Incumbents benefit from public service announcements

From the Daily Southtown:

Incumbents benefit from public service announcements

Wednesday, June 26, 2002

By Amanda York
The Associated Press

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SPRINGFIELD — Thomas Jefferson Ramsdell and his band Medicine Hat sometimes give free performances to raise money for charity. Maybe a few hundred people will hear Ramsdell, the Republican candidate for comptroller.
His Democratic opponent, incumbent Dan Hynes, does public service, too. Except his involves radio advertisements, heard by people all over the state, urging taxpayers to file returns electronically.

Such public service announcements are one of the big political advantages for incumbents in Illinois. While their opponents must buy advertising to introduce themselves to voters, incumbents can use their voice or face to promote a cause, often at taxpayer expense.

Incumbents defend the practice, although it is questioned by some lawmakers, watchdog groups and political opponents — except for Ramsdell.

Ramsdell says he considers public service announcements just another advantage of holding office and does not criticize Hynes for making them.

It's another story with Tom Dart, however.

Dart, a state representative from Chicago, is the Democrat running against Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka. He objects to commercials featuring Topinka promoting the college savings program Bright Start. Salomon Smith Barney, the firm Topinka hired to run the program, pays for the ads.

Dart says there is no reason for Topinka to appear in the commercials except for self-promotion.

"You would have to be deaf, dumb, blind and stupid not to know what she is up to," Dart said. "She is promoting herself and trying to get her name recognition up, and that is wrong. It is the reason why people have such a horrible opinion of politicians."

Topinka spokeswoman Carolyn Barry said the treasurer plans to pull the commercials 30 days before the November election to avoid any perception of impropriety.

Secretary of State Jesse White was all over television and radio — and even movie theaters — last month with an ad promoting organ donation. It featured Olympic bronze medalist Chris Klug, an organ recipient, blasting down snow-covered mountains on a snowboard.

Randy Nehrt, spokesman for White, said the ad agency spent $50,000 producing the commercial and $1 million buying airtime. Radio commercials and formatting the ad for theaters added $35,000 to the final price, he said. The ads run every year from mid-April to the end of May, regardless of elections, he said.

White's Republican opponent, Kris Cohn of Rockford, said he shouldn't use taxpayer dollars to further his political career.

Both Cohn and Dart say they will not run such ads if they are elected. "What would be most important is making sure that organ donor programs ... would not be commingled with political careers," Cohn said.

Yet they both defend the ads run by incumbents from their own party.

Dart says the secretary of state's office should promote organ donation, and Cohn praised Topinka for having a private business pay for the Bright Start ads.

Some lawmakers, such as Sen. Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale) say legislation is needed to ensure future office holders don't abuse the power. Dillard doesn't have a problem with the commercials of Topinka and White, calling them classy.

Still, there's an obvious gray area that needs to be monitored, says David Morrison, coordinator for the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.

"There certainly is a public good there to publicize those programs," Morrison said. "At the same time, it gets tricky when you have a political candidate serve that promotional role."