Spin from the Swamp
By SwampStompper
“The Oracle of the Okefenokee”
“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” ~Confucius
Lately a lot has been discussed concerning money in Politics with emphasis on Citizens United. The Right spinning money equals free speech and that the Left is deceitful in their calling it “Corperations are People” On the Left as the Right points out they are speaking endlessly about Corps being people but they weren't telling you Mitt confirmed to the world that C.A.P.s truly are and entitled to 1st amendment protections.
I am a simple man but I can see the corrupting influence that money has fostered in our country over the years. I have seen so much negativity generated form both sides and as the money flies in so does the frequency of the attacks. Neither side is free of blame which extends from the lowliest School Member to the President of the United States.
These attacks are attempts to return the nation to a long ago time before the New Deal … but this is another Blog!
Keeping it simple: it is obvious to a Blind man that the money needs to be removed, but if you think in today's political climate anything will be passed then I am afraid you are baying a coonless tree.
Too much emphasis is put on the money cost of Public Financing for truly the biggest cost is media which has to abide by and isw subject to the FCC which monitors and allocates bandwidth, frequency and compliance to regulations. These cost can be absolved by equal time mandates at no charge to the campaigns as a licencing requirement. By no means should they be unlimited nor as frequently as they are today. Something like 1 minute per campaign every 2 to 4 hours.
Ban PAC ads from all media to include the Internet and printed news, thus keeping campaigns totally responsible for their message.
All interactions with Lobbyist must be recorded and placed on the Internet for free Public purview before during and in between elections.
Removing the media cost leaves travel, lodging, salaries and clerical/promotional supplies. These expenses can be paid by a grant of whatever figure all feel fair and can be supplemented by private donations of 25 to 100 dollars up to 400 per candidate per campaign year.
After the election all war chest leftovers are returned to the Treasury through bond purchases only redeemable upon the start of the next campaign.
Only allow Campaigns to last 6 to 8 months and Ban endless campaigns
With these simple doable reforms maybe our elected officials will begin to govern rather than endlessly campaigning and without all the money influencing the Body Politic maybe just maybe campaigns will have to move to a more positive goals oriented vain.
Lastly let me leave you with this little gem:
Thus the scene of the tragedy of Liberty world over must be suffering and discontent among the people. The drama moves swiftly in a torrent of words in which real purposes are disguised in portrayals of Utopia; idealism without realism; slogans, phrases and statements destructive to confidence in existing institutions; demands for violent action against slowly curable ills; unfair representation that sporadic wickedness is the system itself; searing prejudice against the former order; dismay and panic in the economic organization which feeds on its own despair. Emotions rise above reason. The man on horseback, ascending triumphantly to office on the steps of constitutional process, demands and threatens the parliament into the delegation of its sacred power. Then follows consolidation of authority through powerful propaganda in the pay of the state to transform the mentality of the people. Resentment of criticism, denunciation of all opposition, moral terrorization, all follow in sequence. The last scene is the suppression of freedom. Liberty dies of the water from her own well- free speech- poisoned by untruth. In the Epilogue the dreams of those who saw Utopia are shattered and the people find they are marching backward toward the Middle Ages- as regimented men.
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