Campaign transparency: Show me the donors

During every election cycle that I can remember, there is a public outcry for more campaign transparency, especially when it comes down to who is donating, the campaign they are donating to and how much they are donating.

Is it really our business? Whether or not the outcry represents the true voice of the average voter, the state of Arizona is about to have these demands met.

During a recent Eliances event, Secretary of State Michele Reagan announced that her office is preparing to launch a campaign finance reporting system.

The goal of the website is to allow anyone with Internet access to look up any politician and see who has donated to his or her campaign. Though the Secretary of State’s office could not provide an exact launch date, the site is expected to go live in the next couple of months.

As with every new program, there are those who support it and those who don’t. For obvious reasons, the issue of campaign transparency is an important one to Reagan. She will join me on It’s Business Time with Mike Weinstein on April 16 to discuss this initiative further and share the ultimate goal of this reporting system.

“The secretary will discuss our soon-to-be-released campaign finance reporting system, which will revolutionize the way citizens can educate themselves about the connections between the people who write checks and the politicians who cash them.

The new product will present political contributions and expenditures in a way that will fundamentally change the way people consume political data,” Matt Roberts, director of communications for Reagan’s office, said.

In addition, Reagan has announced the formation of the Secretary’s Technology, Transparency and Commerce Council. Part of the council’s responsibilities will include providing feedback and guidance in the implementation of the new campaign finance reporting system.

Whether or not this system is a good thing for Arizonans remains to be seen. If you have any specific questions you would like Reagan to address during It’s Business Time on April 16, please email me. We will get to as many as possible.

Mike Weinstein (Winey of Mike & Winey) is the host of It’s Business Time w/ Mike Weinstein, heard on Saturday from 2 to 3 PM on KTAR News 92.3. You can follow Mike on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.