MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDER…CAMPUS HIGHLIGHT…MONEY ON MY MIND…QUOTE OF THE MONTH…IDEA OF THE MONTH…FACTS YOU CAN USE
A MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT
This is our final ENEWS of the year. But of course we’ll be back again in September for our 14th year, with actions and activism by Democracy Matters students all over the country. Democracy Matters chapters continue to mobilize young people to advocate for public campaign financing – the reform that can make our government truly of, by and for the American people a reality.
I send my personal congratulations to Democracy Matters activists – from California to Vermont, from North Carolina to Colorado – for your passion, determination, and many successes. I’m looking forward to working with you again next year as together we transform America.
Adonal
CAMPUS HIGHLIGHT: THE DM “WEEK OF ACTION”
During this year’s “April Week of Action,” Democracy Matters chapters tabled, ran poster campaigns, collected petition signatures supporting Congressional public financing bills, gave short presentations in classes, held activist and lobbying training sessions, and devised other ways to involve their campuses.
Here are a few examples:
Many DM chapters including the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Puget Sound, Colgate, and Russell Sage held McCutcheon rallies, discussions, and forums. Chapters also put up flyers about McCutcheon in bathroom stalls as part of DM’s “Potty Politics.” DM at Salisbury held a Democracy Potluck and a “money give-away” with fake $5 bills.
Film screenings followed by discussions were also popular. Gettysburg and Vassar screened “Inequality for All,” Occidental and Geneseo showed the 350.org film “Do the Math,” and McDaniel showed a Star Wars movie, comparing the Death Star to today’s corruption of our political system. And DM chapters at St. Lawrence, Skidmore, Mary Washington, Harvard, SUNY/New Paltz and others published articles in their school papers about getting big money out of politics. GO DM!!!
MONEY ON MY MIND
In this month’s column, Jay Mandle points to the contradictions in Justice Roberts’ McCutcheon decision. Roberts supports the idea that wealthy individuals can “speak” politically with unlimited total contributions to candidates, parties and PACS. But Roberts also insists that democracy is based on the responsiveness and accountability of elected officials to all their constituents. Can he continue to have it both ways?
Read the full article and explore other issues of MOMM.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
Justice Breyer – joined in his dissent by Justices Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Kagan – writes of the Supreme Court’s decision in McCutcheon vs. FEC:
“The result, as I said at the outset, is a decision that substitutes judges’ understandings of how the political process works for the understanding of Congress; that fails to recognize the difference between influence resting upon public opinion and influence bought by money alone; that overturns key precedent; that creates huge loopholes in the law; and that undermines, perhaps devastates, what remains of campaign finance reform.”
”It understates the importance of protecting the political integrity of our governmental institutions. It creates a loophole that will allow a single individual to contribute millions of dollars to a political party or to a candidate’s campaign. Taken together with Citizens United v. FEC, today’s decision eviscerates our Nation’s campaign finance laws, leaving a remnant incapable of dealing with the grave problems of democratic legitimacy that those laws were intended to resolve.”
Read more.
IDEA OF THE MONTH(S) – BACK TO HIGH SCHOOL
Going back to your old high school to talk with students there can be both fun and gratifying! Schools are still in session for at least a month after colleges end. Call or visit your high school history, social studies, or other teachers, and ask if you can have half an hour in their class to talk about the importance of and how to strengthen democracy, politics, and voting!
Check out the website for ideas for visiting high school classes or call Joan or Anita for ideas.
FACTS YOU CAN USE: The Congressional Millionaires Club
Although only about 1% of Americans are millionaires, in Congress that number has typically hovered between 40% and 50%. But now, for the first time, an actual majority of members of Congress are millionaires or more. The others may not be millionaires, but they certainly have high incomes. The median income for all Senators is $2.7 million; for all members of the House, $896,000.
Our elected leaders need not worry about the economic pressures that most Americans face – from securing employment and keeping their families afloat, to paying for college or even their rent. There has not been any increase in median income for 99% of the people in the U.S. for over 30 years.
Their being part of the richest 1% may help to explain why members of Congress have failed to curb the growing economic inequality in the U.S., to place more strict regulations on banks, help students burdened with mounting debt, or provide housing to homeless people.
We need public campaign financing so that regular Americans who understand the critical nature of these issues can run for office and win. The “Government By the People” and the “Fair Elections Now” Acts would enable regular Americans – the 99% – to compete for Congressional offices.
Read more.
To honor our 2013 activists, we list ten Democracy Matters chapters in each E-News:
College of William and Mary…Elon University…Florida State University…Gettysburg College…Hamilton College…Harvard University…Iona College…Lehigh University…Marshall University…McDaniel College…
More Campus Chapters.