THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, January 29, 1996 TAG: 9601260026
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 34 lines
This year may finally offer the opportunity for passage of much-needed federal campaign-reform legislation. Bipartisan bills, the first in 10 years, have been introduced in the House (H.R. 2566) and in the Senate (S. 1219). Both contain the essential elements of reform to make elections fair and to reduce the role of special-interest money.
Both bills establish tough new restrictions on PACs. Both bills ban soft money - money from ``fat cat'' individuals, corporations and other special-interest groups - which is laundered through political parties.
Many senators and members of the House, both Republican and Democrat, have signed on as co-sponsors. The latest listing of co-sponsors issued by Common Cause, the nonpartisan organization spearheading this effort to make reform a reality, unfortunately contains neither the names of any congressmen in the greater Hampton Roads area nor the names of either of our senators.
Only citizen pressure in the form of telephone calls, personal visits and letters to our representatives urging them to co-sponsor this essential bipartisan legislation can bring about the desperately needed change to our election procedures.
There has never been a better time for all of us to join the fight.
CARL STRINGER
Norfolk, Jan. 8, 1996 by CNB