Corporate thieves are stealing our resources and making off like bandits. Whether it’s Nike sweatshops stealing human labor, or Kimberly-Clark clear-cutting ancient rainforests, our shared resources are being stolen, packaged, marketed and sold back to us (that is, if we can afford it).
When corporate representatives get elected to government or appointed to non-profit boards, we get disaster in public policy. George Bush and Dick Cheney have been great examples of that.
Recently, the State of Florida gave Nestle Corporation the right to steal the people’s water–as much as it can–from the drought-distressed Madison Blue Springs State Park. For this right, they will pay absolutely nothing for the next 10 years.
Hard to believe? You can read more here.
And before we think it’s far from home and we don’t need to pay attention, did you know that for the last 10 years the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, a state-chartered government agency, has contracted wastewater treatment out to private companies?
I wonder who sits on their board?
11 Apr 2008 | 4:45 pm | Water, Representation | No comments yet - Add your comments
It was a very close race. Nik gave a great speech about humbleness in serving, and reaching out to Patrick and folks in his campaign.
Nik Kovac . . . . . . . . . . 4,292 50%
Patrick Flaherty . . . . . . . 4,221 49%
The people’s power called this one in. And every vote counted.
Thank you, everyone. Each one individually, and all of us together.
Sura
2 Apr 2008 | 2:12 am | Representation, 3rd District | No comments yet - Add your comments
On Feb 1, we should have access to all candidates’ Campaign Finance Reports. We’ll have another opportunity on Feb. 12 to see how much money was raised, and where it was spent.
Because I began my campaign for office before Mike D’Amato stepped down, I’ve thought a lot about campaign money. At the last report, he had close to $150K in his campaign chest.
At that time, I had people tell me either that I couldn’t win against an incumbent (based on my time at the doors, I think that was far from true, and people’s votes count more than money) or that I needed to raise $75,000 to beat him (money shows how strong you are. Money allows you to do massive mailings).
I don’t believe that.
I’ve raised my fair share of money, from $1 through the maximum individual donation of $417. But I’m also concerned about our local political climate. Something’s very wrong when we allow money to dictate representation.
I think we need clean and fair elections and meaningful campaign finance reform. I think a limit on how much can be raised, not from any given individual, but in total donations, would force candidates to actually go out and meet people, not just court the people with money. Or better yet, a limit on how much can be spent, so that independently wealthy candidates can’t buy their way in.
After all, this is about public service, right?
I hope all the other candidates agree with me on this.
But until there are clean elections, take heed and follow the money.
30 Jan 2008 | 10:54 am | Representation, 3rd District | No comments yet - Add your comments
The results of a poll by the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute are in.
The bad news is that Wisconsin citizens are feeling disillusioned with government and pessimistic about the economy and the direction the state is taking. And it’s no wonder. Only 2% trust state government to do what is right most of the time, and 82% think lobbyists have the most power over state spending.
But there’s a silver lining to this cloud, and that’s that it looks like people are getting politically engaged and thinking about solutions. According to the poll results, 40% of Wisconsinites now view themselves as political independents. That’s well over the number who consider themselves either Democrat (29%) or Republican (25%). I think this means that we are past the 2-party system, and politician will need to move toward popular consensus regardless of party affiliation.
Additionally, almost 3/4 of the people polled want to see term limits for state office. I would like to have this conversation on the local level too. I think, in general, term limits are healthy for democracy and help engage more people — not just as voters, but as candidates as well. And if you don’t have a good pool of candidates, it doesn’t matter how many people vote.
17 Dec 2007 | 1:58 pm | Representation | No comments yet - Add your comments
Representation is fundamental to the history of our Democracy. Cries of “No taxation without representation” or “When in the Course of human events…” are at the core of what it means to be American.
As our Declaration of Independence says, “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government.”
When the government no longer represents the governed, it is time for change. We can wait until it’s so bad that only a revolution will suffice. Or we can evolve now, as the “governed” to consent to a new kind of governance, one that is of the people, by the people, for the people, is responsive to the people.
11 Sep 2007 | 11:08 am | Representation | No comments yet - Add your comments
