Today the Salt Lake Tribune featured a story about Representative Jason Chaffetz taking $26,000 from postal unions for his re-election campaign this year.  Of course, the angle of the story is that it is unusual for an extreme right wing Republican to be given money from unions.  It also implies that unions are somehow more powerful in financial contributions than corporations.  The opposite is true.  Corporate political action committees give far more to their favored candidates than unions to their favored ones.

But the real problem is pointed out by Karen Hyer, our Democratic candidate opposing Chaffetz this year.  And that is the ugly nexus of political campaigns, money and lobbying.  Interest groups give money to incumbents who control legislation related to them and, in turn, expect access and favorable legislation from that incumbent.  

We all know that electoral campaigns cost money.  And those costs have risen dramatically in recent years.  I've made several pitches on this blog for financial support and our candidates are doing so as well in various ways.

However, the individual who gives $10, $25, or $100 to a campaign or a party typically isn't getting anything in return except the satisfaction of knowing that they've helped their party or candidate to succeed.  That isn't the same story with an interest group, particularly one whose livelihood is directly affected by members of Congress or state legislators.

Chaffetz is the ranking Republican member of Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, the Postal Service, and the District of Columbia.  Even though he is in the minority, he still has some power over the legislation that passes through the subcommittee.  Chaffetz told the reporter that the unions all have to renegotiate contracts soon "and this is why I'm sure people are trying to be friendly."

It sounds like the unions went out of their way to give to Chaffetz.  In fact, Chaffetz admits that his campaign solicited the donation from the postal unions.  He said:  "Clearly.  You look at where your committee assignments are, and you encourage those people to make donations."

It sounds benign.  Of course, how could they say no under the circumstances?   Will Chaffetz treat them nicely if they don't give money?  Will he retaliate against them?  If they don't give, will they get access to him when it is time for legislation to be considered?

The same problem exists at the state level, except even worse.  There are limits to how much an interest group or an individual can give to a candidate at the federal level.  No such limit exists in Utah.  Nor are there tight rules on that nexus between lobbying, corporate giving, and campaigning.

That allows Senator Howard Stephenson to be a lobbyist of his colleagues while also serving as a state senator.  It allows Stan Lockhart to be a lobbyist while acting as state Republican party chair with the power to dole out money to incumbent Republicans running for re-election.  It means that incumbents take money from various interest groups then vote on many issues related to those groups.  

Republicans rightly say that Chaffetz and Republicans are not alone in this relationship.  Democrats do the same thing.  And that is true.  The problem is bipartisan.  And therefore the solution needs to be bipartisan.

Former Governor Huntsman initiated a commission to study the issue.  They came up with some recommendations for limiting campaign contributions.  However, those recommendations have been ignored by the state legislature.  What a big surprise!

We need two important developments to change this environment of money-driven politics.

1. We need new legislators in office who don't have the long term relationships with various interests.  The county party has a slate of competent public servants who are willing to serve and don't have those ties.

2. We need new campaign finance laws enacted by those new legislators to prevent those relationships from developing with new legislators.

First, we need to start with the new legislators.  Click on "2010 Candidates" above and find a local candidate to work for in Utah County.  Let's change this ugly culture of money determining our politics and our policies.  Let's do it now.