Independent candidates in Connecticut are recieving a swarm of bad press over how they spent the money they got through the public financing system.
Recently filed state campaign finance reports show Independent candidates bought their fair share of slogan-splattered campaign pens, T-shirts and lawn signs, but they also paid their friends, relatives of friends, and each other.
Mike Telesca, an Independent candidate for the 73rd House District, earned $6,000 from fellow Independent candidates Cicero B. Booker Jr., Frank A. Burgio Sr. and Arthur J. Denze Sr. for shooting their TV ads.
The four men also serve together on the city’s Board of Aldermen.
Lawrence DePillo, the founder of the Independent Party and a former candidate for mayor, earned $11,000 from Booker, Burgio and Denze in consulting fees for serving as their campaign treasurer. He served as the town committee treasurer for free.
And they paid 55 of their friends and fellow party members, including relatives of one another, to stand at the polls on Election Day handing out their campaign pens and fliers to voters.
This seems to be a direct attack on the Independents, since the campaign finance records show that most of the major party candidates for state legislature paid for poll standing.
1 response so far ↓
1 Steven R Linnabary // Feb 1, 2009 at 3:42 am
It has often been said in politics that when you see a parade, try to get in front of it and act like you are leading it.
The American people are very much opposed to tax funding of politicians’ campaigns. This is evidenced by the ever dwindling number of taxpayers that check the box on their 1040 each year. The number of taxpayers checking the box is now below 8%, down from 74% in 1976.
Libertarians have long opposed taxpayer funding, and rarely accept it when available. Now that even the democrat POTUS candidate eschews this handout, it might be time to remind taxpayers that the LP has ALWAYS opposed it.
And this time of year, when people are filing their 1040′s, is probably the best time to remind taxpayers of this fact. And to urge taxpayers to not check the box for free money for politicians.
Maybe it’s time to get in front of the parade and act like we are leading it!
PEACE
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