Reader comments
Reform campaign-finance system

I only have one question for Mr. Powell. Will he refuse to listen to those friends and supporters who have donated to his campaign? Of course not! Those friends and supporters will want to talk to him about the issues they care and are knowledgeable about and he will hear them out because 1) they donated to his campaign and 2) he will need their help two years from now. We are all lobbyists.

Mr. Powell is well spoken, but any candidate who refuses campaign donations from registered lobbyists is very naive about the works of the legislature--and it DOES NOT MEAN VOTES ARE BOUGHT. And I have good news for him....I don't know where he got the $6,000 figure, he will make about twice that much and a little more if he gets into leadership.

If you peruse Utahsright you will find that most legislators in the House start at around $13,000 to $14,000.

If your constituents read you comments in this newspaper and do not continue to support you I would be greatly surprised. My local representative has been one of the many do nothings but he certainly has taken his share of lobbyists freebies. I continue to not support him but....

It seems to me that special interest groups are "ordinary" citizens. Does a "special interest" group, whether a corporation, non-profit, or lobbying firm, not represent the will of the people involved in those groups? A corporation represents the interests of its shareholders, a non-profit represents the interests of those who donate to it, and other groups represent the will of other people. Kraig has a right to refuse contributions from these interest groups, but I don't see that it's a problem. Gifts from people seem different to me, but contributions to support a campaign not really.

The problem with special interest groups is not that they are made up of people, but that they are made up of a different group of people than the ones the legislators are supposed to represent. Legislators are supposed represent all people who reside in their geographical legislative districts, but special interest groups often attempt to influence (lobby) legislators who have no constitutional duty to represent the special interest groups at all.

I agree with full disclosure of all campaign contributions. I believe it would be the most effective and practical form of campaign finance reform and of ethics reform.