Tracy Bender
Sen. Whitehouse Gives Presentation On 'Dark ...

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse used his time at the confirmation hearing for Judge Amy Coney Barrett to give a presentation about how "dark money" was playing a role in the Supreme Court nomination process.

Sen. Whitehouse Gives Presentation On 'Dark Money' Influence On Supreme Court Nomination
Tracy Bender
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse's Presentation - A Make ...

Last week Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island gave a 30-minute powerful pull-the-curtain-back presentation during his opening remarks at the Senate Amy Coney Barrett SCOTUS confirmation hearing. We highly recommend you set aside a half-hour of Netflix to watch his extraordinarily revealing testimony.

What's the gist? That since Citizens United became law, conservative activists have spent $250 million in a behind the scenes campaign to remake our courts. As Senator Whitehouse points out, "$250 million is a lot to spend if you're not getting anything for it". What did they get? They got 60 percent majority control while representing only about 30% of our country on our most hot button issues, ie., the ACA, Roe v. Wade, same-sex marriage, and voter suppression based on race.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse's Presentation - A Make It Fair Break It Down
Tracy Bender
Help us in the fight to end corruption in our ...

For decades, but particularly since the Citizens United decision, megadonors and lobbyists for special interests have exercised far too much influence within U.S. politics. Megadonors fund those who are the most likely to do legislative favors for the businesses and industries that are the sources of their wealth.

Sadly, America is on the verge of being a full-fledged plutocratic oligarchy: just look at the widening wealth gaps. The middle class, which was the guiding force in our democratic republic, no longer has much political influence.

Massive amounts of money are spent on American political campaigns. According to Open Secrets, an election finance watchdog, a record $6.5 billion was spent during the 2016 election cycle and it's clear our 2020 election cycle will see a new record in spending.

Political candidates are forced to spend a minimum of 5 hours per day raising campaign dollars, which doesn't leave them much time listening to anyone who can't contribute to their coffers in a significant way. There is no other word for this than corruption.

Recently we've seen megadonors get the ultimate payoff for their contributions via a tax plan and deregulatory programs. It's time to take back our power via anti-corruption legislation. Join us in the movement by helping us spread the word.

Help us in the fight to end corruption in our political process...
Tracy Bender
What part of 'money in politics is corruption' ...

Lockheed Martin and Honeywell are just 2 examples of this everyday corruption and lack of fair play in our Government policy. Lockheed Martin was cited for 88 cases of misconduct and paid $767.8M in penalties since 1995, while Honeywell International Inc. paid $741.8M in penalties for 66 instances of misconduct since 1995. There doesn’t seem to be a limit of misconduct to keep contracts from being awarded to law/rule breakers NOR to keep politicians from accepting their money.

We often say, “Don’t hate the players - hate the game” and this is more evidence of just how broken our system is. This article points to high profile Democrats who are benefiting from these power structures. Make It Fair has long noted that the rules are written to force precisely these interactions and outcomes regardless of party. Sadly, the candidate with the most money wins 93% of the time. If a candidate in any competitive district doesn’t hop aboard the money train, they have very little chance of winning. As long as ‘money is voice’ in our political system, it’s clear we should expect corruption as the norm. Until we have legislation that controls money’s influence, we will not see justice and fair play.

Next time you feel frustrated about not being heard by your government representative, just whisper this little truth to yourself: “Oh yeah, the system is rigged.”

What part of 'money in politics is corruption' don't we understand?
Tracy Bender
3 Years and it's the "same ole, same ole".
3 Years and it's the "same ole, same ole".

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New Orleanians Ask For An End To The Government Shutdown

New Orleanians Ask For An End To The Government Shutdown

President Trump visited our city and he was met with protesters demanding an end to the government shutdown.

Long before Donald Trump was elected as our 45th president, protests were becoming more of a regular occurrence. After Barack Obama's election, we regularly saw Tea Party members holding signs on street corners in cities across the country. Why are we taking to the streets? Why the need to chant loudly with a crowd and hold signs for all to see? Could it be because we know it's the only way we'll be heard by our government "representatives"?

We the people are becoming more and more aware that only giant monied interests are represented in our current political system. The current shutdown is another example. A definitive majority of Americans are against this shutdown - AND - the wall, yet we're being ignored. The claim by this administration? It's a national security issue and we need a "steel" wall. HMMM? Steel? Oh yeah, the steel industry was giant supporters of the GOP and Mr. Trump's campaigns. Terrorists come in through airports, not the Mexican border. If it was about National Security, we wouldn't leave those responsible for protecting our airport traffic unpaid, bitter, anxious, and angry.

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