September 28, 2009
The news makes one sick – and perhaps,
determined to fight for reform.
For months, Congress has debated health care
reforms that shovel $ billions to private insurance, who add no
real value to health care coverage. Indeed, these Wall Street
middlemen profit hugely on the dollars streaming through their
corporate bank accounts, denying claims and screening out sick
folk, while spending hugely on propaganda campaigns and lobbyists
to keep Congress from pulling the plug on their game.
Medicare for all would be ideal. At
minimum, we need a
robust public option; can we get it? Here are some downloadable
fact sheets on the health care reform debate, including
info on lobbying and campaign spending in Congress.
But it's not just at the Wall Street level
that Americans are being taken to the cleaners. Our health care
system is drunk with profit at every level. Consider the Valley
Medical CEO who recently was awarded $1.73 million retirement
pay - to keep him from retiring! Read
the news
Or physicians in McAllen, Texas, who launched
their own investor-owned hospital (Doctors Hospital at Renaissance),
purportedly to offer higher quality care. Why didn't they simply
invest in an upgrade to the public hospitals, instead? Atul Gawande,
MD: The
Cost Conundrum, New Yorker, June 2009.
Now and then, we put a deserving individual
in prison. Norman Hsu, Democratic fundraiser, was recently sentenced
to 24 years for fraud and violating campaign laws. Earlier,
it was Jack Abramoff. Deserving scapegoats, to divert our attention
from the systemic problem?
Democracy for sale?
But the U.S. Supreme Court is considering
a ruling to legalize direct corporate contributions to campaigns
- overturning 100 years precedent in law and public practice.
And a D.C. District Appeals Court recently overturned
FEC rules that limited corporate money for independent
electioneering activity. These court trends are worrisome. Democracy
for sale, anyone?
Generally, only in politics can a financier
spend $3,000 or more, and it's not considered a bribe. Nearly
all $$ for political favors is legal, often hidden from view -
and just as immoral as a bribe. Yet this private cash fuels our
whole campaign and elections system. We should not tolerate it!
Scratch any issue –energy,
health care, environment, tax and budget policy – and we
find special-interest money calling the shots. Who cares?
– except the cost of corruption is passed along to us all!
When government is hijacked for private profit – laws written
by and for lobbyists and their corporate clients – we pay.
Higher prices, higher health care premiums, and unnecessary
taxes. Even worse: political favoritism and deregulation put
the economy in the ditch, prompting $ billions in bailouts
and bonuses for financial executives, while millions of Americans
lost jobs – and paid for the 'privilege'.
Clean Elections –
public financing of campaigns –
will not by itself be a silver bullet to end these outrageous
injustices. But serious reform is essential, so that public-spirited
lawmakers can stare down the special interests and work for the
common good. These challenging times demand an end to the practice
of money rolling in, and favors rolling out.
WPC's progress
Washington Public Campaigns achieved a legislative
victory in 2008 with passage of the Local Option law –
granting permission to cities, counties and ports to establish
public financing of campaigns for local office, at local option
and with local voter approval. WPC
progress report
The sour economy has slowed but not stopped
our progress. Public budget deficits and tight budgets has made
funding unlikely right now for major new programs of public campaign
funding. This, even though voters are more aware than ever that
money is exerting improper influence in lawmaking and public policy.
Health care is a poster-child example, and has been a "teachable
moment" – if only we
learn the lesson and demand public financing of Congressional
campaigns.
So, what to do?
First, In the coming legislative session,
WPC plans once-again to push for approval of a modest judicial
bill – public
financing of state Supreme Court campaigns. The principle
is quite simple: Justice should NOT be for sale! So long as judges
are selected by public election, campaigns for judicial elections
should be financed publicly, not by special interests seeking
favors.
Second, we are pushing our federal
lawmakers to sign on as co-sponsors for the Fair
Elections Now Act, bringing public funding of campaigns
to the U.S. Senate and Congress. It's necessary; and it's overdue
– witness the undue influence
of corporate cash in the health care debate. In the House, a
hearing on the FENA bill was held in July, and there are
now 90
co-sponsors, but it's an uphill climb, and so grassroots
demand is essential.
Third, we are encouraging Seattle to
consider a Voter-Owned Elections program, so that folks can run
for office without being wealthy and without needing well-heeled
financial backers. Seattle once had such a program (1979 to 1991);
it worked well. The point is to remove financial barriers to running
for office – and to remove
the influence of special interest cash deciding who is competitive,
or not. Elections should be about voters and issues, not about
money. VoteClean
Seattle is our local partner in this work.
Do these seem like small steps? –
when what we need is a revolution in campaign financing. Perhaps.
But in a down economy, we need to fight for
what's achievable – while
continuing to build public support for fundamental reforms. These
days, folks are worried about personal income, health and taxes
– for good reason. Like planting
fruit trees for an eventual crop, it takes advance public investment
to create Clean Elections programs –
and the payout make not arrive for a few years. But compared to
the cost of corruption, Clean Elections are a good investment.
WPC needs your support!
We cannot do ANY of this, without your support.
The movement for campaign finance reform is not popular with most
well-heeled financiers. Most are on the other side, playing the
game: cash for favors. So we need YOUR support.
Best would be a small monthly donation –
$5 to $25, whatever it's worth, and affordable, to you. You can
sign up as a monthly sustainer on our website. Cancel
at any time.
Or, contribute one-time on-line. Donate
here
Or, mail a contribution to: WPC, PO Box 70452, Seattle WA 98127-0452.
If you'd like to be tax-deductible, write the check to: WPC Education
Fund, same address.
Regardless, please support Clean Elections.
It's fundamental to progress on everything else we care about.
Thank
you!
~ Craig Salins
Executive Director, Washington Public Campaigns
wpc@washclean.org
www.washclean.org
206-784-2522
