From the Really Bad Ideas file, consider what Tempe City Councilmembers David Schapira and Lauren Kuby are proposing to bring to their community: publicly funded political campaigns.
Cities have a myriad of priorities before them, ranging from economic development to transportation to parks and recreation. Using public dollars to fund junk mail and robocalls should be nowhere near a council agenda.
A word to Tempe’s Council: When you bemoan the lack of support for cities from the state Legislature, legislators are going to have a hard time feeling sorry for you if you choose to pursue a publicly funded elections scheme above real items that affect your city’s quality of life.
Tempe residents have a lot to love. It’s a vibrant university town with ASU sports, the Tempe Town Lake, great retail and restaurants and living options of all kinds. The city’s leaders should stick to enhancing what make Tempe a great place to live, not wasting time and resources funding politicians’ campaigns.
