Re: Digital Cash application

[declan@well.com (Declan McCullagh)]

Whether it's a good idea or not -- and I'm told that it could violate FEC
rules -- it's not going to happen.

A campaign spokesperson told me that "Harry refuses" to take the cash, period.

-Declan



>At 01:24 PM 6/19/96 -0500, Declan McCullagh wrote:
>>Jim:
>>
>>This is a nice idea, but it's not going to happen.
>>
>>Yes, Harry Browne has raised enough money to qualify for matching funds
>>from the FEC. But he's unable to give out the cash or use it to pay down
>>the gvt debt since doing so could violate FEC regulations. The FEC is also
>>unwilling only to certify Browne for matching funds without giving it to
>>him -- he's got to take the money and spend it on campaign foo and nothing
>>else, says the government. Finally, once they give you cash you have to
>>meet a higher degree of scrutiny, which costs money in lawyers and
>>accountants.
>>Talk about bureaucracy.
>>At least this is what the party tells me. I'll be covering their
>>convention, which is in DC a few weeks from now.
>
>It seems to me that since paying people funds that were stolen from them
>would produce good publicity, which by definition could be argued to be
>spending it on the campaign.  Sure, it's a non-traditional tactic, but that
>doesn't mean it's in violation of the campaign law.  They could also email
>along a set of libertarian literature, and the recipient would certify that
>he would promote the libertarian cause and work for the election of the
>candidate, etc, etc.
>
>As for "lawyers and accountants":  I'm sure there are enough
>libertarian-leaning lawyers and accountants around who would be willing to
>help out to make this project a net positive.  Remember, the publicity is
>the important thing.
>
>
>
>>
>>-Declan
>>
>>
>>>In 1996, the Libertarian Party will apparently qualify for Federal matching
>>>funds for its Presidential political campaign.  That does not mean that it
>>>will _accept_ them, being stolen goods.  However, a few years ago I heard of
>>>an idea that they should accept the money, and return it to the people, a
>>>small amount at a time, to whomever asks for it.  Besides returning the
>>>stolen money to its rightful owners, that would produce substantial positive
>>>publicity for the Libertarian party, embarrassment for the Democrats and
>>>Republicans, while at the same time reducing the amount of money available
>>>for the D's and the R's.
>>>
>>>
>>>But there's been a practical question of how to actively do this,
>>>economically.  Issuing checks and mailing them costs money, and they're
>>>traceable, etc.    The advent of digital cash suggests an answer: Make the
>>>payments in the form of digital cash, payable on the Web.  This will
>>>encourage the use of digital cash, and provide a sudden infusion that will
>>>promote other uses.  There's another advantage, however.  Since "Netizens"
>>>are somewhat biased towards libertarianism, this will have the effect of
>>>keeping more of this money "in the family" as it were, while at the same
>>>time being open, technically, to everyone who can get on the 'net.
>>>
>>>
>>>Jim Bell
>>>jimbell@pacifier.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>Jim Bell
>jimbell@pacifier.com