Saturday, August 11, 2012

Put away your money, it means nothing here

As if I needed more reasons to support campaign finance reform, by which I mean publicly-funded elections in the United States. No private money. No lobbyists bearing gifts. Because we know those gifts are not necessarily from wise men. And somehow those who put together the governmental gift baskets stopped reading the text at the word gold.

It's a pity really. Washington and most of our state capitols have become sewers of corruption. We could use a little frankincense and myrrh.

The Chick Fil A nonsense highlighted once again why we need to get money - corporate and personal - out of politics. Why can't I just eat a damn waffle fry dipped in a chocolate milkshake? Why does it have to mean something other than a hastening of death by the clogging of my arteries and the slow destruction of my pancreas?

We've seen this over and over. I can't shop at Target for the same reasons I can't have an overpriced chicken sandwich Monday through Saturday. It started with business practices. I loathed going to Wal-Mart because they were destroying the main streets of our small towns. Then we learned that they weren't doing right by their employees through sketchy business practices. Then we discovered that they were adding to their profits by pushing their employees off onto the taxpayer to cover their health care expenses. By paying their employees so little, they created a whole new category of the working poor who, without health benefits, had limited choices - no insurance, Medicaid, or struggle to pay for private insurance.

That was bad enough. But now we learn that with something as simple as a drive-thru visit to a place charmingly advertised by cows who can't spell but do okay with a paint brush, we're funding hate groups that work all over the globe to promote their version of Christianity which leans much more heavily on what they define a sin and appeals less to the better angels among us.

I highly doubt that Jesus, when he was a man who walked the Earth, spent much time fretting over genitals. He was busy teaching people how to fish and turning water into wine. Oh, and healing the sick and comforting the miserable.

So add the Chick Fil A brouhaha to the list of reasons why we should have shortened campaigns, a set amount of money for each candidate to spend on their campaign, a set amount of time for debates and television coverage, and a stricter time limit on when a legislator and their staff can pass through the revolving door between legislative offices and lobbying firms. And an elimination of the Electoral College.

There's a reason that most of the nation's wealthiest counties are near Washington, D.C. Contrary to that old conservative trope, government does, in fact, create jobs. Lots of high-paying jobs. If you insist on quibbling, fine - they aren't exactly government jobs. They're just jobs paid for by tax dollars. You say potato, I say there's very little difference between a job created by the government and one paid for by it.

No one -  not corporations, individuals, unions, trade groups - should be able to purchase our politicians by financing their elections. The only gifts lobbyists should be able to deliver to legislators and candidates are votes. Influencing our elections with a compelling message that spurs people to come out and vote is what we need. We don't need more semi-truthful manipulative sounds bites in the form of thirty second television advertisements.

Imagine a system where the law makers govern based on their constituents wants, needs and convictions.

Imagine a system where the words of each individual carry the same weight. No checks heavy with zeroes required to make your voice heard.

Imagine a system where the very wealthy don't have an incentive to buy politicians.

Imagine if our legislators actually spent their time working on legislation  instead of hustling for campaign donations. (Okay, that could be scary, but would it be worse?)

Imagine no longer getting an email inbox full of donation requests.

Imagine your vote meaning something again. Even if you're an ideological minority.

Imagine a reduction in campaign advertisements that tell you nothing and yet are dissected tortuously by political pundits.

Imagine elections being about policies instead of religion and birth certificates and dressage horses and dogs on the roofs of cars.

Imagine what could get done if our politicians were focused on outcomes other than their own self-preservation.

Can I get an Amen?

22 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you, Nan! You know down here how muddled the CFA mess was. It wasn't just about politics or policy, it was about civic pride.

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  2. To add to this, I would also like to see politicians banned from becoming lobbyists after their terms.

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    1. Exactly, Chris! Let's end that revolving door now!

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  3. Imagine an election without this year's Mooselini (Paul Ryan, the zombie-eyed granny starver).
    ~

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    Replies
    1. Oy vey, Thunder. It's going to be interesting.

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    2. if Paul Ryan is a Granny Starver, then what is Pres. Obama who cuts $700 million out of Medicare over 10 years?

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  4. Since the airwaves are public, and Congress has in the past been quite strict about the rules for those who use what is private property, it would be the easiest thing in the world to tell all broadcasters that political ads do not need to be paid for. You want a license? That space is reserved. Period. You don't like it? Find someone who might care.

    Of course, this would be simple enough to do and well within the Constitution. Which is why it won't be done. It would eliminate the need for endless fundraising for campaigning for election/re-election, which would remove the power of lobbyists and others over people in or seeking office, and it would remind everyone that the public airwaves are just that.

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    1. I think we'd pretty much need pitchforks and torches to get it done, Geoffrey. There are so many people who have so much to lose in the cha-ching department.

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  5. AMEN...and a big one...the politicians are just puppet men to the corporations tht run our country...and you see where this has gotten us...how can people be going hungry when we are spending millions on millions in campaign advertising? and what does that say about us...the system is broke...and its gonna hurt to fix...

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    1. Brian, the system is desperately broken. It's hard to care, it's so broken. But I do. That pain is coming. The only other option is continued dysfunction. Speaking of pain.

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  6. Amen. In a country where it costs $10k per plate for a little face time with one's legislators it's no wonder they get distorted advice.

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    1. It's ridiculous, isn't it, Susan. Anytime I bother to contact my legislators (both Republicans) all I get in return is a form email telling me why they hold the opposite view. Of course that view seems to be more and more dictated to them from the money men.

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  7. well said.

    picture me in my most whiny preteen voice, "it's no fair! russia gets all the cool protests. i want to tattoo PUSSY RIOT across my chest and storm the streets naked. instead, i have to stop eating 12-count chicken nuggets and sourass lemonade."

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  8. You've been nibbling those magic mushrooms again haven't you?

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  9. The closest CFA to my house is 345 miles away in Boise, Idaho. They don't dare set up shop here in Blue State/libral' college town. The Occupy people, anti discrimination & human rights groups would protest their chicken asses right out of town!
    Any corporation stupid enough to make their business openly prejudiced & discriminatory, deserves what they get, when their business/profits flat line. Nobody really wants all that turmoil served up w a meal.
    As for politics-- one side vows to keep tax cuts for the rich & slash all lifeline programs.
    While the other guy just kept 4 years of tax cuts for the rich.
    Damn! Hold your noses people... election time is near.

    Love your list of things to be fixed... & I'll add 2 more:
    • Broadcast all debates on network TV. Having to be wealthy enough to afford Dish or Cable should not have yet another kick in the shins to the have nots.
    • The press argued in court their "freedom" to omit a candidate from debating, because they prematurely deemed them to be not a viable candidate. Candidates should not be "Kuciniched". denied a place at the debates. Legitimate, registered candidates, should automatically be included in official debating. Freedom of the press should not be twisted and abused to silence candidates they don't agree with. Lord knows we've had to listen to & endure a whole lot of bloviating & brain farts from other hopeless hopefuls who (thankfully) never made it to the starting gate.

    Oh yea-- Amen!

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    Replies
    1. • Broadcast all debates on network TV.
      And live-stream on the intratubes for those that don't get broadcast TV.

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  10. And imagine having this as a musical background to it all! :-)

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  11. No ponies for me, I'd rather have a dragon.

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  12. Well said, friend. Amen and hallelujah.

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  13. Too many of the politicians have been bought (even tho none will admit it) for things to change any time soon.

    One of the things that bothers me is corporate people being appointed to various offices in the government and then going back to business after having done what they could for their own interests!!

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  14. Government creates jobs? Okay, but those jobs create nothing. That's the difference between government jobs and private sector jobs....the private sector creates something of value, that others will spend money to obtain...government jobs take money from private citizens, but create nothing of value that they wish to purchase. More government jobs means more government intrusion in our lives and in our wallets.

    Unless of course you work for the now government run GM (and of course belong to the Union---the Treasury Dept cut off the pensions of 20,000 non-union retirees as part of the GM bailout....

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