Editorial: Shed light on campaigns

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 | 8:15 a.m.

Las Vegas Sun reporter J. Patrick Coolican recently reviewed the contributions form filed by Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., who is a candidate for governor. One $10,000 contribution was made by Arcadia Living Trust A of 668 N. Coast Highway, No. 517, Laguna Beach, Calif.

Now what does that tell you?

Even with help from the Las Vegas Sun's librarian, Coolican could not find any published information on this trust. A call to the Gibbons campaign, however, yielded the name and number of the person behind the trust. When contacted, he was candid about his identity and his position as chairman and chief executive of Berry-Hinckley Industries, a longtime Northern Nevada oil-supply corporation.

But with thousands of contributors listed on candidate forms filed with the secretary of state's office, who has the time or resources to independently research each of them? It is an all but impossible task. Yet knowing such information is extremely helpful for anyone wishing to become an informed voter.

Nevada law, which stipulates what information must be listed on disclosure forms, allows the names of contributors to be the names of businesses and allows their addresses to be box numbers. The law also allows businesses to form multiple limited liability companies, with each contributing under different names. Further, the law allows individuals to list their names only, without disclosing where they are employed. The law does not require individuals to disclose the cumulative amount of their contributions.

Candidates' expense reports are equally vague. For example, a candidate can put all expenses on a credit card and simply disclose the total amount charged without itemizing - shielding such activities as hiring friends and relatives as highly paid campaign workers.

Despite repeated calls for reform by Secretary of State Dean Heller, and despite receiving "F's" from national groups that grade Nevada's political disclosure practices, the Legislature has refused to close all the loopholes, as its members directly benefit from them.

When legislative or gubernatorial candidates come around asking for your vote, we believe one of your questions should be: Where do you stand on redesigning contribution and expense forms so that they are complete and easily understood?