A MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDER…CAMPUS HIGHLIGHT…MONEY ON MY MIND…VOTER REGISTRATION: VOTER SUPPRESSION…GREAT LINKS…NEW YORK FAIR ELECTIONS…FACTS YOU CAN USE
A MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDER
Welcome to Democracy Matters and E-News 2012! Students in DM campus chapters from Massachusetts to California and Texas to Minnesota are planning great events to mobilize political engagement to get big money out of politics and people back in!
I’m so proud of the fabulous work Democracy Matters students have been doing over the last 12 years to deepen our democracy. So join me in reading our E-News every month to celebrate our victories, to keep up on the latest happenings, and help us all to make democracy work for everyone – fairer, more inclusive, and more responsive.
Read Democracy Matters E-News.
CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS
Our great Democracy Matters chapters are reaching out to educate and mobilize students to take back our democracy. Many of our campus coordinators, including Sheldon Anderson at Buffalo State University and Kaleb Beatty at Oklahoma State University have been working over the summer to recruit DM activists for their new DM chapters.
David Butler at Colgate University (NY) and Nick Sloper at The State University of New York/Geneseo have collaborated with their school’s summer first year students orientation programs, registering Freshmen and encouraging them to join DM. And Roshaunda McLean at the University of Missouri, Gabriella Levine at Union College (NY) and Kim Soeiro at Sonoma State University (CA) have already set up teach-ins, discussion groups, and other activities for the Fall.
Each E-NEWS will highlight the activities of a particular DM chapter. DM students will be writing articles for their school papers about money in politics, running petition campaigns, giving DM “raps” to classes and to other campus organizations, organizing film screenings, going into local high schools to talk about democracy, collaborating with local bands and using art to raise awareness, and much more. Each campus creates its own strategy to involve students, faculty and administrators in the fight to stop the corporate takeover of democracy. So stay tuned…
MONEY ON MY MIND
With the election season upon us, Jay Mandle’s column this month explores why so many “life and death” issues, like the elevated U.S. homicide rate and the peril of global warming, are being ignored by candidates. His answer — the concerns of big private campaign donors dominate the content of election campaigns.
Read the full article and explore other issues of MOMM.
VOTER REGISTRATION: VOTER SUPPRESSION
Democracy requires and therefore should encourage its citizens to exercise their right to vote. But beginning last year, 19 states have passed unprecedented laws restricting voter access. Despite legal challenges, 10 states still have these laws on the books: Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.
These states require citizens to produce specific types of government-issued photo identification before they can cast a vote that will count. But studies confirm that 1 in 10 eligible voters lack these specific government documents. Among the most vulnerable constituencies are the elderly, students and minorities.
Democracy Matters chapters are working in coalition with other non-partisan campus groups to register students to vote and to ensure that everyone has equal access on Election Day. Also working to protect the student vote, The Brennan Center for Justice has issued a 50-state Student Voting Guide. The site also provides other information on voter rights and voter suppression.
GREAT LINKS
It is easy to find current (and shocking) information about money in politics at these excellent websites:
- www.opensecrets.org Created by the Center for Responsive Politics, it offers comprehensive data on the funding of all federal election campaigns, past and present, and the impact on elections and social policy.
- www.followthemoney.org The website of The National Institute of State Money in Politics contains information on money in state campaigns for all 50 states.
- www.maplight.org This website compiles information on campaign contributions, politicians, votes, industries, companies, and more in order to show patterns of influence on legislation and social policy in Congress and in WI and CA.
- www.publicampaign.org Public Campaign’s website has information on money in politics and on the national fight to curb the political power of wealth.
- www.campaignmoney.org Public Campaign Action Fund’s website provides details on campaign fundraising and spending as well as on campaign finance reform efforts.
AND don’t forget to check out all the money facts, plus national and campus happenings on the DEMOCRACY MATTERS FACEBOOK page.
NEW YORK FAIR ELECTIONS
Hundreds of reform groups including Democracy Matters have a real chance to pass public financing in New York State this year. Governor Cuomo has joined us, committing to reform the state’s campaign finance laws. The New York legislature’s dysfunction and history of corruption make winning “Fair Elections” critical. Democracy Matters students will be in the forefront of the fight for a government of, by, and for the people of New York State.
For more about New York Fair Elections go to www.fairelectionsny.org
FACTS YOU CAN USE: BIG MONEY 2012
Here are the latest $$ numbers on the election (released in August)…with ten more fundraising weeks to go! Estimates are that total spending will easily top $6 Billion!
PRESIDENTIAL:
Independent Expenditures (not donated to campaign)
Total: $198.7 Million
Total Raised by Campaigns:
Romney $153.7 Million
Obama $300.1 Million
Small Donors as Percent of Total Individual Contributors:
To Romney 16%
To Obama 40%
Gender of Contributors:
To Romney Female 30.6% Male 69.4%
To Obama Female 46.0% Male 56.0%
Top 5 Contributors:
To Romney Financial Institutions & Banks (Goldman Sachs; JP Morgan Chase; Morgan Stanley; Bank of America; Credit Suisse Group)*
To Obama Universities, Law Firms, High Tech (Microsoft; University of California; DiaPiper; Google; Harvard University)*
CONGRESSIONAL:
House Senate
Average raised per candidate $735,000 $3.3 Million
*Contributions are from individuals associated with these institutions.
Source: The Center for Responsive Politics www.opensecrets.org.
“Election 2012: Here Comes the Money,” Forbes Magazine
To honor our 2012 activists, we list 10 Democracy Matters chapters in each E-News:
Binghamton University…Boise State University…Boston University…Brown University…Buffalo State University…Colgate University…Creighton University…Davidson College…Elmhurst College…Florida State University…