CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS…UNDERSTANDING SUPERPACS…MONEY ON MY MIND…DM IN THE MEDIA…HALLOWEEN ORGANIZING IDEAS…FACTS YOU CAN USE
Campus Highlights: Rochester NY
Two Democracy Matters chapters near Rochester, New York — Monroe Community College and the State University at Geneseo — have started off the year with especially outstanding work.
Since 2005, DMers in the Geneseo chapter have had an enormous impact on their campus. And this year is no exception. Under the leadership of Nick Sloper and Josh Kent they are planning film screenings, and outreach to the local community in Geneseo. Their publicity campaigns using social media, videos, and educational posters urge students to register, vote, and get involved with the New York Fair Elections campaign for public financing. One Geneseo DMer is working on a satirical op-ed for the school paper thanking the New York State legislature — with its constant money scandals — for being one of the most corrupt in the country. Another group will be acting out Street Theater on campus, dressing up as former Presidents (Lincoln, Washington etc) – all of whom are horrified that big campaign contributions are undermining our democracy!
The Monroe Democracy Matters chapter is new this year. And Christopher Morris is quickly making a name for DM by tabling, registering student voters, and co-sponsoring a recent well-attended event with his campus’s “Democracy Commitment.” The program was keynoted by Joan Mandle, DM’s Executive Director, speaking about “Who Owns Democracy.” Chris urged the room packed with students to “make a difference to the things that matter to you by joining Democracy Matters and working for NY Fair Elections.”
UNDERSTANDING SUPERPACS
SuperPacs, with their millionaire contributors, have received lots of attention this Presidential election.
“Outside” money going to SuperPacs cannot be donated directly to a candidate. Instead it is used to influence public opinion through ads and other means, allegedly “independent” of the campaigns. There is no limit to the amount of money an individual or corporation can donate to one of these groups, and contributions of millions of dollars from single individuals are common.
So far, such independent spending opposing Romney has totaled $48 million, while that attacking Obama has reached over $132 million.
Though the Presidential campaigns themselves have so far spent much more (Obama’s has spent $346 million thus far, and Romney’s $229 million), SuperPacs are an additional way that very wealthy donors can, without any limits, support — or more typically oppose — a candidate. Of course politicians know exactly where their big financial support is coming from, and they pay back their donors by giving them unprecedented influence on laws and policies.
Both inside and outside sources of political funding combine to undermine the basic principles of democracy. Ordinary voters’ voices are drowned out by the financial power of the tiny elite of wealthy donors. We need to take back our democracy!
Source: www.opensecrets.com
MONEY ON MY MIND
In this month’s column, Jay Mandle revisits the 1st anniversary of Occupy Wall Street. He examines why OWS, unlike earlier social movements, has had only a minimal impact on American politics. While OWS raised critical issues of economic inequality and the political power of wealth, it has failed to provide a strategy to empower citizens to overcome the deep-seated and systemic problems it highlights.
Read the full article and explore other issues of MOMM.
DM IN THE MEDIA
DMers educate others about money in politics by writing for their school papers. Here is an excerpt by Trevor Madore, DM Campus Coordinator at St. Michael’s College in Vermont.
HALLOWEEN ORGANIZING IDEAS
It’s great to create ways to make holidays fun and also politically effective. Two suggestions from Democracy Matters students:
Halloween Cards: Table in costume! Have materials available so students can make decorated cards to send to their elected representatives. Create messages about how “scary” big money in politics is. Urge politicians to support public campaign financing to get big money out of politics and people back in.
Candy for a Call: Table in costume with lots of Halloween candy. Have sign-up lists for DM and a petition to sign for public campaign financing. Give students scripts and the phone numbers of their elected officials so they can call their representatives and
tell them to “sweep” politics clean with public financing.
Come up with your own ideas…and have fun!
FACTS YOU CAN USE:
Our partners at Public Campaign* have just issued a terrific report showing the many ways that big money in politics hurts students.
Declining Pell Grant Program: Since 1979 the maximum Pell Grant has gone from covering three-quarters of the cost of a public university education to less than one-third. The proposed budget of Paul Ryan would cut $6 billion from the Pell Grant program.
Student Debt: The amount of student debt is now over $1 trillion – larger than America’s total credit card debt.
Student Loan Industry Influence: Since 2000, the industry has spent over $50 million in lobbying. The private student loan industry has given $7.7 million in federal campaign contributions.
Textbooks: The average annual cost of a student’s textbooks is over $1,100. Since 2000, the industry has given $1.4 million in federal campaign contributions with the four largest publishers spending an additional $35 million on lobbying. Textbook companies have pushed for strict copyright laws and have tried to block competitors from offering low-cost options to students.
For-Profit Colleges: Despite their high cost to students and their poor graduation records, for-profits get more than 80% of their revenue from federal funds. They also receive 25% of Pell Grant money despite enrolling only 12% of students.
For-Profit Industry Influence: The industry has given $10.4 million in federal contributions since 2000 and has poured a record $3 million into the 2012 elections so far.
* Special thanks to Kurt Walters, former activist with Democracy Matters at Brown University and now a Research Associate at Public Campaign Action Fund.
To honor our 2012 activists, we list 10 Democracy Matters chapters in each E-News:
Gettysburg College…Iona College…Indiana University Purdue University…Johnson C. Smith University…Loyola of Maryland…Marshall University…Monroe County Community College…Oklahoma State University…Oklahoma University of Science and Arts…Sonoma State University…