Resize Text

Saying 'Yes' to Fair Courts

By Damon Circosta
Published: Mar. 30, 2009

RALEIGH - Never mind the Fourth of July, the most American day of all days has to be Apr. 15. For it is on that day that the Internal Revenue Service has decreed that you settle your tax bill. It might not be pleasant but tax day is the day where we (to borrow a phrase) put our money where our mouth is.

Of course, parting with a good chunk of cash is never fun, but tax day doesn’t have to be a completely negative experience. In fact, here in North Carolina there is a way to do a little good on tax day. And the best part? It won’t cost you any more money.

Near the top of every individual income tax form, there is a check box asking you to mark “yes” if you want to designate $3 to a fund that provides public financing for judicial candidates. Created in 2002, the fund is designed to keep judges from raising a disproportionate amount of money from the lawyers and other interests who might appear before them.

There is a history behind the fund, and unfortunately there isn’t room on the tax form to tell the story. Here in North Carolina, we are one of 39 states that elect some or all of our judges. For many years, judicial elections were a staid affair. Candidates would present their qualifications to the voters through discussions on the courthouse steps or an old-fashioned barbecue tour.

About 20 years ago, things changed. Campaign consultants brought slick television ads and negative campaign tactics into judicial elections. Consultants and TV spots don’t come cheap and judges across the country had to start raising more and more funds. The problem was that most of these funds were coming from lawyers and others with interests before the courts. Even if nothing untoward was happening, it looked bad.

In North Carolina we were spared much of this, but we saw it on the horizon and felt that it would be good to keep our judges from having to be placed in such an awkward position. As such, the Public Campaign Fund was created to keep special interest money out of judicial elections. In addition, the fund pays for a voter guide that gets mailed to every voter throughout the state. This guide gives judicial candidates an opportunity to put their qualifications before the voters without having to pay big bucks for a slick, modern campaign.

While the check box on the tax form asks you to designate $3 towards the fund, it won’t change your tax liability at all. It simply directs a portion of the taxes you already pay into the fund.

We Americans might be somewhat fatalistic about taxes. Ben Franklin felt the inevitability when he said "In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." Nevertheless, every spring the tax bill comes and we step up to pay it. This year you can also support another quintessentially American ideal. By marking “yes” to the Public Campaign Fund, you can support a justice system that works for everyone, and isn’t tainted with the appearance of big money corruption.