CAMPUS HIGHLIGHT…QUOTE OF THE MONTH…DEMOCRACY MATTERS ON THE MARCH…PAID SUMMER INTERNSHIP…MONEY ON MY MIND…COME JOIN US…FACTS YOU CAN USE…
CAMPUS HIGHLIGHT
Democracy Matters members at Emerson College have created a fabulous video, “Student Loans: A Story of Corruption.” Now available on YouTube! This hard-hitting look at money in politics and the crushing burden of college students’ debt is a must to share on social media, show at events, or run while you table. Great job Emerson DM!
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Money is not speech. Money is a microphone!!”
Comment by Cherine Bauer (one of 32,000 to the Federal Elections Commission on the subject of money in politics.)
Read more.
NORTH CAROLINA DEMOCRACY MATTERS ON THE MARCH
Democracy Matters North Carolina student activists joined the NAACP and thousands of others for the 10th annual “Moral March” on Raleigh. Marchers protested the supression of voting rights for students and others, and called out the big money donors who are driving the policies that harm 99% of North Carolinians.
PAID SUMMER INTERNSHIP – APPLY TODAY
The Foundation for Civic Leadership will fund you to intern this summer with Democracy Matters. The internship will focus on reforming our political system to make it fair and equal for all citizens! (10 weeks; graduating seniors are not eligible)
APPLICATION DEADLINE MARCH 1
Click here for more information.
MONEY ON MY MIND
Jay Mandle describes how government action spurred productivity growth and a rising standard of living in the past. But rich political donors today block the government action necessary for prosperity, so our future is at risk.
Read the full article and explore other issues of MOMM.
COME JOIN US!
“Democracy Spring” April 2-16, Philadelphia and Washington, DC
“Democracy Awakening” April 16-18, Washington, DC
Something for everyone – take your pick!
Demonstrations, Teach-ins, Music, Rally for Democracy, March from Philadelphia to DC, Non-violent Civil Disobedience, and the DEMAND that our representatives become a “Congress of Conscience.”
For more information visit http://www.democracyspring.org/ and http://democracyawakening.org/events/ money_politics
FACTS YOU CAN USE: DM ALUM SPEAKS OUT
In a recent article published in Salon, Democracy Matters alumnus and Board member Adam Eichen (Vassar ’15) explains why disclosure is only “a modest first of many needed reforms” to get big money out of politics. Eichen discusses why fundamental change, not simply disclosure, is needed in order to end the outsized political power of wealth.
Adam argues that even with disclosure, candidates would continue to seek large donations. Furthermore, passing laws and solving problems would still be compromised by the enormous amount of time politicians spend on fundraising. And perhaps most problematic, the vast majority of Americans (especially marginalized and underrepresented groups) would continue to be politically irrelevant. Candidates calling for disclosure alone are not seriously addressing the enormity of the problem of how our campaign finance system threatens democracy itself.
To honor our 2015 activists, we list ten Democracy Matters chapters in each E-News:
SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE…SIMMONS COLLEGE…SKIDMORE COLLEGE…ST. ANSELM COLLEGE…ST. LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY…SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY…SUNY GENESEO…SUNY NEW PALTZ…SUNY ONEONTA…SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY…
More Campus Chapters.