To 18K Other Stories, I'm Confused By The Significance Of 4 Victims Of Transparency Stories
by: Autumn Sandeen
Sun Dec 28, 2008 at 20:00:00 PM EST
http://pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=96BD064F24027CE3C47308C2707FB115?diaryId=8828I have to admit, I'm confused by the sentiment and numbers of this Wall Street Journal article entitled Donor Disclosure Has Its Downsides; Supporters of California's Prop. 8 have faced a backlash. The article begins with the line "How would you like elections without secret ballots? To most people, this would be absurd," and then goes to make a case for keeping donations secret.
We have secret balloting for obvious reasons. Politics frequently generates hot tempers. People can put up yard signs or wear political buttons if they want. But not everyone feels comfortable making his or her positions public -- many worry that their choice might offend or anger someone else. They fear losing their jobs or facing boycotts of their businesses.
And yet the mandatory public disclosure of financial donations to political campaigns in almost every state and at the federal level renders people's fears and vulnerability all too real. Proposition 8 -- California's recently passed constitutional amendment to outlaw gay marriage by ensuring that marriage in that state remains between a man and a woman -- is a dramatic case in point. Its passage has generated retaliation against those who supported it, once their financial support was made public and put online.
