Campaigning has become too much of a factor as to whether someone can or cannot run for office. The saddest result is that for major offices, only millionaires are getting elected.

People in the political arena in Utah are watching the congressional hearings with great interest. In the last congressional race, the winner, Merrill Cook, was a multimillionaire who spent a million dollars out of his own pocket. Salt Lake City is an urban district where money is crucial. Also a big part of this district's battle with money in politics: Enid Greene Waldholtz was the representative in 1994. She spent 2 million dollars of her own money, and is currently under investigation for campaign irregularities.

I have seen the problems up close. When I was the Democratic State Chairman, it was difficult to recruit good candidates because the decision to run always came down to "can you raise the money". To run for the representative position, you need a minimum of a million dollars. People with ideas, but little interest in full-time fundraising are at a true disadvantage.

Public financing could be the solution, but it would have to be creative. The steepest hurdle would be to overcome voter skepticism and cynicism. Voters would have to be convinced that candidates are not wasting their money. Public financing would actually help by keeping away the influence of special interests.