On Wednesday, Chelsea Clinton will be fundraising on her mother’s behalf in State College. Two events are taking place at the State College Democratic Coordinated Campaign Headquarters at 112 W. Foster Ave., one will be a phone bank, and the other is called “Conversation with Chelsea”.
Access to “Conversation with Chelsea” will not be cheap.
To just go to the event it will cost a donor $500. For $1,000 a donor will be dubbed a “Fighter” and will get a photo with the former first daughter. For $2,700 a donor will be a “Host” and will host a reception with Clinton. Participating in the phone bank is free of charge for those who register prior to the event.
This steep price has prompted some people to voice their concern — the College Progressives of Penn State being part of this group.
"Although we certainly support Chelsea's right to campaign on her mother's behalf, we do not agree with Mrs. Clinton choosing to make this ‘conversation’ available exclusively to individuals who can afford or are willing to pay at least $500,” Ethan Paul, College Progressives of Penn State vice president, said. “It is particularly deplorable that a $2,700 donation — the legal limit — gets a personal conversation with Mrs. Clinton.”
Other College Progressives backed this sentiment. It is too expensive a price for involvement in a political campaign, especially a college town, College Progressives Secretary Kathryn Van Develde said.
“While I understand the need for fundraising, putting a paywall between the general public and this ‘conversation’ it is not the campaign I like to see,” Van Develde (senior-atmospheric science) said.
“This is especially true given this is a college town. Putting such an expensive price on involvement in elections really hurts college students who already feel there is no point to politics.”
Other campus political organizations also shared in their displeasure at the high price of entry for the event. We Are for Trump Chairman Dmitri Loutsik (sophomore-accounting) said that it was reminiscent of Clinton’s “pay to play” system she used in her time as Secretary of State via the Clinton Foundation.
The Progressives for Penn State believe that while fundraising is certainly essential to the success of modern presidential campaigns, private and exclusionary fundraising should not be prioritized ahead of an open and inclusive public dialogue, Paul (junior-economic and political science) said.
Fundraising is a problem in Washington D.C. Congressmen and women, in both parties, spend an estimated 40 to 50 percent of their time in D.C. fundraising, Paul said.
“As Progressives, we expect Secretary Clinton, throughout both her campaign and administration, to lead the fight against the corrupting and corrosive nature of this current campaign finance system, as she has promised her supporters and the public she would,” Paul said. “Mrs. Clinton's decision to hold this conversation privately, in a manner that effectively excludes Penn State students and the Middle Class of Centre County.”
Some feel that the price of the event is fair since the event is to raise money. People will also be able to meet Clinton at the free phone banking event earlier in the day, Veronica Weybrauch, Penn State College Democrats president, said.
“I personally think the price of the event is fair since the point of the event is to raise money for Hillary Clinton’s Campaign,” Weybrauch (senior- international politics and economics) said.
