Strengthen our democracy by publicly financing all elections

[meow2u3]

...so that money cannot buy anyone a member of congress.

https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/strengthen-our-democracy-publicly-financing-all-elections-so-money-cannot-buy-anyone-member-congress/GYJzw5bx

[The Wielding Truth]

1. I'm for this.

[Freddie Stubbs]

2. Finance them by how much?

[alfredo]

5. Pro rate by state. How much does media cost in one state

compared to another. One congressman might need $1 million, another in a state with a huge population might need ten times that much. You could do a formula with population, average cost of media, and physical size of the state or district. You have to get a minimum percentage to qualify once past the primaries. Funding primaries will need some control to keep the corporatist from steamrolling the primaries. Those could be funded too, but the candidate would need to be above 10% three months out from the election.

[MineralMan]

3. Petitioning the President on this is useless.

Such a thing could only happen if enacted by Congress or as a Constitutional Amendment. Neither thing is even a remote possibility. When will we learn to propose things that can be done? The President of The United States has limited power. You can find out what that power is, and it's limitations by reading the Constitution.

Election reform is only possible through Congressional action, not by the President. Such petitions are a waste of time that could be spent doing something that has some chance of happening. Why do we waste our time?

[Zorra]

7. What you seem to be saying is that no one can really do much of anything

because we have no real power to do much of anything.

I agree.

Only the 1% has the power and influence to get whatever they want done in the political arena.

They will never allow the political process to create the constitutional amendment that would make it possible to have a genuinely egalitarian democratic government.

That's why I am doing what I can to help the OWS movement succeed.

When we elected that huge Dem majority in '08, I was ecstatic, and expected many great things.

Not much really changed. But at least Bush is gone.

I'll still vote for Democrats. But I will no longer expect them to be able to do much of anything.

[MineralMan]

8. No, I'm not saying that at all. You may not have read my post.

I'm saying that it's stupid to waste time on things that cannot possibly make a difference. This petition is one such thing.

Maybe OWS will do some good. Maybe. We'll see down the road.

There are many things we can do, both as individuals or as groups. Asking the President to change how elections are done in this country, though, is a complete waste of time. He cannot do that, under any circumstances. So, there is no point, and the time spent trying is a complete waste.

What's not a waste is to identify candidates in local elections, state legislatures, and Congress who are in favor of what you're in favor of. Then, devote time to getting those individuals elected. That is something you can do that can have a real impact. You can only vote for Democrats in the elections in your area. You can't vote for a democrat who is not on your ballot. So, get the people you want on your ballot and work to get them elected.

We didn't elect a Democratic majority. Individual districts elected their own representatives. Do that and elect good representatives at every level and you'll see change. Declare that it doesn't make any difference, and you'll still see change, but it sure as Hell won't be the change you want. Waste time on things that cannot possibly work, and you'll get nothing for your time. Nothing.

The President can't change election laws. The White House petitions go to the President. Useless. Completely useless. I can see him shaking his head right now at this, and saying, "Don't people know that I can't do that?"

[Zorra]

13. here we go....

Actually, I do see some value in attempting to present the President with a petition that should make him aware of our concerns, because he rarely or never seems to acknowledge these concerns publicly, so we'll try this way, this time. Hello? Mr. President...?

But he can note our concerns, and address congress publicly about these concerns.

I fully understand that he can not, himself, take legislative action through his office to address these concerns.

I hope I have made that clear enough. I'm sorry if this last seems condescending, but I seem to be able to make what appear to me to be clear, direct, honest statements like that, and some folks will somehow not understand them, and they will obtusely come back again with the very same argument that I already clearly addressed.

This is very important to most of us. We are in the streets, all over the country fighting for these concerns to be addressed. These concerns are now in the media every day. We are being beaten, gassed, and jailed for trying to have our concerns addressed. We feel that our 1st Amendment Rights are being trampled in this process. It appears that City, State, and Federal legislative and law enforcement authorities may be colluding to abridge our first amendment rights and to physically harm us as well. This is very serious.

Yet the President apparently continues to ignore our concerns. We really want to hear from him on this issue. For him to talk to us about it. At length. Clearly, honestly, and specifically.

I have no more, or no less, respect for the President than I do my next door neighbor. He puts his clothes on and takes a dump every morning just like we all do. Authority does not cow me, nor generate undue respect in me, in the least. He's just another person to me, the same as me. In fact, he is our employee. Many folks, including myself, would like to hear the President directly and publicly address Congress with the our concerns about the influence of wealth in our government. On the big stage, from the most powerful bully pulpit in the world.

This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, an unreasonable request, given the state of the nation.

A nice little Fireside Chat, perhaps, explaining the importance of ending privately funding campaigns and why Congress will never pass critical legislation regarding campaign finance and lobbying. We want total candidness and sincerity. Truth. Clarity. Transparency. Straightforward, specific communication. No smoke, no vague references that might or might not have something to do with the issue at hand,, no doublespeak.

Honestly, I respect your intelligence. I realize that you are a passionate advocate for the President. It just that it is very apparent that you are smart enough to be asking many of these same questions of the President that we are, and it strikes me as strange that you (apparently) are not, but are rather making lame excuses for the President's lack of action.

Obtusely skirting the primary issue(s) of a discussion, avoiding the heart of the matter because it may be painful for some reason, leads us around in a circle.

Truth, honesty, and transparency are key elements of both discussion and functional democracy. The President is fully aware of our concerns, yet has not taken steps to satisfactorily address them to us, in such capacity as he is capable of. (Again, I am afraid that you are going to hit me with, "BUT HE CAN'T DO ANYTHING"!!! If you do this, I will consider it completely ludicrous and disingenuous.

Because there is no law that prevents him from directly, freely, and publicly speaking to either congress or to we the people.

The fact that 25,000 Americans feel the need to file a petition of this nature as another attempt to get the attention of the President on this issue is a shame and clearly defines the travesty of the current state of our government and the nation.

[vcc]

12. oh, they're pushing the Con-Con, too, and...

...the results would NOT be pretty. I am a supporter of the basic goal of OWS as *I* have viewed it, which is basically to reduce income and class disparity to create a more just playing field for all. I doubt that would be the result of a Con-Con at this point. But I know that a few people in congress (D's) moved for an amendment to overturn Citizens United right after the verdict in 2010. Their voices have been drowned out with the Repub over-dominance, but if those Repubs are VOTED OUT, they could definitely have the ability to push forward with the amendment. We just have to vote for the right people.

[alfredo]

4. That's it!

[Uncle Joe]

6. I do believe that would change the focus from who raises the most money to who has the best ideas.

Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, meow.:thumbsup:

[RC]

9. Or who is the best lier.

How do we fix that? How do we fix people like Palin or Cain or any other reality challenged contender that appeals to too many clueless people? That needs to be fixed also.

[Uncle Joe]

10. As to who is the best liar problem, I have at least two suggestions.

1. Education must become a priority and I'm not just talking about english, math and science but the humanities; history, philosophy, psychology and sociology should be required courses in high school. Those disciplines are apt to expand the pupil's wisdom about people and the world around them, liars excel when the populace is ignorant and/or insulated of both.

2. The corporate media must be vigorously challenged at every turn when they enable a liar by overlooking a candidate's mistake, lie or general ignorance about world affairs. In this regard, I believe the Internet is growing into a strong counter measure against the one way, top down, monopolistic corporate media propaganda machine.

[RC]

11. Well said. Now if only it can be done.