Regarding Rick Weiland’s plan for public campaign funding….. Does anyone think it’s a GOOD idea?

And Slick Rick Weiland is back at it again. The ballot explanation for his measure to have taxpayer funding of campaigns has been released into the wild by the Attorney General (Which you read about here first, btw), so it’s just a formality by filing it with the SOS to begin circulating.

First, they have to fix all 36 pages of the measure on to a petition form with the signature blanks – it’s a legal requirement, and will be absolutely laughable to see them do it. I suspect it’s going to fold up and look much like the South Dakota road map by the time they’re all done cramming it on there.

But that’s not my point regarding writing about it today. My question is openly wondering how many of you out there think such things in the measure like public financing of campaigns is a good thing?

I mean, we’re having trouble finding the revenue to pay teachers more, and here’s a politician asking for the public to pay for political campaigns?  Somehow, I don’t think that’s going to fly, and may just leave a bad taste in taxpayer’s mouths.

One thing that’s been pointed out to me is that most states that have public financing of campaigns also have a state income tax as well, so they’re a bit more flush with cash for this sort of thing. I really doubt that’s the kind of trade-off South Dakotans would have any interest in making.