KEN STREMSKY DISCUSSES CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM KILLING FREE SPEECH AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM I e-mailed the following OP/ED to several members of the media on August 9, 2002. I fixed some of the mistakes in the OP/ED I e-mailed in this letter. Killing free speech and Campaign Finance Reform The media should not be surprised that the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has a lot of supporters for limiting political speech. The media contributes to the problem by not giving much media coverage to little known candidates. In New Hampshire, some newspapers constantly forget to mention that I am running as a Republican for the United States Senate when they mention a Republican opponent. Many people think a newspaper that says it supports political speech is a liar when it fails to mention all the Republican challengers for United States Senate from New Hampshire when it mentions a Republican candidate for United States Senate from New Hampshire. I discuss John Locke, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, and Machiavelli in great detail on my website. I will be discussing The Federalist Papers in great detail after I discuss John Locke more. On August 7, 2002, I was the only candidate for the United States Senate from New Hampshire who posted information on the League of Women Voters website which is http://www.dnet.org. One of the questions candidates are asked deals with campaign finance reform. If dnet.org did not limit the amount of characters each section could have, I would have the campaign finance reform section in this letter on that website. There is not much difference between Senator Bob Smith and Congressman John Sununu on the issues. There is a great deal of difference on several issues between me and them. They do not discuss on their websites much info dealing with campaign finance reform, election reform, and tort reform. Neither of them mention using Bayh-Dole on their websites to lessen prescription drug prices even though it has been the Law of the land for many years. Bayh-Dole may be found at Duke University's website which is http://www.duke.edu. Bayh-Dole allows the federal government to license patents based on federal government research to other companies. The more companies that make the same drug the lower the price of the drug will probably be. My proposals dealing with soldiers and Veterans discussed on my website do more for our soldiers and Veterans than their proposals on their websites. The media should not be surprised if within 50 years freedom of the press is lost. The only Republican candidate for United States Senate from New Hampshie who discussed the Bill of Rights in great detail on a website is me. The only candidate who educates the voters a great deal about the issues is me. I realize Trade Promotion Authority is not constitutional because of Article Two of the United States Constitution which says a Treaty requires the Advice and Consent of the United States Senate. Last year, I think Congressman John Sununu said the President of the United States of America should have Trade Promotion Authority because he did not think 535 members of Congress should be involved in making trade agreements. Does he think 535 members of Congress should be involved in making laws? Does he think the President of the United States of America should have the power to say to Congress I want this law passed up or down without changes? Does Congressman John Sununu understand why we have separation of powers and checks and balances? Does Congressman John Sununu realize that the Legislative Branch of government according to the Constitution is the most powerful branch of government and that many members of Congress have given the President of the United States of America that the President of the United States of America is not supposed to have. If you do not believe me, read Article One of the United States Constitution and then think about U.S. history. CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM TAX DEDUCTIBLE CAMPAIGN FUND The Federal Government should allow people to contribute as much money as they want to a tax deductible campaign fund that will help candidates for the United States Senate, United States House Of Representatives, and Governor run for elective office when the candidate agrees to spend less than one million dollars on a primary election or a general election. The Federal Government might want to allow candidates to obtain money from the campaign fund when they agree to spend less than ten million dollars on a primary election or a general election. I am not sure if the limit should be one million dollars or ten million dollars. The campaign fund should also help candidates for President of the United States of America who agree to spend less than twenty million dollars on primary elections. Congress might want the limit to be fifty million dollars instead of twenty million dollars. CAMPAIGN FINANCE Campaign Finance Reform is discussed in the March 21, 2002 New York Times. Individuals, unions, businesses, non profits, political parties, and political action committees should be allowed to spend as much money as they want on political advertising any time they want including within 60 days of an election. If political advertising is restricted, Amendment One of the United States Constitution is weakened. Amendment One of the United States Constitution says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceeably to assemble; and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." When political advertising is restricted, freedom of speech does not happen. When political advertising is restricted the ability of people "to petition the Government for a redress of grievances" is lessened. Individuals, businesses, unions, non profits, political parties, and political action committees should be allowed to discuss issues without mentioning the names of candidates. Individuals, businesses, unions, non profits, political parties, and political action committees should be able to say who they do not want to get elected and why in political advertisements. Individuals, businesses, unions, non profits, political parties, and political action committees should only be allowed to endorse a candidate and say why they want the candidate elected after the candidate has given them written permission. A candidate should be allowed to say in writing when the candidate does not want to be endorsed by someone or some organization and that person or organization should have to stop endorsing the candidate. If political advertising is restricted, incumbents have an easier time getting re-elected. Congress does not have the power to limit how much money a candidate may spend on his/her campaign because of Amendment One of the United States Constitution. Congress does have the power to limit how much money and other types of contributions that individuals, businesses, unions, non profits, political parties, and political action committees may contribute to candidates because contributions are a type of commerce. Congress could say that individuals may not contribute more than $1,000 to a candidate's election. Congress does have the power to say that businesses and unions may not contribute any money and other types of contributions to candidates and political parties. Congress does have the power to say that individuals may not contribute more than $10,000 a year to political parties. An individual other than a candidate should be allowed to contribute up to $10,000 to a candidate's particular election. An individual should be allowed to contribute $10,000 for a 2002 election and another $10,000 for a 2004 election after January 2003. Unions, businesses, and non profits should not be allowed to make contributions to candidates. Unions, businesses, and non profits should not be allowed to contribute more than $5,000 a year to political parties. An individual should be allowed to contribute up to $100,000 a year to political parties. Political parties should be allowed to contribute as much money as they want to candidates. Political action committees should only be allowed to contribute to a candidate's campaign when the candidate controls the political action committee. The Federal Election Commission should only fine a campaign, a candidate, and a treasurer when the campaign has done something significantly wrong. I think the Federal Election Commission is imposing fines when fines should not be imposed. The fines can be significant and they are discussed on the Federal Election Commission's website which is http://www.fec.gov. BANK AS CAMPAIGN TREASURER A campaign should be allowed to choose a bank as treasurer. Contributions could be mailed to the bank. The bank could file information electronically with the Federal Election Commission that includes name, address, and amount of contribution every two weeks. The bank could also file electronically with the Federal Election Commission information that says how much the campaign has spent and what the campaign has spent money on every two weeks. A bank could receive between 5 percent and 35 percent of contributions not contributed by the candidate to act as campaign treasurer. FEDERAL CAMPAIGN TREASURER COMMISSION Congress should create a Federal Campaign Treasurer Commission. The Federal Campaign Treasurer Commission should allow candidates for the United States House of Representatives, United States Senate, President of the United States of America, and Governor to choose the Federal Campaign Treasurer Commission as treasurer. If a candidate chooses the Federal Campaign Treasurer Commission as treasurer, the Federal Campaign Treasurer Commission would receive a percentage of contributions. The Federal Campaign Treasurer Commission could receive between five percent and twenty-five percent of contributions not from the candidate. Donations to a candidate's campaign could be mailed to the Federal Campaign Treasurer Commission. The Federal Campaign Treasurer Commission would take its fee and then let the candidate know how much money the candidate has to spend from contributions in a checking account the Federal Election Commission could obtain monthly statements from. The Federal Campaign Treasurer Commission would tell the Federal Election Commission electronically the names, addresses, and amounts of money that have been obtained every two weeks. The Federal Campaign Treasurer Commission would tell the Federal Election Commission every two weeks how much money the campaign has spent and what the campaign has spent money on. Sincerely, Kenneth Scot Stremsky Republican candidate for United States Senate Republican candidate for President of the United States of