April, 2010
IN THIS ISSUE:
REMEMBERING GRANNY D…FAIR ELECTIONS WEEK OF ACTION…MONEY ON MY MIND…CAMPUS HIGHLIGHT…CALIFORNIA NEEDS YOUR HELP…FACTS YOU CAN USE
REMEMBERING GRANNY D
“Our first priority…is to defeat utterly those forces of greed and corruption that have come between us and our self governance.”
Doris “Granny D” Haddock not only believed what she said…she acted on it.
At the age of ninety, she completed a 3,200 mile cross-country walk that raised public awareness of the need for campaign finance reform. When she passed away last month at the age of 100, we lost a great fighter for democracy but her legacy remains strong. Granny D was a good friend of Democracy Matters. She especially loved joining with students because, as she told Joan Mandle several years ago, “They are our future – they give me hope and keep me young.” Several wonderful films have been made about her activism, including “Run Granny Run” shown at the most recent DM Summit.
Granny D is our very own heroine and role model. Her voice of commitment and determination will continue to echo in all that we do.
FAIR ELECTIONS WEEK OF ACTION – APRIL 19-23
It’s time again for a week of action in support of the Congressional Fair Elections Now Act! Across the country, Democracy Matters chapters along with our national allies will be organizing a concerted push to spread the word that our country needs Fair Elections Now. Plans include phone calls, petitions and letters to Representatives, holding discussions and forums, flyering and chalking on campus, organizing rallies, screening films, improv theater and other creative actions to support the Fair Elections movement.
More Action Campaigns.
MONEY ON MY MIND
Mandle this month argues that politics is becoming ever more “a plaything of the rich” with a recent Appeals Court decision following close upon the January Supreme Court “Citizens United” case. Together these decisions mark a turning point in campaign funding. They create an unregulated shadow financing system that is likely to give big money almost unlimited political power.
Read the full article and explore other issues of MOMM.
CAMPUS HIGHLIGHT – COLGATE UNIVERSITY
A student art show – “The Art of Democracy” – kicked off a busy April for Colgate DM. Last week’s show featured political and environmental art by Colgate students and included posters, videos, sculpture and other art work. The event was a creative and exciting way to involve faculty and students in activism.
In mid-April, the DM chapter is hosting Randy Kehler, a life-long grassroots organizer and peace activist. Randy will be sharing stories of his activism and the philosophy of non-violent direct action as well as discussing the film made about his life, “An Act of Conscience.” Finally, at the end of the month, Colgate ’08 alumna and former DM coordinator Lydia Gottesfeld will return to campus to talk about her politically engaged career in Washington, DC as an advocate of health care reform. Congratulations to Colgate Democracy Matters, our oldest chapter!
Read more about “An Act of Conscience”.
CALIFORNIA NEEDS YOUR HELP!
Californians on June 8th will have the chance to vote for a public financing option for the office of Secretary of State. Public financing advocates are gearing up to win this fight, but they need your help. Calls to encourage Californians to support this path-breaking law can be made from anywhere in the country. If you can help by making a few (or many) calls, please contact Anjuli Kronheim at akronheim@commoncause.org.
FACTS YOU CAN USE
POLL SHOWS SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC FINANCING OF ELECTIONS.
A recent bi-partisan poll showed that voters by a 2-1 ratio opposed the Supreme Court ruling (Citizens United) that cleared the way for unlimited corporate political spending. In addition, when asked if special interests have too much influence, 74% said yes, while a full 79% said that members of Congress are “controlled by” those who finance their campaigns.
Just as important is that this skepticism is joined with the belief that we can fix the situation. Over 60% of respondents supported a proposal for public financing much like the Fair Elections Now Act. Furthermore, 40% said they would be more likely to re-elect a member of Congress who voted for public financing.
To honor our 2010 DMers we list 10 DM chapters in each E-News.
New York University…Notre Dame University…Ohio State University…Pennsylvania State University…Rutgers University…Sacramento State University…Southern Methodist University…SUNY Geneseo…SUNY New Paltz…SUNY Oneonta…(to be continued)
More Campus Chapters.