TexasCHLforum.com

terryg wrote:But in the end, I think you are arguing that by tracking campaign donations, we would be giving the government data that could be used against us - much like the concerns over gun registration. I do understand that argument/concern. I'm just not convinced, at this point, that the danger posed by such data outweighs the danger posed by continuing to allow special interest groups to yield as much influence over our government as they now do - and so much of it in secret.

Requiring people to disclose financial records violates their right "to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects" with no compelling reason. However, I think there is a big difference between requiring private citizens, private companies and organizations to disclose their financial records, and requiring someone running for public office to disclose the source of their campaign contributions. Put the burden and requirement for transparency where it belongs, on the public sector.

LarryH wrote:I believe Charles (and the NRA) has said that they merely told Congress they would not support the bill. NRA did not ask for or demand exemption, Congress came up with that on their own.

I don't have time to search for that post right now, but the DISCLOSE act has been discussed on the forum before.

Ok, I found it here:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=35290" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And read the NRA's opposition here:
http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Feder ... px?id=5888" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I can certainly see many concerns with this bill. Perhaps the largest of which is the forced disclosure of membership role for organizations such as the NRA.

It still, however, leaves the question of whether or not it is reasonable for demand that voters have information about who donates to a particular candidate. But after reading the reporting requirements, perhaps the answer is that it is not possible to provide this information in a way that ensures privacy for private citizens. In other words, I want to know how much certain groups (such as Moveon.org) donate to a particular candidate before going to the voting booth. (Just as I am sure my liberal co-workers want to know the same thing about the beneficiaries of the NRA's campaign dispersements.) But I don't want to know the membership of Moveon.org. But I suppose that groups will simply find ways to hide donations as long as there are ways to do so.