Get Money Out of Politics
Did you know that 80% of us Americans agree on one thing? There is too much money in politics!
”If we want to save our species and our planet, we must get the corrupting influence of big money out of politics.” This is what a subscriber wrote to me after my last newsletter, which focused on the need to address plastic pollution. She continues: “Otherwise we will continue to live under corporate rule. I was wondering if you could do a newsletter about the immediate and urgent need to seek out candidates who are running on small donor donations and are taking NO corporate or billionaire money. Not just refusing NRA money, but refusing ALL big lobby money (big pharma, insurance companies, Wall Street, defense contractors, etc.). There are many amazing uncorrupted candidates running all across the country, but they are being purposely ignored by mainstream corporate media.”
She is right. We all know that special interests—not the public interests—have bought our legislators’ votes with campaign money. In fact at least 80% of us Americans feel there is too much money in politics. It’s one thing we can agree on!
The internet is full of shocking statistics about the influence of money in politics. Here are just a few:
Less than .26% of Americans contribute 68% of election funding.
Two questions to Congress regarding proposed legislation:
Should there be stricter laws regulating gun ownership?
Congress received $240,000 to support this.
Congress received $5,600,000 to oppose this.
Should there be stricter guidelines for food marketed to children in school?
Congress received $2,200,000 to support this.
Congress received $51,000,000 to oppose this.
There are 12,000 paid lobbyists in Washington—that’s more than 20 lobbyists for each member of Congress. And while there are labor and public interest groups with lobbyists, for every dollar they spend large corporations and their associations spend $34.
In the last five years the 200 most politically active companies in the US spent $5.8 billion to influence legislators.They received trillions of dollars in subsidies and benefits in return.
The first truth is that the liberty of the democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger and their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism—ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. —FDR
Ever heard of the American Anti-Corruption Act? This is a way where cities and states can go around Congress to “fix corruption ourselves.” Check out this terrific 5 min. video and the website from represent.us. It clearly explains how corruption works in the so-called democracy of America.
Resources
My subscriber sent me several links where we can find candidates who will not take no corporate PAC money or corporate lobbyist money. Primaries are upon us in my states so now is the time to seek these people out and donate what you can. We can make a difference!
Brand New Congress
Justice Democrats
Progress 2018-2020 will give you extensive information, resources, action ideas, links, names of clean candidates, facts and commentary on how we get our democracy back, starting now!
Some last words from my subscriber who inspired this month's newsletter and column on Get Money Out of Politics.
Oh, I know what you're thinking, "I don't have money to give," or "I don't want to get a lot of spam in my email box, phone calls, or alerts on social media," or "I'm too busy to follow politics," or "I hate politics." But this is too critical a time in the survival of our democracy to not step up and do something, even if it's inconvenient. We must all do our part if we want to live in a democracy instead of under corporate rule.
Amen, Sister
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