Fairness is the goal

There seems to be serious confusion about the provisions of the Initiative for Clean and Fair Elections. Let us be clear: The proposal would not prevent conversations between elected officials and corporations. The proposal simply says that once there is actual legislation pending, corporations may not have private conversations with the officials who will be voting on the legislation. This does no more than apply to elected officials the same fairness principles that have governed judges for decades through the appearance of fairness doctrine.

Isn’t it time that the public knew what kind of promises corporations were making to our officials in order to get legislation passed or stopped? Why would any entity oppose such an obviously fair rule? What do they have to hide? And why would anyone be so afraid of it that they want to keep it off the ballot? Let the voters decide.

Tricia Ohashi

Spokane