Legal Commentary

Wealth and Politics

By TChris

Individuals with serious wealth can have an impact on local ballot measures. Sometimes they put their money to good use.

Billionaire George Soros spent $1.4 million to support California’s Proposition 5, which would expand drug-treatment programs and apply new restrictions on sending paroled drug offenders back to prison for parole violations.

Sometimes they don't.

Nevada millionaire Loren Parks has spent $3 million on this year’s state election–partly to fund ballot measures designed to get tougher on criminals and to shift a portion of the state’s lottery proceeds to law enforcement.

This Wall Street Journal story examines multimillionaire spending on ballot issues and asks: "Is all this billionaire-backed politics democratic?" What do you think?

Full post as published by TalkLeft on October 17, 2008 (boomark / email).