I read a letter sent to the editor recently, written by an individual who was boasting that he was supporting my opponent, in part, because he was a clean-elections candidate. My guess is that my opponent has been a clean election candidate three times. The first was when he won against Jim Booth, the second when he lost against Mr. Perry and now for a third time, in running against me. That would mean, logically speaking, that my opponent is in favor of clean election laws. Furthermore, to my knowledge my opponent never tried to change that law.
“Clean elections” laws, by their very title, sound good. But when you look “under the hood” it is awful. I call it “dirty money” and “political welfare.” “Clean elections” laws are a creation of the Democrats in Maine. Remember, they have been in power for almost fifty years. “Clean Elections” is so bad that Maine Republicans, in their platform, want it to go. I do admit that I am a “clean elections” candidate and at the risk of sounding hypocritical, I want it removed from our laws.
Why is that? BECAUSE YOUR TAX DOLLARS ARE FUNDING CANDIDATES AS THEY RUN FOR OFFICE. Please let that sink in. Is that right or wrong? You will decide when you vote. If you vote for me, you are against it. If you vote for my opponent, you are voting for your tax dollars to fund political campaigns.
The following explanation is for Maine Senate Candidates:
Let me explain how Clean Election laws work. First, a candidate needs to collect one hundred seventy-five (175) $5.00 dollar donations from registered voters in his party. Now let’s do the math: One hundred seventy-five voters at $5.00 each equals $875.00 dollars. Next, the candidate gives all of it to the State of Maine. In turn, the State of Maine gives the candidate $20,000.00. My, that is a great return on $875.00: $20,000.00. Or about a 47% return on your money. But that is bad news for the one investing: THE MAINE TAX PAYER!
Now after this, the candidate gathers another 45 donations of $5.00 each from any registered voter in his district. Again, let us do the math: 45 X $5.00 equals $225.00 which the candidate gives to the State of Maine. In turn, the State of Maine gives the candidate $5,000.00. Yes, that’s correct: FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS!
Now the candidate repeats the process again and again, until he is maxed out at $60,000 dollars. That is $60,000 dollars collected from the taxpayers of Maine.
Imagine that: the State of Maine has given one Senate Candidate $60,000 in taxpayer money. Are you angry yet? You should be!
But it gets worse because there are thirty-five Senators. Now let’s do the math there: Thirty-five Senators times $60,000 equals $2,100,000. But it gets even worse yet because each Senator has an opponent! So we then have: 70 Senate candidates, times $60.000 equals $4,200,000. But it gets WORSE because I have only mentioned the Senate. Should we now also talk about the Maine House of Representatives, with 151 members and their opponents? That would be a race of 310 individuals. They also can obtain clean election funding, but fortunately not as much as the Senate. However, the issue is the same: TAX DOLLARS ARE PAYING FOR POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS!
If you think this is wrong, then vote for David Corbett for the Maine State Senate in District 32. This would be for the City of Biddeford and the Towns of Arundel,
Lyman, Dayton, and Hollis. Please give $5.00 to his campaign, put his sign in your yard, and a bumper sticker on your car. Tell your friends to vote for David Corbett!
If you want your tax dollars to fund Maine elections and if you think it is right to have your tax dollars fund elections, then vote for my opponent. But I do not recommend that you tell anyone you did!
Rev. David Corbett
Maine Senate Candidate
District 32 (Biddeford, Arundel, Dayton, Lyman, Hollis)