CAMPUS HIGHLIGHT…A GREENER EARTH…2016 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN…MONEY ON MY MIND…QUOTE OF THE MONTH…ICE CREAM AND ACTIVISM…FACTS YOU CAN USE
CAMPUS HIGHLIGHT: THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
Democracy Matters Campus Highlight this month goes to Shoubhik Sinha and his DM members at the University of Minnesota. Highlighting the corruption of democracy by big money political donations, this DM chapter has successfully worked with other political groups both on campus and in the community. They have created close connections with faculty members and local businesses through their “endorsement campaign.” And with Minnesota Common Cause and Represent US, they drafted the “Anti-Corruption Act,” an anti-corruption/public financing bill.
Their “Deep Fried Democracy” event, selling deep fried candy bars, raised money for their upcoming “Democracy Concert.” And on April 2nd, they will join other Democracy Matters chapters marking the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s disasterous McCutcheon decision, allowing wealthy donors to exponentially increase their total contribtions to political campaigns. We are proud to highlight the active and influential DMers at U of M!
IDEA OF THE MONTH: A GREENER EARTH STARTS WITH CLEAN ELECTIONS!
Despite the huge campaign contributions from oil, gas and energy companies ($824 million since 1990), keeping us dependent on fossil fuels, the grassroots environmental movement is alive and well.
April 22nd is the 45th world-wide celebration of EARTH DAY. Democracy Matters chapters, joining with campus environmental groups, faculty and communities, will organize for renewable energy and action on climate change.
Films, pizza and politics discussions, teach-ins, rallies, and flyer and poster campaigns will mark the day. Cool events like poetry slams, democracy trains, numbers campaigns, concerts, and “green” parties link big money in politics to the destruction of our environment. Get Creative on Earth Day!
DEMOCRACY MATTERS, MONEY in POLITICS, and the 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
Democracy Matters has launched a new campaign to influence candidates in the 2016 Presidential race. Beginning this summer, DM students in New Hampshire and Iowa will pressure all candidates to support reducing the impact of large campaign donations in our democracy, and to endorse reform efforts including publicly financed election campaigns.
David Rogers joins the DM staff as the DM Iowa Director, while our own Max Stahl will concentrate on the New Hampshire primaries. David organized the Iowa presidential campaigns of Governor Bill Richardson and Congressman Dennis Kucinich, as well as Iowa issue campaigns for the Sierra Club, and Ben Cohen’s “True Majority.”
We are thrilled to have David and Max building Democracy Matters chapters in Iowa and New Hampshire, working with DM students to significantly impact the Presidential races. Interested students should contact joanm@democracymatters.org!
MONEY ON MY MIND
Jay Mandle cites Adam Smith’s warning about the power of business to shape politices and laws. Mandle argues that Smith would have been horrified at the political power that wealthy individuals are exercising today by their mega-donations to “outside spending.” In 2014,that spending constituted almost half of total election expenditures.
Read the full article and explore other issues of MOMM.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Why should I spend the next two years raising money instead of raising hell? Every day, I want to wake up thinking about the little guys and gals, the watermen, automobile workers, researchers, small-business owners and families” [not rich donors.]
Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD,) announcing two years early that she won’t be seeking re-election in 2017. Mikulski was the only women in the Senate when first elected in 1987, and she is the longest serving woman ever in Congress.
ICE CREAM AND ACTIVISM – THE STAMPEDE!
Democracy Matters activists at the University of New Hampshire, led by our amazing interns Lisa, Griffin and Chris, hosted a fantastic event last month. Ben Cohen (of Ben and Jerry’s) brought free ice cream for everyone, and he and political satirist Vermin Supreme entertained an audience of over 300 students.
Ben emphasized the corrosive influence of money on our political process, and urged everyone to join the national “Stamp Stampede” by stamping dollar bills (yes, it’s legal). Get your “Stamp Money Out of Politics” and “Not To Be Used for Buying Elections” stamps and start stamping! Great job UNH DMers!”
Get your very own stamp today!
FACTS YOU CAN USE: Jeb Bush and his Mega-Donors
It’s okay with Jeb Bush if you write him a check for a million, but no more…at least for a couple of months. Bush recently asked donors to contribute “no more than $1 million each” to his presidential campaign. He apparently doesn’t want anyone to think he is in debt to rich contributors.
WHAT??? Anyone who thinks a million dollars doesn’t create profound candidate dependence has clearly not understood how politics and campaign funding works in the United States!
Responding to Bush’s announcement, the New York Times endorsed restoring Presidential public financing: “Sadly, the money bingeing by both parties coincides in Congress with a Republican proposal to repeal the presidential public financing system. This was a historic safeguard passed after Watergate that served the nation well for 25 years, until major candidates started opting out because of the system’s frozen subsidies. It contained the costs of presidential politics and held back the tide of plutocratic politicking now threatening elections. The public financing system should be repaired, not interred.”
NOTE: The total number of donors who have given a total of $1 million or more since 1989 is just 475 individuals. Source: http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2015/03/jeb-bush-caps-donations-at-1-million-umm/
To honor our 2015 activists, we list ten Democracy Matters chapters in each E-News: Salisbury State College…Sarah Lawrence College…Simmons College…Skidmore College…St. Lawrence University…SUNY Binghamton…SUNY Geneseo…SUNY New Paltz…SUNY Oneonta…Syracuse University…