Below is a transcript of Bradley A. Smith’s remarks on tax-financed campaigns at the AmericanForum: How we finance our political campaigns debate:

There’s no real evidence that public financing is achieving any of its goals.

In the states where it’s been used it hasn’t reduced corruption, it hasn’t brought more women and minorities into politics, it hasn’t increased access for certain wealthy donors. Essentially again I put the burden of proof there. It’s not that we don’t have experience with public financing and it’s the system of public financing that gave us President Carter and President Reagan, and President Bush and President Bush.

Is that really better than the system we had before public financing that gave us FDR, and Truman, and Ike, and Kennedy. I just don’t think again that there’s much evidence. I think the burden of proof has got to be on those who are sitting here saying we’re going to limit peoples’ freedom of political speech and association.

You’ve got to do better than just say I think it would be a really good idea.