Should members of Congress be able to use their campaign funds and offices to benefit family members?

No

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by Kris Kennedy

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Campaign Funds

Once someone donates to a campaign, the politician enters into a partnership. The relationship is with the politician and not with his family. A small window exists during the campaign process for family to be involved and compensation becomes appropriate

On the Campaign Trail

While a politician is on the campaign trail, he might want to hire family members and the family member might have the identical interest as all supporters because of personal view of the person for the office. In addition, voters like to see family members on the campaign trail. This ability to grant jobs serve the voters by seeing the people who made the major impact on the person and whether they support their family, but as the campaign comes to the end the connection should end. The family member status needs to move into the background.

Employment for the Best

Politicians need to hire the best available for their offices and hiring family members places that in doubt. The taxpayers fund the salaries of office staff so they should have the most qualified employees without bias and all citizens should have access to the position. There already is cronyism, which occurs indirectly or maybe directly. A lot of access to government jobs occurs from whom you know not what you know. Hiring family members hiring blurs the situation

It might be that the faith in a family member's ability might cloud ones view of other abilities. A more experienced employee might exists but does not get consideration because the family member completes the task in a possibly mediocre means. Is the citizenry getting the best for their money?

Lobbying

The family members have the ear of the politician. The politician may have inspired the employee and the family member helped develop the issue on the campaign trail, but after election, they need to be step back. The law making experience needs to be between elected officials, staff members and cabinet members. The lobbying rules apply for family member and politicians need care to avoid conflict of interest.

Campaign Funds

The campaign fund is over and the accounts have balances. A reasonable politicians need to place these funds to benefit future campaigns or to support campaigns of individuals with similar political points of view. Family members should not factor into the disposal of the balances. Some states require that a nonprofit state where there funds will go if the nonprofit disbands. This might offer the solution. Public disclosure paperwork can specific where the funds can go and the parties might set up a unique fund. The fund will be where politicians can dispose of excess funds and the funds dispersed evenly between future campaigns.

Family members may support the election of another, but their access to the ear should end there. Campaign funds and offices were in support of the individual in service to the citizenry.

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