Volgy to reject future campaign contributions

Brian Foster Arizona Daily Wildcat House of Representatives candidate Tom Volgy (D) announces that he does not need any more donations for his campaign yesterday outside the Federal building in downtown Tucson. Volgy said he will return donations because his campaign already has sufficient funds.

"I am asking the public to send no more contributions to our campaign," said Volgy, reading from a prepared statement in front of reporters and about 10 supporters. "If they do, we will have to return the checks."

Volgy, a Democrat, held a news conference yesterday outside the Federal building in downtown Tucson to make the announcement, which he billed as something "no other viable congressional candidate has ever done before."

The $250,000 campaign quota was met last week, and not one cent of it has come from special interest donations, he said.

Throughout his campaign, Volgy has repeatedly attacked his opponent, incumbent Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.), for accepting money from political action committees.

"As long as members of congress fail to stop their addiction to, and dependence on, large, moneyed interests, and they fail to pass campaign finance reform, it is impossible for our dreams and hopes to be represented," he said. "Congress has become the last bastion of legal bribery in America."

Volgy also said Kolbe has raised "nearly a quarter of a million dollars from Washington-based PACs (political action committees) alone."

While no representative from Kolbe's office was at the press conference, Bunny Badertfcher, Kolbe's spokeswoman, said their campaign has finished fund raising.

"We're not having any fund-raisers until this is over," she said yesterday.

Badertfcher said Volgy is overestimating the amount of money Kolbe has raised, but that Kolbe does accept political action committee donations.

"Mr. Volgy has been going around saying that Rep. Kolbe has raised $1 to $1.5 million, which is a vast exaggeration," she said. "Yes, he does accept money from PACs, but PACs are just people."

Volgy strayed from his prepared statement to say he will not use any more money before election day.

"We will not spend any more money for this campaign," he said.

Volgy said his preset formula was to spend 68 cents per registered district voter, which would total $250,000. Campaign office officials said Volgy has spent 80 cents of every donated dollar on contacting voters.

About 2,500 people have contributed to his campaign, and some could be affiliated with the University of Arizona, Volgy said.

"I'm sure there are faculty and staff who have contributed to that effort," he said.

If he defeats Kolbe Nov. 3, he will take a leave of absence from his job, Volgy said.

He also discussed how he would handle American teen drug use.

"We need to deal with drugs in an aggressive way," Volgy said.

He called for open communication between parents and their children, along with an increase in drug rehabilitation programs.

David J. Cieslak can be reached via e-mail at David.J.Cieslak@wildcat.arizona.edu.