Cut their power in Raleigh

Cut their power

To fix the state's political system, your Aug. 13 editorial "Money pit" expressed support for public financing of legislative races. The current system may have serious problems, but at least it's not an attack on the First Amendment and a means to protect incumbents.
North Carolina has a public financing system for judges. While it was supposed to be funded through voluntary means, the legislature has taken taxpayer dollars to fund the campaigns of judges. This fall, if you are a taxpayer, you will be supporting the speech of judges you oppose. You have no choice in the matter.

If this isn't bad enough, taxpayer financing helps to protect incumbents by equalizing funds. Challengers will have even more problems overcoming incumbents' built-in advantages, such as name recognition.

The most obvious solution to fix the system is also the one that is rarely discussed. Reform the legislative rules. Too much power is vested in too few people. The legislature is more of an oligarchy than a legislature. Legislative tricks and behind-the-door decision-making are common. Why change the rules, though, when blaming everyone else seems to work so well?
Daren Bakst

Legal & Regulatory Policy Analyst
John Locke Foundation
Raleigh