petition. When 
Missouri did a petition initiative the state legislature changed the 
status quo law to nullify the petition's amendment language. Part of the 
states petition to the court to have it struck down was the law the 
petition amended no longer existed as the legislature changed it in 
between the time the petition was filed with the Sec'ty of State and the 
time the voters voted on the petition in November. 
    I also think the paper does a nice job of striking the balance 
between foreign policy and domestic issues, and it incorporates the 
potential for good issues of civil rights in that one of the driving 
reasons behind lack of civil rights could arguably come from skewed 
access created by special interest PAC money. 
    At the same time there are a number of people who say we are all 
smoking crack and campaign finance does not have jack to do with levels 
of influence providing novices with that single issue which can be SO 
important to maintaining interest. I know a lot of you like to have 
diversity in issues but I think diversity in opportunity is as important. 
Having spent the year trying to teach five new raw novices (and doing an 
abyssmal job at it) about debate alone much less the intricacies of 22 
generic disads I can tell you how nice it would be too have the ability to 
start with a topic that allows a solid baseline of attack for the newly 
emerging stars of our community.
    With exception to the middle east topic, 
and a semester of advertising, I cannot remember a topic that allowed 
for such generalizable research. With middle east you could always cut 
Hashim et al who said there is no risk of war and advertising had its 
people who said it generically had no effect but every other topic you 
had to get a lot more specific (how many generic there is no pollution 
cards did anyone have this year?) Smart affs. will always find there ways 
around these flaws and say the general does not assume the specific 
benefit senator x gets which is our scenario but it at least provides a 
position novices can start with.

Justice, Peace, and Love
Martin Che Harris, TSU Research Coordinator

"To sin by silence when we should protest makes cowards out of people"

P.S. Or we could vote for Space, Haefele's favorite position, if for no 
other reason then to make Jim mad. MONTE RULES LONG LIVE MONTE.

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References:

• Campaign Finance Reform
• From: RACE --- <race@midusa.net>

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