Monday, May 18, 2015

Jeb Bush 2016: a faux campaign

     As 2015 moves forward, Americans are already looking towards the 2016 Presidential Elections. Potential candidates such as Hilary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Chris Christie, and Jeb Bush are already making their respective rounds across the fifty states. However, there is one peculiar asterisk to the candidacy. Jeb Bush isn't technically running for the presidency (or at least not yet). Why can't he come out and say he is? Money. According to CNN, "[Bush] can use super PACs, campaign accounts that allow unlimited contributions, to raise millions of dollars as long as they aren't official candidates." 
[Republican Presidential Candidate] Jeb Bush (left)

     So it's basically a total scam for extra cash. Until someone like Bush, formally declares for president, they are legally permitted to personally ask for money for a super PAC that will ultimately benefit their campaign. But once they formally acknowledge their candidacy, "a legal wall goes up between the candidate and the super PAC that supports them." 


     A super PAC is a type of independent 'political action committee' which may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals. The key for me here is corporations. Once Jeb is running for the big office, being directly sponsored by a corporation could obviously be seen as a conflict of interests. 


     Many are pointing fingers at Bush and saying that he has violated the Campaign Act of 1971 by "establishing, directing, and controlling an independent expenditure-only committee", Right to Rise Super PAC, Inc., and has been raising and spending soft money in violation of the law.  In addition, as a complaint by the ADLF detailed, "Mr. Bush has been raising money in excess of what could reasonably be necessary to explore his candidacy through his leadership PAC and Right to Rise Super PAC, Inc. since January 2015, but he still has yet to register and report as a candidate, and he has not designated an authorized campaign committee."

     For me, regardless of the law, this is a simple principle of ethics in government. The fact of the matter is that potential candidates, or official candidates, should not be spending hundreds of millions of dollars on campaigns and essentially advertising themselves to the American public. Campaigns should not be run based off billboards and TV commercials. It is reported that Jeb Bush's super PAC has now raised over $100 million. How is that kind of fundraising and spending necessary and how does it help the American public at all?

Friday, May 15, 2015

This Just In: money doesn't buy happiness

It seems simple enough. Americans value material goods and property. Both of which require money to buy. More money = more 'stuff'. More stuff = more happiness, or does it?


According to a recent study published in George Washington Law Review, "Researchers who surveyed 6,200 lawyers about their jobs and health found that the factors most frequently associated with success in the legal field, such as high income or a partner-track job at a prestigious firm, had almost zero correlation with happiness and well-being. However, lawyers in public-service jobs who made the least money, like public defenders or Legal Aid attorneys, were most likely to report being happy." 

So maybe it's not how much money one can bring to the table. Maybe it is the way by which said money is acquired. Those who can look back on their career and think, "I helped somebody" or "I made society better" tend to be happier in their later lives. I am not at all surprised by the George Washington study. At the end of the day, it's quality over quantity. The 'cleaner' the money, the more satisfying it appears to be.