A lot of time, energy and legal fees have been spent on political and court fights to put a cap on donations to election campaigns.

Supporters of campaign contribution limits say unlimited donations buy favorable treatment for people and businesses that write the big checks — effectively buying elections to protect and promote their own interests.

Opponents of campaign finance limits say it’s a matter of free speech, and it just so happens that rich people and companies can afford to buy more free speech. In their world, the not-so-rich need to make more money and then they too can enjoy the same amount of free speech as the wealthy.

I suspect the current conservative-dominated U.S. Supreme Court is not inclined to side with campaign donation limits, so it may be time to find another way to keep political campaigns fair and honest — or at least penalize them when they are dishonest.

With no limits on spending, candidates can afford to loudly and constantly promote the most outlandish claims, the most attractive promises to win the most votes. Call them lies, falsehoods, deceitful vows, dishonest guarantees, it’s all the same. Promise voters anything to win, then don’t worry about delivering — just say it’s someone else’s fault.

My proposal is to treat campaign promises the same as a new car or washing machine warranty; the same as a money-back-guarantee on a store purchase. Let’s put some financial accountability into the accounting finances of political campaigns.

Of course, voters can always show their buyers’ remorse in the next election and kick the over-promisers and outright liars out of office, but that’s a yearslong wait — without any economic penalty for the public official who stretched the truth to win in the first place.

Think of all the candidate claims during recent campaigns that never came true.

Donald Trump in his first campaign for president promised that Mexico would pay to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Never happened. He promised in his second successful campaign to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours after winning election. Never happened. He also promised to cut energy prices in half. Go look at the gas pump and make your own decision.

Mike Dunleavy pledged in his winning campaigns for Alaska governor to restore the fattest Alaska Permanent Fund dividend anyone had ever seen. Not only did it never happen, he never even put forth a viable plan to make it happen.

Alaska candidates have repeatedly told voters the North Slope natural gas pipeline project will be hiring workers and breaking ground soon. Those ceremonial golden shovels are the equivalent of fool’s gold.

So many candidates and elected officials have said no taxes — even to repair and rebuild roads — that voters should wonder if their political leaders are lost in a pothole.

And maybe it’s time to close the school book on candidates who say they support education but then vote against funding.

I propose a system of fines for unfulfilled campaign promises, pledges and prose. It would not limit free speech but would penalize dishonest speech. The fines could be based on a percentage of the economic value of the deceit, with a small fine for the first offense, going larger with each subsequent lie. Kind of like Pinocchio’s nose, but measured in dollars.

I don’t want to be unreasonable. With unlimited political contributions, candidates and public officials could raise funds from donors to pay the fines. It would simply make free speech more expensive for those who can afford to abuse it.