Should Democrats respond to "culture of corruption" with CLEAN MONEY

[yurbud]

The proposal requires that candidates get a certain number of small donations, and once they hit that number they get public financing.

This cuts way down on time they have to spend fundraising and bowing and scraping to big money interests.

This also would start to undercut the GOP claim that the Dems aren't putting forward a program of our own.

We have the public's attention on the "culture of corruption" issue, and this is the way to show that it's more than opportunism at the GOPs ham-handedness.

The LEGAL corruption of corporate soft money and $1,000 a plate dinners while legal, is only slightly less offensive than Tom Delay's golf trips to Scotland.

For more on the basic mechanics of it:

http://www.publicampaign.org/

http://www.caclean.org/

[rumpel]

1. A resounding Yes. During the elections in the UK, I had a discussion

on the election board on this issue, and I totally agree with:

"A new kind of politics is taking root in America called Clean Money, Clean Elections (CMCE) campaign finance reform. CMCE reduces the influence of special interest money and provides a level playing field by offering qualified candidates a limited and equal amount of public funds."

That is in principle how it is in the UK, as I undertsand it.

Thanks for the links.

[yurbud]

4. give this VOTES so it stays up then

[blm]

2. I think it's past time on this issue.

When Kerry and Wellsone crafted the Clean Elections bill in the 90s, they were pretty much ignored. Then Feingold and McCain did their bill which received all the attention.

But a few states DID adapt that Kerry/Wellstone bill for their own statewide elections.

With the DeLay scandal, I think more would sign on to a federal bill now.

[populistdriven]

3. YES! and replace the term "grass roots" for "clean money"

[yurbud]

9. yeah, it needs something simpler and catchier

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. But of course!!! We need to overturn the corporate personhood ruling

and the money as free speech ruling. Very important that we clamp down on the waste and corruption that is running rampant out there.

[don954]

6. you betcha

I love the bond idea the DNC has come up with, if just 1 in 100 dems can spair 20$ a month, no more corp money needed.

[yurbud]

7. recommend this thread then!

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. K & R

[Greyhound]

10. Love the patch idea

I even proposed it myself about 6 months ago. I think it has a better chance than getting corporate money out of the system.

[yurbud]

16. I would actually prefer branding, but clothes would cover it.

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. kick

[stray cat]

12. It would have to legislate it for repubs and dems.

Otherwise if Dems do it only they will get slaughtered.

[yurbud]

15. oh yeah--it would be good for a ballot measure too

[cascadiance]

13. Yup, this is THE issue for the coming years to fix things!

I've already pointed to "clean elections" as being a better solution than the redistricting prop many times up until that failure of an election in the California forum. Yes, for sure, it is a very good issue to bring up constantly to remind people of how many problems WOULDN'T be problems if this sort of campaign financing rules were in place. We're trying to get that on 2006 ballot for San Diego with all of this "culture of corruption" here. Reminding people here is especially important! Steve Francis would have had a lot of "splainin'" to do, if these rules happened to have already been in place when he spent tons of money in the July special election for mayor here, which would have triggered a lot of "matching funds" being given to other candidates from a city that sorely needs money from it being mismanaged for so long!

[yurbud]

14. I give money to CA Clean money linked in post

[cascadiance]

17. Help it start in San Diego first!...

San Diego is ground zero now for the Republican "Culture of Corruption" (and Democrat for that matter with Insunza and Zuchette as Dem council members who were recently taken to cour too). Even though I'm not sure all San Diego residents see clearly yet the sources of this sort of corruption (like all of the developers, etc. that contributed to Sanders campaign, who've typically "bribed" past corrupt Republican mayors here too). However, I think with Cunningham, the pension board, mayor Murphy, etc., there is a bad taste in residents here around corruption. That is why they are targeting San Diego initially to get a ballot initiative for 2006. We NEED for it to succeed in San Diego in 2006. That will pave the way for it to work in 2008 for the state, if we're able to improve things with that in place.

http://www.sdace.org/home.htm

Help us get this movement in California started here... It's going to have to start from the ground up. As soon as it passes in California (and perhaps in New York too), that's when it will start to get momentum nationally too.

[rman]

18. Dems problem is, they're corrupt as well.

Just a little less so then the GOP.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2005/12/12/GR2005121200286.html

[yurbud]

19. that's why we need clean money--to clean out DLC, chamber of commerce

types.

without big ticket donors, those candidates would dry up and blow away.

[rman]

20. Sure, but which Dems are going to support it?

A few probably will - but a few won't get it passed.

[yurbud]

21. it's passed in other states because of public support--pols can be forced

to act if public opinion gets ahead of them.

[cascadiance]

22. It's best started from the ground up in communities beset by corruption...

In those communities where they've gone through very visible pain of corruption, like Connecticut, and now here in San Diego, the pols (Democrat or Republican) would be hard pressed to fight it, since it would be in many cases political suicide if they did in those communities. We still don't have the momentum nationwide yet to get it to pass at that level (and having a lot of bipartisan corruption IS a reason for that not happening), but if enough localities and states have passed this and show good results over time, it will start building up steam and start becoming more of a national grass roots movement. We're not there yet, but that's why it is so critical to get it passed in communities where they've "felt the pain". If we can get Diebold to come crashing down now like Enron (which sounds like it might happen), and we can get more wrongdoing found in Ohio (perhaps even their recent special election), then Ohio might be another good targetted state to get clean elections going. Though now it sounds like they need to clear out some of that corruption first before that will happen. Same thing with Florida, if Feeney, Katherine Harris, etc. can be fully exposed soon for their corruption. Sounds like Florida Rethugs are running away from Katherine Harris with those MZM campaign donations hanging around her neck that might bring her down with Cunningham.

We should pick a list of both communities and states that are the *best* targets for this and DU and other groups should attack them from a national perspective to help this pass in those communities. Sooner or later it will get back to your community as well, once the groundswell starts building. Hopefully the momentum will gather steam enough so that at some point, communities don't have to feel the pain of corruption before they act.

[yurbud]

23. If California did it, it would be a bellweather like Shelley & Diebold

Others notice what we do here, and it's no coincidence that the GOP tested out their post-religious right model (Arnold) here.

[jsamuel]

24. I would LOVE it if they can do it!

I don't know much about campaign financing, but I do know that you serve the customers that pay and the ones that are paying the most right now are the companies. That is a shame.

[GreenPartyVoter]

25. kick

[iconoclastNYC]

26. GET YOUR DEMOCRACY BOND

If you think the Democrats should swear off Corporate cash once and for all, buy your Democracy Bond today. You can committ to as little as $10 a month.

Is a clean party worth $10 a month to you?

http://www.democrats.org/democracybonds.html