Election Reform

Why We Need Election Reform – a simple overview

“Oppression bred Rebellion and Apathy bred Oppression”

In 1776 it was – “Give us Liberty or Give us Death!”

in 2016 it’s – “Give us Election Reform or witness Democracy’s Death!

Our Forefathers under an oligarchic (rich/elites controlling government) stopped tyrannical rule in the 1700’s by   fighting for “self-rule.” Democracy defined is where governed peoples ALLOW their  government to represent them and  chosen to replace the tyranny of the British.

Democratic governance meant, 1 CITIZEN = 1 VOTE, ensuring all people could decide whom they wanted to represent their views. That was the initial theory, but it actually took another 150 years for “all” to mean ALL. (See: Supreme Court: Reynolds v. Sims 1964 ruling, and also see: Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling. As my littlest nephew used to say when frightened, “scare-stuff!)

Our experiment in Democracy yielded a nation our starters could not conceive today in both its complexity and power. In 170 years (1776-1945) our Democracy went from a ragtag of family-farmers fighting the most powerful army of the day (British) to BEING the most powerful county and army in mankind’s history!

Our new “Country/Empire” used Democracy’s platform in its first 170 years BUT in our last 80 we see it sliding dangerously close back to the Oligarchiconly our founders fought against. What went wrong, when, and how can it be reversed? Below are a few thoughts and facts on the subject showing if we want a TRUE democracy back, we are going to need massive election reforms.

Our 2 reasons we’re heading toward oligarchic rule.   1. Greed and 2. Apathy

REASON 1. – GREED (& POWER)

Allowing Corporations to have “Legal-Identities” AND “same rights as an individual” (in many cases Corps have more rights) starts the dismantling of a Democracy. When a group of people are allowed to unite, “for-profit” under one “Identity/Corporation” having the same inalienable rights (i.e. to vote etc. see: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, No. 08-205, 558 U.S. 310 (2010) as a single individual citizen you’ve just undermined the “one Citizen = one Vote” premise of democratic rule. (See: Chief Justice Earl Warren’s Supreme Court 1963)

A common type corporation for influencing politics is called a Shell Corp., which is a protecting SHELL to some parent corporation. A reasonable definition is: a company, which serves as a vehicle for business transactions without itself having any significant assets or operations (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_corporation)

A Corporations most valuable tool is its ability to layer itself for protection. Layering keeps individual owners from being sued if their product/service is faultily or incurs debt. This ability to not be held accountable both stimulates an atmosphere of “do what you want” and instills a “ an individual is immune from repercussions of their actions”. Layering also allows corporate entities to hide note only their identity’s but also their “gratuities” (not just salaries) making “accountability” even more elusive. In the hands of the devious they can truly become a “hall of smoke and mirrors.”

Put into office by hefty donations from corporations the “campaign financed politician” then favors his supporters with “friendly” legislation, “special” tax structuring, or appointments unavailable to the average citizens. This now normal practice is best described “pay to play.” Today you want to get in office you find a sponsor(s) who pay for your running with donations meeting campaign contributions per that state or Presidential guidelines BUT then “really” get you elected by what is knows as “Gerrymandering”

FACT: A Corporation’s main goal is to make profit (make money for the owners beyond their salaries and perks) to that end owners use ALL legal (many times not soooo legal) means to enhance it.   Boiled down this “Shell of Layers” way of doing business has bred a foundation of “GREED & POWER.” Call it what you want but the ole proverbial rose is still a rose, and its manure still stinks! If a group of entrepreneurs really wanted to make a profit, providing a quality product or service, they can do so in a fair manner, without needing to hide behind a shell. They like all of us, can let supply and demand dictate their margins, but our legislators “for whatever reason” (we ALL KNOW the reason its called $$$BUCKS$$$) has chosen to favor them with “unique” special privileges. “They bezzzz liked pimped out hoes” as I heard from a construction guy a while back telling me his views on our elected officials.

Lets look at one industries’ collective of corporations, holding strong ties to government legislative support and funding. Of course is not the only industry chipping away at our failing democratic process, others include the Pharmaceutical, Fuel, Banking and Insurance industries to name a few. (Also there are Conglomerates like MONSANTO (now Bayer) if you prefer to get the “gumbo” version of a corporations influence into politics. They have tendrils in so many sectors I cannot list them here and even if I wanted as they’re not all available to us, the public. – Bad juju.)

ONE EXAMPLE of GREED & POWER: This “Example” special -interest industry really took hold at the end of WWII. President Eisenhower expressed the treat using the term “the Military Industrial Complex.” (Google: “Eisenhower 1961, farewell address”).

This “Complex” spooled up in the late 30’s & early 40’s when small facilities and factories making assorted goods like bikes, cars, sewing machines etc. and smaller local banks supporting them were asked by government to enter the war effort and produce guns, tanks, aircraft and ships instead. Other factions of American enterprises were asked to produce support materials like fuel, clothing, medical supplies and focus on R&D advances. Other services like the media were hired to promote the war-effort and banking was issued “assurances” and “incentives” to finance all these new corporations and interests. We needed to “re-tool” and reroute America’s resources, both men/woman and materials (who remembers how the whole country united and bought war bonds, grew victory gardens etc. to help the effort?) It worked, we won! It’s common knowledge among historians that was because we could produce quickly, and in quantity, we UNITED against a threat! (NOTE: Societies uniting against destructive forces and the repercussions it they don’t, will be covered in another blog called “History as a Science” using sources to show the absolute need for societies to not get segmented.)

After the war in 1949 a restructuring took place and what we had called our “Department of War” became known as “The Department of Defense it was and still is America’s oldest and largest government agency (see: http://www.defense.gov/About-DoD.)

Here is where the problem starts. With the war over and this “Military Complex” was remiss to let go of the governments enacted legislations for funding. The newly formed “Defense Corporations” (defense now not War) quickly became focused on creating lobbyists and supporters to jointly keep ramming money (large, large, sums of money) into their war goods. They really didn’t want to stop “the gravy train” and go back to making sewing machines for “chump change.” They had tasted the teat of the golden cow born in the land of milk n honey and then kill the cow by over milking, to keep that nectar($) coming. They are out to keep producing their high-priced, ships, planes, missiles etc.

At that stage “Special Interests” and their lobbyists rolled on DC like Grant took Richmond in mass, fighting for future budget funding. Since then we see, right or wrong, justified or not, America involved in virtual “non-stop conflicts” since WWII ended. I.E. Korean War, Cuba incursion, Vietnam War, Dominican Republic Incursion, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Gulf War(s), Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan (covert in the 70’s and overt-now,) the Iraq War, and be sure to add the current Libya/Syria issues. Also we shouldn’t forget the “secret” (or maybe better named the filler wars,”) in Pakistan, Lebanon, Simba, Thailand/Burma (Shan), DRC and all the while we living under such nom-de-guerre’s as “the Cold War”, “the War on Drugs”, “and the War on Terror.” You get the point, the military industrial complex has existed for almost 80 years now and we’ve been in a conflict those past 80 years. Hmmmmm.

On the government side we have a political system needing vast sums of money to “stay in power” thus politicians have HUGE appetites to fund their campaigns, push legislation, and create positive public image of themselves. At the top of the political food chain (President) we see the “dangled carrot” of power and money that office holds. Jonathan Turley of George Washington University states: “Not only does war maximize the inherent powers of the president, but it maximizes the budgets for military and homeland agencies.   So who is running the show? How do we say “Oligarchiconly”??? (Hint- “small group of powerful and rich ruling)

Business, even big business, is mandatory in a functioning and productive economy. In a Democracy a solid, well-grounded business is (or should be) free to flourish on its own merit being subject to the laws of “supply and demand.” Inversely what a democratic business cannot be is a shell (corporation) to protect greedy actions and support unaccountability for those actions. It must not be allowed to control trade (privateering), domestic competition (monopolies), or buy and install elected government officials (Lobbyists-middlemen brokers for corporations purchase of legislation & Superpacs- funders of brokers.)

Business-YES! Corporations with rights of an individual citizen and shells to protect crooks- NO!

Reason 2 – Apathy

The adage “War brings Peace, and Peace Brings War” reflects when a group of people/society is threatened by a superior group/force they must ban together for survival. America is a classic example by being ruled underdogs that become an empire-nations. America quickly rose to the “top-dog” position, because all the colonists were threatened and desperate to be rid of the Britain’s subjugation. Once committing to rebellion they had no options but surrender or die. Both powerful impetus’s to succeed.

By uniting they survived by vanquishing their protagonist. Unified, collaborated efforts by local farmers, shopkeepers, and other citizens within their state who then worked toward uniting all of the 13 colonial states forming a collective able to field an army and unified identity tipping the scales in their favor against a larger, better equipped, trained foe.

From that rebellion our society began to flourished on its own merit meeting new challenges, working through growing pains and while staying unified. The glue was our Democratic system of “one person = one vote”. In that unity production increased, security and stability were fostered and greater rewards for the average citizen were seen. Over time, luxuries formerly only known to the elite become commonplace. Education, health facilities, refrigeration, Heat and air-conditioning, phones, supermarkets, well paying employment for only 40 hours of work created a lifestyle where the average person had extra cash and time to relax.  By comparison to our forefathers generation(s) we have more selection of foods, more products to buy, more choices in career’s and we can afford more luxury’s, annual vacations, and hobbies. We have more free time for self-interests we have become soft and self-centered. We are fatter, lazier, and less likely to participate in our own governance. The Pew Research Center showed in its 2012 “By International Standards, U.S. Voter Turnout is Low” report that the US is number 18^th of the worlds developed countries in voter turnout. And 2102 was one of our better years!

The simple-truth is over time “abundance” weakened our sense of unity. No longer are we group-focused but rather self-focused. As I’ve heard it called we’re in a period where “all is competition” an age of “us against them.” The “them,” being someone not from your town, state, region or country. The “them” being different in religion, race, culture, or sexual orientation. It’s everywhere. The signs are all around us, self, selfies, selfie’s, SELFIES! My god I watched two young collage women spend their entire 2 hours at the beach just taking selfie’s of themselves! They didn’t talk to anyone, swim, sunbath, read a book or even people watch. They were oblivious to life around them. How many inane pictures do we need of ourselves anyway? Hell when we croak “just maybe” the kids will keep your photos and see them as valuable but after that pics of our mugs are just vanity.

We’ grown softer and softer, we’ve gotten lazier, lethargic and have dumb-downed, and not just physically but mentally and emotionally too. We’ve become apathetic, too busy taking “selfies” to NOTICE what’s going on around us which is that there are too many MORE FOCUSED forces (not all for the good) taking control of our systems and our lives. (See: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201103/are-americans-getting-dumber)

By our apathy we have actually handed over our precious Democracy to a “small group of powerful and rich (and greedy)” entitles who are more than happy to tell “how to think.” I’m referring to our “bought n paid for” news sources, each with its own agenda. We are too busy “taking selfies” to read a book, review a situations background or attend a town hall meeting. DEMOCRACY- USE IT or LOSE IT! (See: Pulitzer Prize winning Richard Hofstadter, 1964 Anti-Intellectualism In American Life. Charles Pierce, Idiot America, or Bauerlein’s the Dumbest Generation to name a few)

Food For Thought: Ideological causes raise less money than business (corporations) do but need less money, since those are issues voters typically pay attention to. Contrast that with a special interest motivated bill that pits doctors against insurance companies, or cable TV operators against the Hollywood studios. On those issues, money and lobbyists can be the deciding factor, since voters are unlikely to get involved. That’s how it works. WE the average citizens are “OUT OF THE EQUATION!” We need to enact election reform to curb the powers of special interest groups, get involved and regain our “WILL” the will OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, and FOR THE PEOPLE! Or we will have “the will of the Corporations, by the Corporations, and NOT for the People.

Thoughts on HOW TO GET BACK TO A “1 PERSON = 1 VOTE”

• Create REAL Campaign Enforcement: One of the biggest open secrets in Washington is that the agency that’s supposed to oversee and enforce the campaign finance laws — the Federal Election Commission — is notoriously ineffective and designed that way. Campaign finance has been deviously structured in our legal system so it is LEGAL! How clever the forces against a TRUE democracy are. (See: https://www.opensecrets.org/resources/dollarocracy/08.php)
• Reverse Supreme Courts Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision-, which created new SuperPac’s and was a blatant “special interest” backed ruling. (See: OLR Research Report March 2, 2010 2010-R-0124 (https://www.cga.ct.gov/2010/rpt/2010-R-0124.htm)
• Single Presidential terms of (6yrs) – It eliminates “long term service to a handler hoping to keep them in for two terms and gives the elected time to effect some serious legislation w/out being influenced by “staying in” another term and needing to spend most of that time seeking reelection funding.
• Publicly Financing Campaign – Approx. $10 annually from ALL taxed individuals is said to more than pay for this freedom from “special interests” direct contributions to a candidate. See: http://politicalpartytime.org
• Stop on-going election Partying during terms of service. – Politicians spend on average 2 hours a day “actually performing legislative duties!” the rest is largely used to attend functions leading to reelection funding. When it costs an average of $1.4 million to run a successful U.S. House campaign, and you’ve got just two years to raise that money, you don’t have much choice. Senators have six-year terms, so they’ve got more time to raise it — but their campaigns can cost more than six times the typical House race. See: https://www.termlimits.org/congress-fundraising-priority

• Instant Runoff voting so people have the ability (in the booth) Instant runoff voting would allow voters to rank their choices on the ballot. If their first choice fails to garner enough votes to win, their votes will instantly be lumped onto their second choice, so on and so forth. So in the aforementioned example, if the third party progressive failed to win, a voter could choose to have their votes go directly to the conservative Democrat,

• National Holiday–Voting Day &Same-Day Registration which allows those who “cannot miss work” and take several days off to register one day and vote on another. In this age of depositing checks via Iphone and “electronically” signing legal binding contracts we should have no problem enacting “register at the booth” capabilities. Hell most of the current voting tech used around this country is from the 60’s anyway and doesn’t work half the time, just go has Florida about all those “hanging chads” I be they would be the first to modernize the system (or so you’d think.)
• Non-Partisan Polling managers- using the taxes mentioned above each district has a non-affiliated state controller per federal elections organized elections in that state. All states would follow the “standardized” format using “standardized voting registration equipment.”

• End Gerrymandering We must have oversight on setting up voting districts so they do not slant or impede the electoral see: www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/03/01/this-is-the-best-explanation-of-gerrymandering-you-will-ever-see

• TAX and TARIFF imports from US registered and former US based Corps who have taken their production overseas! If they want the safety, the security and the PROTECTION afforded by being a US registered business then they have to be a US BUSINESS, making it here, using US labor. At first our pricing will go up for many goods BUT that’s where we all as citizens have to suck it up and get through that transitional period to where we can take back control of our own economy and welfare. Right now we get “cheap” goods but at the loss of jobs, financial security, industrial longevity and WORSE in doing so we are supporting cruel regimes using what is no different than slave labor. “MAN UP AMERICA.” Toughen up, bit the bullet (like our Forefathers did for us so we’d have a better life) and leave our kids and future generations with something besides a hollow government and a huge national debt!

BASICS to KNOW

Fact, we’re a two party system, limiting our choices: Campaigns with money (only 2 parties control can reach voters — with commercials, flyers, mailings — more often and often more effectively. Candidates with minimal cash have a hard time just getting voters to recognize their name. Just look at the libertarian parties candidates, they cannot even get invited into the debates! (to see all parties running & write-ins: http://www.politics1.com/p2016.htm)

Gerrymandering– the dividing of a state, county, etc., into election districts so as to give one political party a majority in many districts while concentrating the voting strength of the other party into as few districts as possible.

Incumbents: existing holder of a office or post in government.

SuperPacs (PAC’s) (Political action committees, many times formed as a “shell” by other interests) There are about 4,000 PACs giving actively in federal elections. Most are sponsored by corporations, trade associations and other business and professional groups like the American Medical Association. The money comes not from the sponsoring organization, but from its employees or members. (That’s how they get around the 100-year-old ban on corporate and union contributions to federal candidates.)statistically give more money to those (incumbents) in power. “As surely as water flows downhill, money in politics flows to where the power is”

Special Interest Groups (SIG’s) There are literally hundreds seeking to promote their agendas by way of the wallet — from Big Oil to Big Labor, pharmaceutical companies to cable TV operators, and a full spectrum of ideological groups from the Sierra Club to the National Rifle Association. The money they deliver to politicians, year after year, is what pays the biggest part of the bill for American elections.

The biggest contributions each year comes from the financial sector, (powerhouses like the insurance industry, banks, investment firms and real estate. Investors for the long-term agenda. Whether the issue is health care reform, banking regulation (and bailouts), or oversight of Wall Street, the financial sector speaks with the loudest voice in Washington — both in campaign contributions and in lobbying.

Biggest supporters of incumbents – are long-term, ongoing donors, giving every election year because strategic donors — PACs, lobbyists and interest groups — want access to lawmakers for their issues emerging many times over their careers. Major bills often take years to grind through legislation.

Races for Congress are not even competitive. See stats at: https://www.opensecrets.org/resources/dollarocracy/03.php this is a good site for data on the subject of elections basics.