Campaign Finance Reform Update
Fair Elections Action Week, is on November 12-16, when activists all over the country will be organizing events to demand Fair Elections. Renowned author Frances Moore Lappé “Diet for a Small Planet” examines campaign finance reform through the eyes of Deborah Simpson, a smart, civic-minded former waitress and single mother who ran for a seat in Maine’s legislature under that state’s Clean Election law, and won! Comments by everyday Americans despairing over our Big Money-dominated political system are juxtaposed with Simpson’s inspirational story. I stumbled on this short video at the True Courage Network
To me the best value of my time and energy is to help reform our system so that we have an increasing proportion of pragmatic leaders who are objective and fair minded. Imagine what a Congress dominated by these kinds of folks could do with Health, Energy, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Immigration, Taxes, Earmarks, Redistricting, Entitlements… Imagine the quality of decisions made by a body not controlled by Unions, Corporations, Big Oil, Pharma, Big donors…
Public Finance of Elections is sort of the gift that keeps on giving.
5 Responses to “Campaign Finance Reform Update”
[...] Original post by Paul Silver [...]
[...] Original post by Paul Silver [...]
I’m rooting for the success of reform and much appreciate those working to get it done.
It would be interesting to learn how Maine’s legislators who have been elected under Clean Election Laws are in fact different than ones who were not. I share Paul’s enthusiasm. But I wonder what the result is. Does anyone know if the same decisions being made before are still being made? Do legislators spend their time differently? Are there fewer lobbyists in Maine that 10 years ago? Etc.
[...] Paul Silver created an interesting post today on Campaign Finance Reform Update.Here’s a short outline:Renowned author Frances Moore Lappé “Diet for a Small Planet†examines campaign finance reform through the eyes of Deborah Simpson, a smart, civic-minded former waitress and single mother who ran for a seat in Maine’s legislature under … [...]