Comments on: Dear U.S. Senate Candidates

By: Larry West

Larry West — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:13:58 +0000

I could not find anything not in legalese there. There is a link to a “Citizens Guide,” but when you click on the link (www.fec.gov/pub/citizens_guide_pub.pdf), you get a 404 error. Perhaps they are modifying it to make it more readable.

I did find the following: “Any other person (individual, partnership, qualified nonprofit corporation or group of individuals) must file a report with the FEC on FEC Form 5 [PDF] at the end of the first reporting period in which independent expenditures with respect to a given election aggregate more than $250 in a calendar year and in any succeeding period during the same year in which additional independent expenditures of any amount are made. 11 CFR 109.10(b).” (See http://www.fec.gov/pages/brochures/indexp.shtml)
If I interpret that correctly, then a person cannot spend more than $250.00 for all candidates they support combined in a calendar year without filing with the FEC. I don’t understand what is meant by “succeeding period” but I do urge everyone to make sure they don’t go over the $250 mark. I really doubt if anyone that you have complained about has.

OTOH, there is also an item in the same URL that states that a political committee cannot send out more than 500 “substantially similar” e-mails without a disclaimer, so your complaints about Marilyn Parker’s e-mails are correct if her e-mail list has more than 500 e-mail addresses in it. I wonder if it has. How can one find out?

By: jake

jake — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:11:57 +0000

And I linked you: FEC.gov – dig in. There are tons of guidebooks and brochures there.

If an individual is just making a couple hand-made signs? That’s not an issue. But if they’re producing hundreds upon hundreds and spending money doing it? That could be an expenditure.

If a website is created to advocate the express election or defeat of a candidate, then paid-for-by disclaimers are required.

You can complain all day long about how restrictive you (plural, not Larry, specifically) campaign finance law happens to be. But guess what? You don’t get to ignore the specifics of said law just because you think your freedom of speech is being ignored.

By: Larry West

Larry West — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:06:04 +0000

Jake: I asked in another post a link to a site that had the FEC regulations in readable, non-legalese English. I have yet to find anything. Seeing as how you are so passionate about FEC regulations being followed, perhaps you should write such a document.
If I create a hand-made poster or sign, do I need to put a disclaimer on it? I don’t recall seeing any signs at any rally, Democrat or Republican, with a disclaimer. Everyone must be violating the law. Why would a blog or website be any different than a hand-made sign? Both are advocating the election of a candidate.

By: jake

jake — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:48:55 +0000

You don’t have to report it to the feds unless you exceed a spending threshold.

That said – I didn’t say anything about the cost of the Blogpost account. I said to be aware of FEC regulation.

By: Conservative

Conservative — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:43:14 +0000

Yep. How much does that “randforsenate.blogspot.com” url cost, anyway?

Oh, wait. It’s free.

If our nation’s campaign finance laws put onerous reporting requirements on private individuals using free Web sites to promote candidates they support, it’s time for an overhaul of said laws to make them more common-sensical. If I use a free blog site to promote a candidate I support, or if I go to makestickers.com and have some stickers printed up myself in support of a candidate, it’s foolish that those efforts have to be reported to the feds.

By: jake

jake — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:29:03 +0000

Tracy:

“http://randforsenate.blogspot.com/” <– “randforsenate” — see that? You’re using a website to explicitly advocate the election of Rand Paul.

You may want to review campaign finance law to ensure you’re not in violation of FEC regulation.

By: Rod

Rod — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:46:56 +0000

“Stop trying to be some faux conservative. And run this race as yourself. Otherwise, your political career is over.”

Jake, once again we agree on something. He should run as himself … against Conway and Lt. Dan in the other primary.

By: Rod

Rod — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:43:33 +0000

“Frankly, I’m surprised at how much Rand Paul and his supporters use the internet, what with the government funding of telecoms and r&d into electronics and such…”

Send your regards to Al Gore. What an invention!

By: Tracy Saboe

Tracy Saboe — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:58:57 +0000

Maybe it’s because all the federal funding has produced absolutely no results. Some even wonder if it’s counter productive.

Then there’s lots of alternative or private research that can’t compete with the “free” (read taxpayer money) government funds because they’re different from the standard hypotheses.

We need a free market in scientific research. We’d start seeing some actual progress with cancer, and AIDS, etc. again.

By: diane

diane — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:15:44 +0000

Thunder Storm, as an 18 month breast cancer survivor, I am passionate about the continuation of federal funding for research. David Adams told me beforehand that Rand Paul wouldn’t support expanding or protecting federal funding. I went to the Town Hall Meeting to hear Paul say it myself.