CAMPUS HIGHLIGHT…GOT DEMOCRACY?… HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?… MONEY ON MY MIND…WHERE IN THE WORLD…DEMOCRACY MATTERS ON FACEBOOK AND TUMBLR…FACTS YOU CAN USE…
CAMPUS HIGHLIGHT – IONA COLLEGE
Annemarie Stepancic and her stalwart band of Iona College Democracy Matters activists has had a lot going on in just the first month back on campus. They celebrated Constitution Day with a well-attended Democracy Matters Trivia Game Show. Students competed for prizes by answering questions about American democracy and the Constitution. (The picture above shows a few of the contestants). In order to publicize the game show, they created a “Constitution Day Word Search” that was published in the school paper. And since the beginning of the semester, the chapter has combined handing out information to students about their chapter and about money in politics with a successful voter registration campaign. Looking ahead, they are organizing a faculty forum and discussion on “Democracy at Home and Abroad,” as well as a teach-in on the link between campaign spending by corporations and the current economic and jobs crisis. Congratulations to Iona College Democracy Matters!
GOT DEMOCRACY? Super-Pacs & Super-Committees
The word “super” used to indicate something really good – superlative! But today it stands for two really bad developments for us and our democracy:
Super-PACS: These new PACs poured $300 million into the 2010 Congressional races. They will double or triple that in 2012. They can raise UNLIMITED contributions from corporations, interest groups, and wealthy individuals. And they can spend them in almost any way they like in order to influence elections (except giving it directly to candidates). More millions from corporate treasuries and wealthy individuals deciding our elections? Got democracy?
The NY Times says: “For interest groups and wealthy individuals, the shifts [to Super-PACs] have meant more direct influence in elections. For American democracy, the effect may well be disastrous.”
Super-Committee: The newly created Congressional debt-reduction committee – composed of only of 12 individuals – is charged with reducing the federal debt by over $1.5 trillion dollars. Big corporate lobbyists lining up to influence whether to raise taxes on the wealthy or to cut teachers, police, and military retirement benefits? Got democracy?
The Washington Post says: “The scale of the cuts has set off a frenzy among lobbyists on K Street, including nearly 100 identified by The Washington Post as former employees of supercommittee members.”
Read the NY Times articles, “How the Big Money Finds a Way In” and “Lobbyists Line Up to Sway Special Committee.”
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST??
You can find out all about who is “giving and getting” the big political money!
The Center for Responsive Politics tracks the money going to federal candidates – President, Vice President, and Congress. Look up your “favorite” industry under the “Influence and Lobbying” tab, and sign up for their terrific blog. Did you know that there are 224 millionaires in Congress (41%), or that the defense industry contributed over $170 million to federal candidates in the last decade?
The National Institute on Money in State Politics follows the political money chase in all 50 states. Find out about lobbyist clients’ donations, industry influence, who gives to your representatives, the names of big donors and more. Did you know that the top five recipients of $3.7 billion in federal corporate tax breaks paid $0 in 2009 federal taxes and enjoyed a combined profit of $77.16 billion in 2010? These same corporations gave $78.7 million to state political campaigns over the last decade.
Check out Open Secrets and Follow the Money!
MONEY ON MY MIND
In this month’s column, Jay Mandle argues against the prevalent view that students are not interested in politics. While many students today avoid political engagement in favor of volunteer service work, Mandle points to the possibility of reinvigorating student activism focused on diminishing the role of wealth in our political system.
Read the full article and explore other issues of MOMM.
WHERE IN THE WORLD?
With all the talk of the power of private money in politics in this country, we want to celebrate those states and cities where ordinary people have fought for and won robust public financing. They have given voters more choice, offered citizens the option of running for office without depending on wealthy donors, and freed politicians from the money chase. Some of the strongest public financing programs in the nation are in:
Arizona – The “Citizens Clean Elections Act” covers state-wide and legislative races (since 2000).
Connecticut – The “Citizens Elections Program” covers state legislative State Legislature and State-wide races (since 2005). And the city of New Haven has its own municipal public financing option.
Maine – “Clean Elections” covers state legislature and Governor’s races (since 2001).
New Mexico – The “Voter Action Act” covers races for appellate judges and the Public Regulation Commission. Albuquerque and Santa Fe have municipal public financing options.
North Carolina – State-wide races for the NC Supreme Court and Court of Appeals and for three Council of State offices offer a public financing option.
West Virginia – Public financing is available to Supreme Court candidates.
New York City – Since 1988 the “Campaign Finance Program” – one of the most successful public financing programs in the country – has provided a public financing option for city races.
California cities – Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Richmond, Sacramento, and San Francisco all offer public financing options for some city offices.
DEMOCRACY MATTERS ON FACEBOOK AND TUMBLR
Friend and like Democracy Matters on Facebook for up-to-date facts and information on what Democracy Matters chapters are doing. Check out Democracy Matters photos, fliers, events and more on Tumblr.
FACTS YOU CAN USE: JUSTICE FOR SALE?
Elections involving judges are held in 39 states. As the cost of running has escalated, judicial candidates spend more and more time acting like politicians – dialing for dollars and schmoozing with campaign funders. In the last decade alone, spending for state Supreme Court races jumped to over $200 million – more than double the previous decade.
As retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor warns, “In too many states, judicial elections are becoming political prizefights where partisans and special interests seek to install judges who will answer to them instead of the law and the Constitution.” 
BUT in some states (as noted above – Where in the World) judicial candidates don’t have to depend on trial lawyers and other big funders. Candidates who choose a public financing option are not tainted by special interest money. And they aren’t forced to choose between serving the law and serving thebryant big campaign donors who put them on the bench.
As Judge Wanda Bryant of the NC Court of Appeals stated: “(Public Financing) makes all the difference. I’ve run in two elections, one with campaign finance reform and one without. I’ll take ‘with’ any time, any day, any where.”
Read more at Justice at Stake.
To honor our 2011 activists, we list 10 Democracy Matters chapters in each E-News:
Humboldt State University…Illinois State University…Iona College…Johnson C. Smith University…Marquette University…Marshall University…Morehouse College…Northern Illinois University…Northland College…Northwood High School…