Money has bought our politics. Only we the people can take it back. But, HOW?
I have asked a professional lobbyist and a series of Constitutional scholars. They tell me that it will require a large, unrelenting, organized group aligned around a Constitutional Amendment to Get Money Out of politics.
So here is a draft of an Amendment and here is a petition to start the movement.
Read the Amendment and add your signature.
Our goal is to get a large, unrelenting, organized group to sign on to a petition asking our politicians to ban money in politics. If we can get it big enough, we can use my show on MSNBC as a platform to force this issue to the center of next year's Presidential debate. Without you I am just a talking head. With you we are 100,000 American s for Justice.
So join us, at GetMoneyOut.com
All of us know the problem, in our gut. I exploded this summer, in a "mad as hell" moment that went viral on the internet. You responded, but you too are Mad as Hell. But we also know that anger and logic are only useful if we turn our collective energy into positive action.
So join us, at GetMoneyOut.com
Our politicians know the problem, too. But they aren't going to fix the problem because if one of them forfeits money, the others will quickly find that person easy to beat. Instead, all of them must be forced to disarm at the same time. That will only happen if we the people, a large unrelenting, organized group, tell the politicians to Get Money Out.
So join us, at GetMoneyOut.com
There are serious legal questions around any Constitutional amendment. What will it do? How extensive can it be? My own sense is that the strongest amendments are a few paragraphs and lay out a simple and strong set of principles. I've asked Jimmy Williams, a frequent guest on my show and an experienced lobbyist, to come up with draft text. He's a lobbyist who has become as disgusted as we are at the fetid stench coming from DC, and he knows as well as anyone how corrupting money can be in our politics. He's been there.
But the legal questions are frankly small. More importantly, how do we make this happen? I believe we can make this happen by forming an army of Americans who want to get money out, and putting that front and center in 2012. We'll start with something simple: the voices of 100,000 of us.
That is our challenge. Add your name.
And send me ideas at Dylan@DylanRatigan.com on how we can build a movement to Get Money Out. The clock is ticking, so let's get to it.
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IT IS TIME TO UNITE !
Every occupy movement, the tea party, United Republic the Dylan Ratigan. We must unite for the cause. Do to the capitalistic globalization what we do here effects the world eventually they will have to join us. Form the United Tea party
Perhaps this amendment makes more sense:
"Only individuals may contribute to political parties, and only individuals and political parties may contribute to political campaigns. Congress shall set maximum limits on contributions by individuals in order to prevent unfair influence."
This simple amendment to the Constitution will—
• end the influence of big money in politics, whether from corporations or labor unions, from lobbyists or advocacy groups, from David Koch or George Soros;
• greatly limit the budgets of all campaigns (yes, no more incessant TV and radio advertising), allowing good candidates who simply lack money to compete;
• allow political parties to distribute money to campaigns as they wish—but still with money contributed by individuals, not special interests; and
• free representatives from constantly seeking campaign dollars; their best fundraising effort will be simply speaking to the public, not cozying up to the wealthy.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pass-the-Only-Individuals-Amendment/204592539570016
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/cerabino-politicians-ought-to-put-brakes-on-nascar-1936006.html
To say “campaign contributions...shall not constitute speech” is not to say that restricting expenditures for the purpose of restricting speech shall not be subject to First Amendment scrutiny.
Dylan wrote: “But the legal questions are frankly small.”
That’s some excuse for not answering them.
"People played by the rules, worked hard and got shafted by the banks."
Or, as one lawmaker said (on Meet the Press, I think) the banks got a $700b tax-payer bailout - and the tax payers got a bill - and a $5 fee to acces their own money.
Denver Unemployment Examiner
I have some ideas:
A MANDATED SPENDING LIMIT on the amount of money a candidate can spend on his/her campaign. This would level the playing field and allow ordinary people to compete with the big guys
.
DISPERSE CONGRESS Corporate America now does business over the internet and congress can do the same. By sending congressmen back to where they came from they will be able to interact more effectively with the people and the people can keep a closer eye on them.
IMPROVE SECURITY American corporations now have to maintain a security system that monotors every communication to search for keywords that trigger a closer security check. The software is already developed and in use by corporations, it would be easy to apply it in congress.
AN HONEST DAY'S WORK FOR AN HONEST DAY'S PAY Eliminate the Congessional Recesses. Americans receive a two week long vacation every twelve months and so should their leaders.
MAKE CONGRESS MEMBERS GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES. During the recent debates about saving money congress members managed to slip through a bill increasing their own compensation. Congress members should become Federal employees assigned a "GS" level like all other federal employess.
LETS KEEP MOVING