My thoughts on campaign finance reform. Same as Feingolds.

[Dr.Phool]

The first words out of any progressive candidates mouth should be, “I fully, 100%, support complete public financing of elections!”

Just think about the ramifications of such a perverse statement. The people would actually own their so-called representatives. Their Congressmen and Senators would actually have time to read the bills that are introduced. They would even have to think about them. I have personally spoken with members of Congress, who have voted on bills, and had NO CLUE as to what was in them. Some of them were written by lobbyists. Some by staffers. And a couple by the Representatives themselves.

The most often heard complaint, about such a proposal, is that it would cost too much tax money. If anyone believes that, I have a nice bridge to nowhere in Alaska that you can have really cheap. Easy payments to your grandkids to boot.

The people who are financing elections now, are the people who are raising your gas prices, raising your electric, and cable rates. Here in Florida, they can now raise your phone rates without limits. Not to mention Homeowners Insurance. They are the same people who are denying you healthcare, and making sure that women are thrown out of maternity wards, the day after birth, to save insurance companies money. They have money to make sure that all public services are privatized, cutting employees’ wages and benefits, cutting taxpayer services, but insuring profits for private industries!

Speaking as a former congressional candidate, and a full time political activist, I’m disgusted. I went to Washington, D.C. two years ago, on a meet and greet tour with Congressmen, Senators, Lobbyists, and various interest groups, which included labor and environmental concerns. As we approached the Capitol, I noticed a lot of people sitting on the benches, talking on cell phones, inside the wrought iron gates, surrounding the Capitol. I then discovered that these were Congressmen, calling potential donors begging for money!

It’s no wonder that they spend so little time in session, and all of their time fundraising, “to take care of us”. I saw a clip on CBS’ “60 Minutes” last year. They were interviewing former U.S. Senator Fritz Hollings(D-SC), and asked him why he was leaving office so young. His reply was, that in his last campaign, he had to raise over $10 MILLION dollars to get re-elected. That translated into over $34,000 per week, over his entire 6 year term!

He couldn’t take it anymore.

As progressives, we should DEMAND money-free elections. Require the networks to devote x-amount of time to campaigns. The airwaves belong to the people. It’s their obligation to obtain a license. We can’t have a democracy without an informed electorate.