Where New York Ranks First

The Times Union rightly rails against New York State's ever increasing maximum campaign contribution limits. Money quote:

Only in New York. Only in a state that makes an utter mockery of campaign finance laws, with the highest maximum contribution limits of any state that bothers to have them, would the high-rolling special interests and other deep-pocketed donors be further enabled while the genuinely needy get no additional help at all.

The maximum donations -- previously $50,100 for contributions made directly to candidates for statewide office, and $84,000 to political parties -- are going up.

Why? Because state law stipulates as much, as an adjustment for inflation.

Indeed, this is just one of the many troubling aspects of a campaign finance system that pretends to address the undue influence of money in politics, but is in reality a sham. It is, unfortunately, one area where we can say unequivocally that nobody does it better.

For an empirical analysis of how New York's campaign finance laws are either the worst or very close to the worst in the country in several key areas, look here.