COLUMNISTS Barton Cox Durband Erickson Keller Knaperek Lawrence L

News & Features

Cong. Flake Plugs Committee Aiming to Ban Clean Elections Funding

By Dennis Durband, Editor

MESA -- Within hours of the public announcement that moderate Republican lobbyist Stan Barnes plans to challenge him the September primary, Cong. Jeff Flake (D6) used a brief speaking opportunity to put in a plug for a citizens' effort to ban the Clean Elections system. Flake's remarks came before an audience of more than 1,000 persons attending the annual Maricopa County Mandatory Meeting of Republican Precinct Committeemen.

Flake started off by thanking people for supporting the No Taxpayer Money For Politicians ballot initiative. This initiative proposes an amendment to the Arizona Constitution that would prohibit taxpayer money from being given to politicians for their political campaigns. If backers gather 183,917 signatures to get it on the November ballot, and if voters pass it, the Clean Elections Act will be discontinued.

In 2002, the State of Arizona tapped taxpayers for $13 million to fund political candidates who qualified for Clean Elections funding. There were no shortage of problems and controversies with the system, which allowed at least two bogus candidates to party it up on taxpayer money. Clean Elections is a pure form of socialism which places the government squarely in the center of what are supposed to be citizen elections. And it does so with a heavy-handed policing commission that spent months hounding privately-financed candidates, threatening numerous candidates with substantial fines.

In 2003, Cong. Flake launched an effort for a ballot initiative that would pull the plug on the Clean Elections funding system, forming a “Stop Taxpayer Money for Politicians" committee."

Last July, the Federal Elections Commission declared that Flake could legally serve as chairman of the committee. However, as a federal official, the committee would have been limited under federal law to contributions of no more than $5,000 from individuals. Exit Flake. Enter a group of worker bees that includes committee chair Lisa James and Nathan Sproul, former executive director of the Arizona Republican Party

Flake said Saturday that petition volunteers have gained 50,000 signatures this month alone. "No taxpayer ought to be coerced into paying for elections," Flake said.

As Flake left the stage, a man in the audience yelled, "no amnesty!" in reference to the controversial McCain-Flake-Kolbe guest worker bill now before Congress. "I agree!" Flake yelled back with a grin on his face. Some conservative leaders, including State Rep. Karen Johnson, met last year with Flake to complain about that bill, which some conservatives say amounts to amnesty for illegal aliens.

Minutes later, Cong. John Shadegg addressed the precinct committeemen and concluded his remarks by defending Flake.

"I don't agree with my friend Jeff Flake's guest worker bill, but I'll tell you this much, Jeff Flake fights for freedom every day," Cong. Shadegg said. "We are the party of low taxes and smaller government and the government cannot spend like drunken sailors."

A non-scientific GOPUSA/Arizona opinion poll on the upcoming District 6 congressional race this week pits Flake against Barnes.