Subject: Re Campaign Finance Reform (Anon)(Kelley)..
Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 140313 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Roy L. Beavers"
To: emfguru
--------------------------------------------------
..........Forwarded by EMF-L.......
.....It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.....
NEW!!! Website... http://emfguru.com
...................People are more important than profits.................
DO YOU KNOW OF OTHERS WHO SHOULD BE ON THIS LIST???
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 01 May 2000 11:30:23 -0700
From: Libby Kelley
To: "Roy L. Beavers" , emfguru
Cc: john_mccain@mccain.senate.gov, gephardt@mail.house.gov
Subject: Re: Campaign Finance Reform (Anon)..
Dear Roy,
Your "anon" message intrigued me and I offer this "open letter" to your
source. As a former U.S. government employee, I understand obligation
federal employees have to their employer. Historically, there have been
times when there has been a disconnect between the will of the people and
public policy. Federal employees feel caught in an ethical and moral
squeeze when they are forced to implement undesirable policies. They have
no choice but to do the will of the administration or leave. Some are able
to survive this torturous situation because, they want to be there to deter
the ''worst case future scenario" from evolving. My deepest respect goes
to these federal employees who stand as witnesses to these difficult times.
To me, the past thirty years have brought many big political and economical
ups and downs. These days we are bouncing on the bottom. I hope the upswing
begins soon.
What "Gate" will we euphemistically call these days in the future? Do we
want our world to be so technology driven that the human species is not
longer needed? Bill Joy, founder and CEO of Sun Microsystems, wrote a
20,000 word essay on that question in the April issue of Wired News and I
highly recommend reading it. Will we see a future where technology is
included in the definition of a "natural person" with constitutional
rights? No thank you.
What concerns me more is the apathy and disinterest on the part of the
citizens outside the walls of government. They too can be non-responsive
or uncaring. The battle we are engaged in absolutely requires the full
participation of legions of people, working collectively. In order to get
our weakened democracy to work on our behalf, we need to demand
accountability from elected officials and work for major reforms. The
major damper on this is money from corporations and we desperately
need campaign financing reform. Until "We The People", are willing to
disregard our immediate return on investment, including shareholder return
and act together in calling for public financing of elections and return to
the real definition of the "natural" person, the degredation of democracy
will continue. We need to reestablish touch with some key life priorities
and money should not be at the top of the list. Wake up people, before we
lose all our rights.
Libby Kelley
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Mon, 01 May 2000 10:26:30 -0700
>From: xxxxxxxxxx
>To: rbeavers@llion.org
>Subject: Campaign Finance Reform
>
>
>Roy,
>
> Should you find any interest in posting this suggestion, please do so
>anonymously.
>
>
> Since the evolution of the Corporate Society, during the 20th
> (and now
>21st) century the American citizen has increasingly become an observer
>of or bystander to the political process. What once was considered a
>sacred right, enfranchisement, has been all but abandoned by the
>disheartened and cynical populace.
> We have come to this sorry state primary because of the
>disproportionate influence now exercised by corporate doners whose funds
>increasingly dominate the electoral process.
> Campaign finance reform, seemingly the remedy needed to restore the
>process to its intended form, has been debated incessantly. But little
>is accomplished with the proposed "tweaks" to the perverse system. This
>is because those who would propose remedies are typically part of the
>indentured political elite.
> A simple, perhaps too simple, solution which could much reduce the
>corrupting influences is to mandate by legislation or constitutional
>amendment as follows:
>
> ***** Only natural persons eligible to vote may provide
> contributions
>to candidates for public office or those holding public office and any
>such contibutions may derive solely from the natural persons personal
>assets or wealth.*****
>
>
> By providing for this limitation to "natural persons" we put an
> end to
>the corporate funding except through individuals affiliated with a
>corporation and even then subject to the limitations now in place. And,
>at the same time we reduce the prospect of foreign influence on our
>electoral process.
>
> This doesn't mean to say that everyone will be able to
>participate/contribute equally. But it does put the process back in the
>hands of living, breathing people.
>
> I'm confident that there are flaws in this naive proposal. For one
>example, what's to stop corporations from funneling money to candidates
>through employees or directors? Would not accounting practices identify
>such activities?
>
> Let's hear what the Guru's group thinks.
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Reprinted with permission of Roy Beavers, http://www.emfguru.com