This is a point of clarification on what “launches” “Reporter Gardner” and others into campaign finance stories. It is our intention generally to shine more light on campaign finance issues this election than we have in elections past. Our three stories since late April — this one, this one, and this one — that have focused on money in politics so far should illustrate that.
A single candidate may raise a question we believe is worth pursuing, but we are going after these stories anyway. And to be clear, highlighting who is spending money and who is receiving it is not necessarily an indictment on anyone.
Not only will our attention to finance be evident in the stories we write, but also in a database we will soon make public, a database that allows you to see who has how much money and to narrow it down a bit more locally than what the Federal Elections Commission or state’s Public Disclosure Commission allows. You can get some basic financial information now by going to http://elections.kitsapsun.com/ and clicking on the “candidates” tab. The more detailed information will be available in the future.
Also look for campaign finance issues to be raised here on this blog, either stories that are running in other media or information that breaks here first, whether or not it ends up in the print version of the newspaper.
The nation seems to be headed towards a plutocracy and away from democracy. A sad state of affairs for the middle class and the poor.