I think we are fighting the wrong fight ...

[Kweli4Real]

As citizens we are expecting our legislators to represent us; but time and again, we are shown where their true allegiance lies ... with the corporations that pay them. In any other setting, our lobbyist/campaign finance system would rightfully be condemned as outright bribery.

If we really want change we must start with changing the lobbyist/campaign finance system. We can accomplish this through Abolishing the concept of corporate personage, e.g., 1st Amendment rights for corporations. And we can do this without our legislators' permission.

[aintitfunny]

1. You are right

Corporate owned politicians on both sides of the aisle plus Joe Lieberman. Bernie Sanders is and exception, but he is rare as hen's teeth. Combine this with the corporate owned media and add in the multitude of distractions thrown out by the extreme right and we are pretty much completely fucked.

[Fire1]

2. They'll kill you and anybody else who trys to change that

campaign finance system.

[Kweli4Real]

6. I mean ...

How is it possible that $$$ raised for campaign funding that ends up in the politician's pocket be considered anything other than a bribe.

... And we call Nigeria the most corrupt country in the world. Is that because the common man gets paid off too?

[Fire1]

7. We all know that it's no more than a bribe. The point is

exactly how do you think an electorate can change that? Because it's certainly not going to be changed on the hill.

[freddie mertz]

3. Agreed. We need, in effect, a second revolution. A New Deal part 2. nt.

[jotsy]

5. I call it a reboot

[tulsakatz]

4. I was just reading a blog about that very thing........

10. January 2010 by Tea in the Harbor.

When I started this movement, I proposed a specific law that I have since gotten enough feedback on that I believe it could be improved.

The objections I heard were that a thousand dollars per campaign cycle was too high a figure to actually level the playing field, with which I agree. Political campaigns do however cost a lot of money. If we are going to improve things we have to offer an alternative that can adequately fund a campaign. I do not believe that political parties should have an advantage other than that which is given them by their ability to organize, and I fear that to go to government funding would invite such an advantage to be written into the law.

To address these issues I have come up with an alternative on which I would like some comments, I am just the one starting this, I have no intention of restricting the flow of ideas and no illusion about my own ability to see every angle of the issue.

I do, however, think it is critical to define exactly what we are for, without that being done we would be nothing but whiners crying about being victims. Further reflection has brought me to the following proposal.

“It shall be the law that campaigns for public office in the United States will be financed solely by the private citizens thereof. Citizens shall be allowed to donate up to $100 per campaign cycle to the candidate of their choice, and those contributions shall be matched by the FEC using funds from the election check off on US tax forms. The FEC shall disburse those funds only in direct correlation to contributions reported to them under current disclosure laws. No contributions from any entity other than private citizens shall be allowed, and violation of this statute will result in permanent disqualification from elected office for the violator. The FEC shall create and maintain a publicly accessible website containing all relevant data and shall create a paper backup file and shall comply without condition with any request made under the Freedom of Information Act ”

Please give me some feedback on this and let’s get a proposal that is free of loopholes and can be supported by all of us.

http://teaunbagged.net/