Sounds good in theory, but we all know a true public record of the stuff would be mined by scammers, law enforcement, recruiters and lawyers.
> Some people say that about websites.
The individuals visiting those sites would be reasonable candidates for privacy. What the websites do as a public entity would be subject to public scrutiny.
> For instance, who donated to NAACP during the civil rights era right?
Those individuals should not be a matter of public interest - yes. Was there a different point you are trying to make?
And frankly, if revealing that sort of information to the public means less donations, I'm pretty fine with that as an outcome. The fact is, corporations can buy politicians/judges and that's a way bigger issue than the privacy of millionaires.