Lori Sturdevant: Minnesota’s campaign refunds program has a positive purpose

Last update: June 23, 2009 - 5:57 PM

We've seen plenty of "hurry-up-and-give" appeals for campaign donations since Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced last week that he would eliminate the state's small-donor refund program, effective July 1. But we've seen few willing to defend the program from Pawlenty's claim that it amounts to a "subsidy" for politicians.

It's not. It's an attempt to finance campaigns for elective office in Minnesota primarily via small donations by individuals and families, rather than predominantly through the political action committees of big-money corporations and interest groups. The idea is to dilute the influence of special interests with the interests of a lot of average Minnesotans, for whom a campaign gift of up to $50 for an individual, or $100 for a couple, functions as a short-term no-interest loan. The refund program costs the state a relatively modest $10.4 million over two years.

That was the point of Common Cause's call Monday for Pawlenty to repay the more than $236,000 his campaigns have collected under the refund program during his 14 years in elective office. Common Cause is likely less interested in that money than in making this point: The refund program has helped keep Minnesota politics clean. "This program allows candidates to raise money from average Minnesotans and thus focus on their issues, instead of just the issues of wealthy or special interests," said Common Cause Minnesota executive director Mike Dean.

Minnesotans who appreciate the comparatively clean politics that govern this state should be sorry to see the refunds end.

LORI STURDEVANT

A HIGHLAND PARK SWEEP

Its students know their history

Any student who has competed in the History Day cocurricular program -- or any parent of such a student -- knows what a coup it was earlier this month when three girls from Highland Park Senior High School in St. Paul won top honors at the National History Day competition.

Dena Coffman, Erica Dombro and Hannah Powers snared a national championship, and a $5,000 History Channel scholarship, for their documentary, "Sir Edmund Hillary: Building a Legacy of Education and Sustainable Development." They were among seven Minnesota entries that came home with medals from the University of Maryland event.

Bravo to the winners, and to the urban public high school that nurtured their scholarly work.

LORI STURDEVANT

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