White: Getting it right: Money out of politics

Opinion - santa clarita news
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In his Op-Ed in the Aug. 2 issue of The Signal, Gary Horton asks: “Why are we a culture that has become so rigidly divided by so many differences, rather than coming together for the betterment of all?”

He notes – and I believe correctly – that we and nearly all Americans agree on 97 percent of nearly every issue that surrounds us. He also questions whether corporate money flowing through politics has made the electorate unwitting pawns in what seems to have become a corrupt national democracy.

However, we note that, even though the next election is over a year away, three election hopefuls for the June 2018 primary ballot have already raised between them $316,000.

Take a close look at the sources of funding for each candidate; study this carefully! Diligently view the range in the size of contributions and in the sources.

One of the candidates was able to loan himself $37,000 to kick off his campaign; another’s lowest contribution was “several donations @ $125.” Yet another, with the lowest overall contribution, has received a donation as low as $10, and others received small “grassroots” amounts.

We always need to track who our candidates receive donations from during every election, as this is some indication of how they will represent us if and when elected.

Long ago I had a friend who was born in the South and spoke with a bit of a drawl. One of his favorite sayings went something like this: “You dance with the one what brung ya!”

So true of politics! Once elected, the candidate needs to dance to the tune of his or her donors, and the desires of large donors are significantly more important than those of the smaller ones, in most cases. We can see how this has happened in the past, and, unless there are changes in election laws, it will continue.

It is quite possible that we will extricate ourselves from this miserable animosity only when we are able to get money out of politics and are once again able to sit down at the table and share ideas and thoughts for improving our city, state, country and planet.

As long as money has such great power to amplify its voice, this may be almost impossible to accomplish.

If you are interested in learning more about this option, check out:
https://inequalityforall.com/take-action/get-money-out-of-politics/

Sally White is a Valencia resident.

 

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