William C. Gereny, Westminster
Private financing corrupts politics
In his letter "End of financing bill keeps elections free" (March 30), the president of the Center for Competitive Politics suggests that creating an optional system of public campaign finance for candidates in Maryland alongside the current system would amount to "government controlling the playing field."
In fact, the current system often creates the clear impression that private interests control Annapolis policymaking.
A University of Maryland poll found 67 percent of Marylanders believe that campaign contributions exert "a great deal of influence" on policies made by the state government and 75 percent believe fundraising "is a major source of corruption."
As the same Wall Street bankers who showered Congress with contributions stuff their pockets with taxpayer dollars, it is disappointing that lawmakers in Annapolis failed this session to enact voluntary public funding of campaigns.
But Progressive Maryland and its allies will continue to push this long-overdue reform, and next year we will make it an election issue. And we will prevail.
Matthew Weinstein, Baltimore
The writer is the Baltimore region director for Progressive Maryland.
