They run, we pay: good deal

Tim Burgess wrote the other day, asking for money.

He won a seat on the Seattle City Council, trouncing incumbent David Della. But that also put him $58,000 in the hole. This is a fine way to enter public office, isn't it? Standing on the threshold of public office, hat in hand?

It's an intriguing question during this "Fair and Clean Elections Week," which will end Saturday with an open forum on whether Washington would support the public financing of political campaigns.

The forum will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Kane Hall at the University of Washington. (www.washclean.org).

The event is being sponsored by Washington Public Campaigns (WPC), a statewide organization that wants lawmakers to adopt public-financing programs like those in Maine and Arizona.

The beauty of the plan is that it would give ordinary citizens a shot at office. And it would, ideally, keep candidates clean and focused on the issues, instead of on who is writing checks and for how much.

"Who is going to have more influence?" WPC spokeswoman Jean Carlson asked. "A voter who can give you $10, or someone who can give you $10,000?"

Candidates would have to qualify for public funding by collecting signatures and, say, $5 apiece from a set number of a district's voters. Qualifying candidates would receive money from the state, based on the amounts spent in similar races in the past.

The candidates would pledge to refuse contributions from other sources and special interests, and spend no personal money on their campaigns.

If an opponent were to raise more money from private sources, the publicly funded candidate would receive more state funds, leveling the playing field. Voters would be told who was using public money. Cost? Less than $4 a year, per resident, or, given Washington's total population, about $33 million.

In return — and in theory — we would get uncorrupted candidates.

"Candidates are forced to do things that have nothing to do with the issues," Carlson said.

I listen to Carlson, a Madison Park activist who has worked on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment, and I think of that mission statement Tom Cruise's sports-agent character wrote in "Jerry Maguire."

It made all kinds of sense, but the culture was too cemented and cynical to do anything but show him the door.

The WPC is asking for a sea change. That's hard to do in Seattle, where this year's races for School Board drew unprecedented contributions from the business community. One candidate, Peter Maier, raised $163,000 — more than 10 times what his opponent Sally Soriano did.

"Show me the money" isn't so funny, in that context.

Then I think of a brilliant woman I know who would make a great city councilwoman, but whose supporters are hardly well-heeled.

Don't we get more from the heartfelt, homemade gift than the big, fancy gesture? Could be the same with candidates, if we're willing to pay the way.

Nicole Brodeur's column appears Tuesday and Friday. Reach her at 206-464-2334 or nbrodeur@seattletimes.com.

That's you, Kathy from Georgetown.